Select a state to find fishing and boating information:
Get A Fishing License
Get started fishing today, purchase your fishing license online, check regulations and more.
Register A Boat
Register your boat today. Learn how to register your vessel, boating laws and more.
Home > Learn to Fish & Boat > Fish Species > American Shad
The American shad is highly regarded as a game fish and can be found predominantly in the southern states of U.S.
You can easily identify an American Shad because is a silvery fish with a single dorsal fin in the middle of the back. There is a large black spot directly behind the top of the gill cover, followed by 4-27 spots, which are generally smaller than the first. Sometimes there may be a second row of spots below the first, and more rarely, a third row below the second. They closely resemble the hickory shad.
The most important physical distinction is in the lower jaw. In the American shad this jaw fits easily into a deep notch under the upper jaw, whereas, in hickory shad the lower jaw protrudes noticeably beyond the upper jaw.
There are different places where you can catch American shad. This fish species can be found in the east of the Appalachians along the Atlantic coast of North America from Sand Hill River, Labrador to the St. Johns River, Florida. Also, in St. Lawrence River to Lakes Huron and Erie.
The American shad was introduced into the Sacramento River, California and is today up and down the Pacific coast as far south as Bahia de Todos Santos in upper Baja California, Mexico and as far north as Alaska and the Kamchatka Peninsula, on the Asiatic side. Like the salmons, the American shad is an anadromous fish that ascends coastal rivers to spawn.
The following list includes additional places where you can catch American shad:
The following are fishing methods you can use to catch American shad:
The following are fishing lures, tackle and bait you can use to catch American shad:
Travel Fly Fishing Tips
Read More
How to Winterize a Boat and Store It Till Spring
How to Fish for Trout in a Lake: Tips for Catching Rainbows
Do you like this content? Subscribe to our Newsletter and get all the information you need to learn, plan, and equip for your next fishing and boating adventure.
NEWSLETTER SIGNUP
Sign-up to receive our monthly newsletter with interesting blogs about fishing and boating. Get fishing tips and tricks and read personal stories from anglers who live and breathe fishing and boating. Learn new fishing skills, boating resources, fishing etiquette, conservation and more.
Please complete the following fields to subscribe to our newsletter.
SUBSCRIBERS PREFERENCES
What information would you like?