Alewife Fish in Lakes

The Alewife is a primarily salt water fish that breeds in Fresh water and is a common bait fish used for fishing in some coastal areas. When introduced, either by accident or on purpose, into a fresh-water lake environment, the Alewife can have serious negative impacts on native fish populations and on the water clarity. The Alewife feed on phytoplankton which in turn feeds on algae. With reduced populations of phytoplankton, algae can flourish and cause decreased water clarity.