American Eel
The American Eel is one of Canada's most unusual fish — born in the Sargasso Sea, it migrates into Atlantic rivers, the St. Lawrence, and the Great Lakes system to spend years growing in freshwater before returning to the ocean to spawn.
It supports commercial and Indigenous fisheries in Atlantic Canada and Quebec, and remains a target for recreational anglers willing to fish after dark with bait.
Scientific Name: Anguilla rostrata
Also known as Eel, yellow eel, silver eel, glass eel (juvenile), elver (juvenile), civelle (French)
- Long, snake-like body covered in a slick mucus layer; olive-green to brown on the back, yellowish-green on the sides, and pale white or cream on the belly — juveniles are more yellow, adults turn silvery before their ocean migration.
- A continuous fin runs from mid-back all the way around the tail to the underside; no pelvic fins; small pectoral fins just behind the head — this fin arrangement is the clearest way to tell an eel from a lamprey, which has no pectoral fins at all.
- Lower jaw slightly longer than the upper, giving the face a distinct underbite; large, fleshy lips built for grabbing prey off the bottom.
- Females can exceed a metre in length; males rarely top 40 cm. A female pushing 80–90 cm is a big fish by Canadian standards.
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- Native to eastern Canada — present in rivers, streams, lakes, and estuaries from Newfoundland and Labrador through the Maritime provinces, Quebec, and historically throughout the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence system into Ontario.
- Spend most of their lives in freshwater and estuaries, using a wide range of habitat: rocky rivers, weedy lake shallows, tidal marshes, and muddy-bottomed streams — they tolerate water conditions that exclude most other species.
- Ontario populations have collapsed by more than 99% due to hydroelectric dams blocking upstream migration; the species remains more abundant in Atlantic Canada, the lower St. Lawrence, and Maritime rivers.
- Recorded at well over 1,000 sites along the Atlantic coast of Canada, with commercial fisheries still active in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Quebec.
Key Locations
- Maritime rivers — New Brunswick and Nova Scotia streams support active elver and adult eel fisheries, among the most productive remaining in Canada.
- Lower St. Lawrence River and Quebec tributaries — commercial eel fisheries continue here, and the river corridor is a key migration route.
- Lake Ontario and the upper St. Lawrence — historically important, now greatly reduced; the Moses-Saunders Dam eel ladder at Cornwall, Ontario has been used to monitor the remnant population.
- Tidal estuaries and river mouths throughout Atlantic Canada — transition zones where eels concentrate during spring upstream migration and fall downstream runs.
Specific Spots
- Rocky substrate and root tangles in river pools — eels wedge themselves into cover during daylight and emerge to feed along the bottom edge after dark.
- Tidal river mouths and estuaries where saltwater and freshwater mix; these transition zones concentrate eels, especially in spring and fall when fish are moving.
- Deep, slow pools below waterfalls or dam tailraces — eels stage here when upstream passage is blocked, and the current break concentrates food washing downstream.
- Muddy or sandy lake shallows with submerged wood or weed cover; eels bury into soft substrate during cold periods and hunt the edges of structure at night.
American Eel FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What are the best lures and bait for American Eel?
Nightcrawlers and earthworms are the go-to bait across Canada, fish them on the bottom after dark near structure. A single large worm on a size 4–2 hook is enough. Cut bait from oily fish (herring, smelt, or local shiners) works well in tidal rivers and estuaries where eels are keyed in on fish.
When is the best time to fish for American Eel?
Spring, elvers and juvenile eels move upstream through tidal rivers and estuaries as water warms; this is the basis of the commercial elver fishery in Atlantic Canada. Summer, adult yellow eels are most active and feeding heavily in rivers and lakes from late June through August when water temperatures peak.
How do you catch American Eel?
Most Canadian anglers fish for eels at night from shore or a dock, using bait on a simple bottom rig in slow pools, tidal river mouths, or below dams.
What do American Eel eat?
Adults feed nocturnally on fish, crayfish, worms, molluscs, and insect larvae, anything they can root out from the bottom. For bait fishing, nightcrawlers and cut fish (herring, smelt, or local baitfish) are the most reliable choices because they match what eels are already hunting.
Where do American Eel live?
Native to eastern Canada, present in rivers, streams, lakes, and estuaries from Newfoundland and Labrador through the Maritime provinces, Quebec, and historically throughout the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence system into Ontario.
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