THE SMELTS 
273 
In waters wholly in the North Atlantic States fresh-water smelts are found 
naturally only in New England, and there, so far as is positively known, only in 
New Hampshire and Maine, although according to the following report they occur 
in ponds on Cape Cod. Concerning these fish, however, there may be some doubt 
about their having been naturally landlocked. Forest and Stream for April 18, 1889 
(p. 259), contained the following account: 
Landlocked smelt . — From Cape Cod, Mass., we have received some specimens of a fish known 
there as a fresh-water smelt. The examples are about 5 in. long, and represent the average size 
of the adult fish. The species is found in two or three large, perfectly landlocked ponds, which 
have no visible outlet and are remote from salt water. We are informed that no stream ever has 
connected these ponds with the ocean. The fish are never seen except for a few nights during the 
first week in April, when they come to the shore to spawn. They can then readily be taken with dip 
nets or landing nets. Under proper conditions bushels of them can be taken in a single night. 
Few persons know of their existence; unless the ponds are visited at just the right time and with 
a light the fish cannot be seen. This smelt is a very delicate and toothsome little species having 
the flavor of a salt-water fish. The ponds contain perch and pickerel. What a paradise these 
waters would be for the black bass. Landlocked smelt are now pretty widely distributed, being 
recorded from numerous lakes and ponds in Maine and New Hampshire, and forming one of the 
best of the natural foods introduced by the fishculturists into waters stocked with the larger Sal - 
monidse. The only changes that we can observe as the result of landlocking are a reduction in 
size and in the strength of the teeth. The specimens obtained were caught on the night of April 
3, and appeared to be spent females. Sea smelt spawn in March and April. 
In New Hampshire it appears that the smelt occurs indigenously in Winnepe- 
saukee and Squam Lakes. In Maine, however, it is widely distributed in coastwise 
lakes and ponds, some of which are a considerable distance inland. The principal 
river basins all comprise some smelt waters. Foster and Atkins (1868) say: 
Smelts are scattered all over the State. It seems probable that we have more than one species. 
Whether either of them is identical with the salt water smelt we cannot say, but the resemblance 
is very close. 
NAMES 
The fresh-water smelt appears seldom to have any distinctive name given to it. 
In Sweden it seems that large smelts are known as “slom” and smaller fish as 
“nors.” Bloch (1796) wrote: 
The fish is known by different names. They call it Stint in Germany ; kleiner Stint, loffe- 
stint, kurzer Stint, and Stintites, in Livonia; jern Lodder and send Lodder in Lappland; nors in 
Sweden; spiering, in Holland; smelt in England and Denmark; lodde, rogn-sild-lodde, rope, 
krockle, in Norway; sjiro iwo, in Japan; and eperlan d’eau d’ouce in France. 
Wherever it occurs in Canada it appears to be known to the English-speaking 
inhabitants as smelt, whenever it is recognized at all. Locally in Lake Champlain 
it is the “ice fish.” W. M. A. Cowen, of Ticonderoga, N. Y., said (1900) : 
Formerly a resident of Essex-on-Lake Champlain, I have caught several thousand smelts, but 
never one ice fish (according to local name). * * * Ice fishing, I think, is father to the 
name of ice fish, although I have frequently caught yellow perch and bluefish from the same hole. 
SIZE OF FRESH-WATER SMELTS IN VARIOUS WATERS 
Bloch (1796) stated that the fresh-water smelt is only 3 or 4 inches long. Reuter 
(1883) indicates the mature fresh-water smelt of Finland vary in size from 1)4 or 2 
