Is there a season for smelts?

Smelt angling dates are consistent with trout angling dates in non-scheduled inland waters (See ), with the exception of the following list of ponds, which open January 15. Only smelt may be retained when these ponds are closed to trout angling from January 15 - January 31.

As spring finally arrives in fits and starts to Minnesota’s North Shore a dedicated group of fishers armed with dip nets and seines eagerly watch the river flows and water temperatures in anticipation of Lake Superior’s annual Rainbow Smelt run.

Most fish prognosticators are predicting at least a two-week delay in this year’s Smelt run due to the late winter thaw and the cool temperatures forecast over the remaining weeks of April and early May.

A good rule of thumb is that when river temperatures are between 40 F and 44 F the Rainbow Smelt begin their spawning run from Lake Superior. An up-to-date source of information on North Shore stream temperatures and the status of the Rainbow Smelt run is the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Lake Superior weekly fishing report.

A Minnesota DNR fact sheet on Lake Superior Rainbow Smelt provides general information on how to catch Smelt and a reference of important regulations that apply to Smelt fishing.

So, while Minnesota Sea Grant wants you to enjoy your Smelt fishing adventures this spring, we want you to be aware of the consumption advisories too.

The Minnesota Department of Health’s Lake Superior Rainbow Smelt consumption advisory remains the same as the advice issued in 2021, according to MDH Environmental Surveillance and Assessment Manager James Kelly. The big reduction in recommended consumption limits is due to the presence of a chemical once used in water and stain repellent products, called PFOS or perfluorooctane sulfonic acid.

MDH’s current advice for consumption of Lake Superior Rainbow Smelt is one (1) meal per month based on levels of PFOS found in fish samples. The department’s 2021 advisory was issued due to the high levels of PFOS found in Lake Superior Rainbow Smelt samples taken by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in 2020.

“More data are needed to better understand the extent of PFOS contamination in Smelt and other Lake Superior fish, and we’re working to collect those data,” Kelly said. “In the meantime, to protect public health we continue to recommend these limits on fish consumption.”

Once a key component of Scotchguard and other water and stain repellents, PFOS is showing up in Lake Superior Smelt. PFOS is linked to human illnesses and health issues including fertility, cancer, hormonal and immunity and developmental problems. PFOS is one of a group of related chemicals known as perfluorinated alkylated substances (PFAS), which do not occur naturally. Some PFAS do not break down easily in the environment and can stay in a person’s body for a long time.

Background.

In 2021, Wisconsin issued a modified fish consumption advisory for Lake Superior Rainbow Smelt after scientists discovered high levels of PFAS in Smelt collected near the Apostle Islands in western Lake Superior.

In March 2021, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) advised people to limit consumption of Lake Superior Smelt to no more than one serving per month.

Michigan’s guideline was created due to data shared by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources that showed elevated PFOS in Lake Superior Rainbow Smelt. At that time, MDHHS did not have data on PFOS levels in Lake Superior Smelt but chose to match WDNR's guidance and issued a consumption guideline as a precautionary measure. MDHHS recommended the guideline stay in effect until there was enough data to reevaluate.

“Smelting is a favorite long-time activity on Lake Superior,” said Don Schreiner, Minnesota Sea Grant fisheries specialist. “It’s an opportunity to have some fun and catch a few Smelt and welcome back spring.”

Minnesota Sea Grant

Minnesota Sea Grant is a federal-university partnership that brings water science to communities. We serve Minnesotans at work, at home, and at play. We are a systemwide program of the University of Minnesota with offices on the Duluth and St. Paul campuses.

Minnesota Sea Grant’s Fish, Food, and Aquaculture Program works on Lake Superior fisheries, inland fisheries and aquaculture.

Image credits: M. Thoms

Contact:

Don Schreiner, fisheries specialist, Minnesota Sea Grant, University of Minnesota and University of Minnesota Duluth, [email protected]

James Kelly, Minnesota Department of Health, Health Environmental Surveillance and Assessment Manager, [email protected]. 

Marie Thoms, communications manager, Minnesota Sea Grant, University of Minnesota and University of Minnesota Duluth, [email protected]

Needing to pick up a few items for dinner, I headed for the big supermarket, skipping the fresh fish market. I only buy fresh fish where the counter people let me smell it before I buy. Fresh fish should smell like the ocean, bright and briny, not “fishy” at all. At home, I have little time to deal with heads, tails, bones or skin.

So as I looked over the choices, noting the high prices, I saw something reasonably priced that I hadn’t seen in awhile — smelts. Smelts are little tiny fish, so 1-1/2 to 2 pounds will feed four easily. This was going to be great! A novelty fish, homemade tartar sauce, on a big old-fashioned double-chop salad. I planned to fry the fish at the last minute to keep them hot and crispy.

Crisp is a hot food trend right now. Chefs double fry potato sticks. They add panko (Japanese bread crumbs) to strips of zucchini before sinking them in a bath of hot oil. And they compete with Colonel Sanders for crunchier coating. (In case you haven’t noticed, carbs have replaced fat as the dietary villain.)

The trick to keeping the fat quota down is a shorter oil bath, quick pan-frying rather than deep-frying, then a stop on a pile of paper towels to absorb excess oil. And smaller, thinner cuts of the food to be fried, e.g. those tiny smelts.

Smelts are in season in early springtime when their home waters rush. At night, by the light of flashlights, fishermen drop nets into the water, each carefully guarding a secret spot.

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d cooked the tiny fish. So memory was foggy. As I started to give the batch a quick rinse, I was shocked to find bones still inside! Had I been cheated? Had I missed something? What to do? First, I pulled out all my New England cookbooks and checked the indexes. Some included them, others skipped them entirely. And differences of opinion ranged from removing bones (none with directions) to eating them.

I tried all my American cookbooks, antiques and modern ones alike, and found the same. Last resort, the Internet. Same results.

It took a family member raised on the coast of Maine to remind me: Cut off the tails, if you want, but leave the bones in. Butterfly, or flatten, the fish. Dip into egg wash, and coat with cornmeal. Not the finely powdered corn flour, but nice, grainy cornmeal. That’s where you get the crunch.

Set out lengths of brown paper. Heat a neutral oil like canola or vegetable in a deep skillet, and add the smallest fish as a tester. Then you’re ready to cook! Cook in batches and never overcrowd the pan or the fish will turn out soggy. Shovel each finished batch onto a sheet pan and keep them hot in a 250F oven until they are all cooked.

Then serve them on a big platter, covered with more brown paper. Everyone messily digs into a big plate of the fish, finds the end of each backbone and it pulls out easily. Any pin bones left in the fish are softened and entirely edible.

Homemade tartar sauce is a must. Lemon wedges are nice extra touch.

BASIC FRIED SMELTS

Serves 4

To add a bit more crunch, I salt the fish with large grain sea salt (sometimes labeled “finishing salt”) while it drains on the brown paper. I also use tongs rather than a spatula as they don’t lift extra oil from the pan. (Note: Forks and knives optional.)

2 pounds smelts, cleaned, without heads, tails optional

3 eggs plus 2 tablespoons cold water

a few drops hot sauce, entirely optional

1-1/2 cups grainy cornmeal

salt and pepper, to taste

neutral oil for frying

Special equipment: a large, heavy, deep skillet so that they oil does not splash brown paper or paper towels.

1.Heat the oven to 250F. Make a cut down through the entire open side so that the inside is exposed and the smelts lie flat. I cut off the tails. Rinse smelts well under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels.

2. Beat the eggs with the water in a bowl so that white and yellow are fully incorporated. If using hot sauce, add this to the mixture. Place the cornmeal in a separate bowl.

3. Dip the smelts first in the egg wash, shaking off any excess, then into the cornmeal, making sure that both sides are coated. Pat coating on, if needed.

4. Heat the oil. Add the smallest smelt to the pan. It should sizzle and turn golden brown on one side. Pick it up with tongs and turn to the other side. Once this works, add a batch to the pan, being careful to keep spaces between them to prevent sogginess. Turn, and cook on the other side. Take them out with tongs, transferring to brown paper or paper toweling to drain excess oil. Salt them right away. Transfer fish to a sheet pan and to a warm oven to keep hot. Serve as soon as the last batch is finished, nice and hot!

HOMEMADE TARTAR SAUCE

Makes about 1-1/4 cups

1 cup mayonnaise, homemade or best quality purchased

2 heaping tablespoons sweet pickle relish

2 teaspoons medium capers, drained and chopped

a few drops lemon juice

hot sauce, entirely optional, to taste

Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

DOUBLE-CHOP SALAD

Makes as many servings as you want

The idea here is to have as many colors as possible, so this list is red, orange, yellow, green and purple.

2 to 3 types of lettuce, some crunchy, some deep green

cucumbers, peeled and seeded

grape tomatoes

red onion

fennel bulb

zucchini

tiny cubes of cheddar

blanched green beans

red bell peppers

yellow bell peppers

carrots

red cabbage

Cut all the elements into a small dice, about 1/2-inch each, including lettuces. Toss gently. Pour on favorite vinaigrette. Toss again, very gently.

Linda Bassett is the author of “From Apple Pie to Pad Thai: Neighborhood Cooking North of Boston.” Reach her by e-mail at [email protected]. Read Linda’s blog at LindABCooks.wordpress.com. Follow Linda for quick recipes on Twitter at @Kitchencall.

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