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American Eel Index of Abundance

American eel
Adult American Eel American Eels inhabit all tributaries of Chesapeake Bay and can grow to 1.5 meters (5 feet) in length. They are catadromous, living the majority of their lives in freshwater and migrating to the ocean to spawn.
American eel
Adult American Eel American Eels are nocturnal feeders that prey on insects, crustaceans, worms, fishes and mollusks.
American eel
Glass Stage American Eel All American Eels spawn in the Sargasso Sea, with the larvae being transported to the east coast of North America by ocean currents. These larvae then metamorphose into glass eels and move into estuaries and rivers to continue their life cycle.

American Eel index of abundance figure. Each graph shows American Eel annual indices of abundance for the Rappahannock River (top), York River (middle), and James River (bottom) from 1988 to 2023.

About the data

Please note, the gear used in this survey does not efficiently capture the presence of this species. Results should not be interpreted as a reliable index of abundance. This index includes all American Eels greater than 152 millimeters TL (total length) that are caught in the rivers during the months of April through September. Data collected after the transition to a new vessel and net in June 2015 have been adjusted by a species-specific calibration factor. Note that we were unable to calculate an index for 2020 in the Rappahannock and James rivers due to a pause in sampling due to COVID-19.

American Eel Excel index data (Microsoft Excel download)

For more information on how this species is managed please visit the ASMFC website.