Some can even be considered Bay residents. For instance, during the spawning season, yellow and white perch travel short distances from the brackish water of the middle Bay to freshwater areas of the upper Bay or tributaries. Striped bass also spawn in the tidal freshwater areas of the Bay and major tributaries. Some remain in the Chesapeake to feed while others migrate to ocean waters. Shad and herring are truly anadromous, traveling from the ocean to freshwater to spawn and returning to the ocean to feed.
Eels are the only catadromous species in the Bay.
Although they live in the Bay for long periods, eels eventually migrate to the Sargasso Sea in the central North Atlantic to spawn. Other fish utilize the Bay strictly for feeding. Croaker , drum , menhaden , weakfish and spot journey into the Bay while still in their larval stage to take advantage of the rich supply of food. The abundance of menhaden supports a commercial fishing industry and provides food for predatory fish and birds. Bluefish enter the Bay only as young adults or mature fish.