American Shad are anadromous species, which occurs along the entire East Coast of the U.S. It has also been introduced to the West Coast. Shad undergo extensive seasonal migrations moving up rivers for spawning from January in the southern zones to July in the most northern. After spawning shad migrate north along the coast to Canada where they feed during the summer. The southward migration occurs later along the continental shelf where the fish overwinter prior to the spring spawning run to their natal rivers.

Shad have a range of life history depending on their river of origin. In southern rivers shad return to spawn at age 4 and die after spawning. As the species progresses northward, increasing numbers of spawners survive and the mean age at first spawning is 5.

Almost every major river along the East Coast historically supported a spawning run of American Shad. They have been exploited for their flesh and roe since before European settlement. Atlantic coast landings exceed 22,000 mt in 1896. In contrast commercial landings averaged less than 1,350 mt annually since 1980. The principal gear used to catch shad is the gillnet.

Over fishing has been blamed for the historic declines in the abundance of shad in the Hudson and Connecticut Rivers as well as rivers in Maryland and North Carolina. Throughout North America, dam construction along many larger rivers led to the almost complete disappearance of shad in many watersheds and loss of associated fisheries. Pollution in the lower Delaware has been cited as the primary cause for the past decline in that system.