Fisheries management, Species status assessment
Susquehanna River American Eel Passage
States
MarylandAmerican eel are collected in eel ladders at Conowingo Dam and in Octoraro Creek and transported upstream of the mainstem dams and released in the Susquehanna River. This program started in 2008. Annual eel collection occurs from late spring until early fall.
2025 American Eel Collections^
Week Starting | Conowingo Dam | Octoraro Dam |
1 - May | 1,734 | 1 |
Season Totals | 1,734 | 1 |
^2025 collection numbers are preliminary and may change through the season as collection data are quality checked.
*Octoraro Eel collection ends on September 15
Annual American Eel Collections
Year | Conowingo Eel Ladder | Octoraro Eel Ladder |
2008 | 42,058 | - |
2009 | 17,437 | - |
2010 | 23,856 | - |
2011 | 84,961 | - |
2012 | 135,748 | - |
2013 | 293,141 | - |
2014 | 185,628 | - |
2015 | 58,444 | 7,179 |
2016 | 2,684 | 21,094 |
2017 | 122,300 | 11,347 |
2018 | 67,949 | 4,203 |
2019 | 126,181 | 14,170 |
2020 | 254,651 | 3,597 |
2021 | 623,095 | 45,230 |
2022 | 139,798 | 7,159 |
2023 | 217,035 | 62,113 |
2024 | 371,655 | 84,895 |
Total | 2,770,519 | 260,987 |