Smelt is the name of a family of silvery fishes found in cool waters of the Northern Hemisphere. Most measure less than 8 inches (20 centimeters) long. Like trout and salmon, smelts have a small, fleshy fin behind the dorsal fin on the back.
Some species of smelts live only in salt water. They are found in the northern parts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and in the Arctic Ocean. Other species live only in freshwater rivers and streams that drain into these oceans. Still other species live chiefly in salt water but move to fresh water to spawn (lay eggs).
The rainbow smelt is the most common species of smelt. It is found along the Atlantic coast of Canada and the northern United States, along the Pacific coast of Alaska, and in coastal waters of the Arctic Ocean. It also has been introduced into the Great Lakes and smaller lakes in eastern North America. Many people fish for rainbow smelts with nets during the spring, when these fish spawn. At other times of the year, the fish are caught with hooks.
Smelts are valuable food fish, and many are sold frozen. Some people consider fresh smelt a delicacy.
