Seasonality of Use

SEASONAL AVAILABILITY OF FISH BASED ON 17TH CENTURY SOURCES

Spiny Dogfish June to October

Eel September to October in Bays

November to April in Rivers

Herring: January to May and September to December in Bays

March to August in rivers

Alewife February to November in Bays

Cod January to June and October to December

Hake April to July and September to November

Tomcod Year round

Pollock January to March and November to December

Mummichog Year round

Sea Robin April to August

Striped Bass April to October

Bluefish May to October

Scup June to September

Tautog April to October

Cunner Year round

Pout Year round

Mackeral May to November

Plaice Year round

Flounder Year round

Most fresh water fish except eel, herring and smelt would be caught primarily in the winter these would include sunfish, large mouth bass, perch, etc.

John Josselyn 1674

77: Alewife, like a herring but with a bigger belly, come in the end of April into fresh

rivers and ponds, where they have taken in two hours without

100: Their fishing follows spring, summer and fall of the leaf. First for lobsters, clams,

flouke, lumps or plaise, and alewives, afterwards for bass, cod, rock, bluefish,

salmon, lampreys and such.

Edward Winslow 1621-1625

233: Fresh cod in summer, lobster all summer, September, hogsheads of eels in Winter

William Wood 1634

108: in summer seldom fish anywhere but salt water, winter in fresh water