Alewives return to Maine in large numbers from April to late May, and this year, with rivers swollen from ample spring rains and air temperature fluctuating between 50 and 70 during the day, alewife experts at the Maine Department of Marine Resources expect the fish migration to ramp up quickly.

“The alewife run is a harbinger of spring and gardeners will notice that alewives arrive in Maine’s rivers with the blooming of the shadbush (Amelanchier arborea), a native berry tree that grows all along the coast,” said Theo Willis, Ph.D., a Searun Fish Restoration Coordinator for the Maine Dept. of Marine Resources, in a May 6 news release.

“Whether you garden or not, the timing means that a stroll to your local alewife run can be a lovely walk under a buzz of spring activity and aromas,” said Willis.

“Alewife like to migrate on sunny days,” said Mike Brown, DMR’s head of Fisheries Management and Monitoring for Municipal Harvest. “They stack up below natural falls, any white water in a stream or below dams."

Alewife, and their close cousin the Blueback Herring, migrate into most streams along the Maine coast with a lake in the watershed.

"Maine alewives have two distinct life history strategies," the DRM said. "Sea-run alewives are anadromous, spending most of their lives at sea before returning to Maine’s inland waters to spawn. Landlocked alewives complete their entire life cycle in freshwater and were first stocked in Maine lakes in 1966."

Adult alewives are preferred bait for the spring lobster fishery, the DMR said. There are 35 Maine municipalities that have commercial harvesting rights to alewives on 39 streams and rivers. The runs provide revenue to the towns, many of which lease fishing privileges to independent fishermen. 

“Small streams, like the aptly named Alewife Brook in Cape Elizabeth, to big rivers like the Kennebec and Penobscot have alewife runs,” said Willis.

There are many opportunities to see these fish in action.

“There is a popular hike to natural viewing areas on the Presumpscot River in Westbrook. Brunswick Dam has a viewing room open from Wednesday to Sunday, 1-5 p.m.,” said Willis.

On the way to Warren, there is a sign with a gilded alewife, part of the town seal.

“Payson Park, just upstream from downtown Warren, has a footbridge that overlooks the river where onlookers can watch clouds of fish push upstream to spawn in one of the six lakes in that watershed,” said Willis. “On the Blue Hill peninsula, Walker Pond, Wight Pond and Pierce Pond all have natural fishways prime for watching alewife and the birds, especially osprey and bald eagles, that feast on this annual bounty."

Several locations provide enhanced educational experiences for the weekend visitor and school groups during the week.

“Damariscotta Mills has a strong affiliation with the Nobleboro Historical Society, providing signage and, with advanced notice, guides to help elementary and high school students understand how important alewives were to Maine’s economy and how important they are to Maine’s ecology today.

“This will be the second year that DMR has offered to help schools get kids to local alewife runs,” Willis said. “We have heard that busing is a limitation for most schools so DMR is offering to help facilitate kids learning about the state’s Searun fish heritage by picking up the tab to get classes to places like Damariscotta Mills.”

As far as how long Mainers and visitors have to check out an alewife run, the peak of the run is the week of Mother’s Day. If a school is interested in participating in the busing program visit https://forms.office.com/g/n7zaNmqNjT.