What are Smelt?

• Smelt are small, silver fish about 6 to 10 inches long that swim in schools and forage for food along the coast. Related to salmon, they spawn in fresh water, laying their eggs at the water’s edge in coarse sand or pea gravel. The fish feed on plankton and serve as food for sea birds, ocean mammals and other fish. There are many varieties of smelt, including longfin, night and rainbow smelt, but the most common is surf smelt.
  
  

Where They’re Found

• Surf smelt are found throughout the Pacific Ocean, from Long Beach, California, to Alaska. According to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, surf smelt can be found in Washington from the Columbia River to the Canadian Border and throughout Puget Sound, where fresh water provides spawning grounds. According to FoodReference.com, Kelso, Washington, is known as the Smelt Capital of the World.
  
  The fish spawn year-round on the beaches of Whidbey Island, Camano Island, Birch Point, Cherry Point, Fidalgo Bay, Sinclair Inlet, Dyes Inlet and the San Juan Islands. The fish also spawn in the fall and winter at Liberty Bay, Port Orchard, Quartermaster Harbor, Southern Hood Canal and Southern Puget Sound, and in the summer along Washington’s coast and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
  
  

Fishing Regulations

• According to the Department of Fish and Wildlife, a recreational fishing license is not required to catch smelt. There is no size requirement, and fishermen can catch up to 10 lbs. per day. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife once more actively regulated surf smelt fishing to make sure it was sustainable but, because the fish is so prevalent, the department no longer directly monitors commercial fisheries or recreational fishing.
  
  

Commercial Fishing

• According to the Department of Fish and Wildlife, which checks yearly sales documents, commercial fisheries throughout Washington state harvest about 100,000 lbs. of surf smelt annually. The fisheries must adhere to the Washington Administrative Code, which lays out rules for fishing times, areas and allowable gear.
  
  

Recreational Fishing

• Recreational fishermen can catch surf smelt year-round at fishing grounds in Puget Sound and along the Washington coast. The most successful fishermen wait until early morning or evening high tide, wade into shallow water and then “rake” the smelt onto shore with a cage attached to a pole, called a surf smelt dip bag. Some fishermen also “jig” young surf smelt or adults recovering from spawning by trapping them with floats off docks and piers. The fishermen then use fishing hooks and lines to catch the smelt. The Department of Fish and Wildlife website includes a list of popular fishing sites and the best techniques and seasons for each. The department estimates the annual catch at 100,000 lbs.
  
  

Cooking a Smelt

• Prepare a smelt for cooking by holding its backbone, twisting the head and pulling out the skeleton. Smaller fish don’t need to be de-boned. Smelt can be coated in flour and seasonings and fried in cooking oil, or wrapped in aluminum foil and grilled for three to six minutes.