Haddock
Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) is a saltwater species. The first thing to check: a black lateral line, where an Atlantic cod's is pale — the fastest separation of the two. The look-alike to rule out is Atlantic Cod: cod have a pale arched lateral line, no shoulder blotch and a prominent chin barbel.
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| Scientific name | Melanogrammus aeglefinus |
|---|---|
| Also called | scrod haddock |
| Water | Saltwater |
| Group | Cod |
| Temperature | Feeds between about 36 and 50 °F. |
How to identify a Haddock
- A black lateral line, where an Atlantic cod's is pale — the fastest separation of the two.
- A dark thumbprint blotch on the shoulder above the pectoral fin, traditionally called St Peter's mark.
- A tall, sharply pointed first dorsal fin and a chin barbel much smaller than a cod's.
If you would rather not work through a key on a wet deck, photograph the fish and let the app name it — you get the common and the scientific name back, and the record is filed before you release.
Fish it is mistaken for
| Species | How to tell them apart |
|---|---|
| Atlantic Cod | Cod have a pale arched lateral line, no shoulder blotch and a prominent chin barbel. |
| Pollock | Pollock have a projecting lower jaw, no shoulder blotch, and effectively no barbel. |
Side-by-side comparisons
Read the full entry for Atlantic Cod and Pollock.
Where it lives
Offshore banks and deeper hard bottom in the North Atlantic, generally deeper and further out than cod on the same grounds.
Temperature
Feeds between about 36 and 50 °F.
The conditions that matter
Haddock hold over gravel and pebble bottom in cold, deep water and feed on small invertebrates, so they take small baits on the drift rather than chasing. Because they and cod share the same trips under different limits, the lateral line and the shoulder blotch are worth checking on every fish before it goes in the box.
Global Fishing League records 18 weather and water readings against every catch automatically — tide stage, barometric pressure, water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll, swell, current, moon phase and more, taken at your GPS position at the moment you log the fish. Over a season that turns a hunch about haddock into a pattern you can read.
See every reading recorded with a catch, or the guides to what each reading means.
Size limits, bag limits and seasons
Size limits, bag limits, slot limits and seasons are set by your state wildlife agency — and for many offshore and migratory species by federal regulators — and on many waters they differ from the statewide rule. They also change between seasons. Check the current regulations for the exact water you are fishing before you keep a fish — we do not republish limits here, because a number that is a season out of date is worse than no number.
What the app does do is make your side of it accurate: every catch carries a length measured from the photograph, a GPS position and a timestamp, exportable if you ever need to show your work for a tournament or a record claim. It is also what a Global Fishing League entry is built from — a record that verifies itself, without publishing where you caught the fish.