smolt

noun \ ˈsmōlt \

|Updated on: 9 Aug 2018

Definition of smolt

: a young salmon or sea trout about two years old that is at the stage of development when it assumes the silvery color of the adult and is ready to migrate to the sea

Recent Examples of smolt from the Web

Cooke’s request for a permit to transfer the smolts to open-water net pens for growing to harvest size was denied for the same reason, Warheit said.

— lynda v. mapes, The Seattle Times, "Washington state finds virus in Cooke Atlantic salmon, plans expanded testing," 19 May 2018
Five hundred and thirty-five thousand coho salmon smolt have been released into Ship Creek with 365,000 kings to come next week.

— bob hallinen, Anchorage Daily News, "Fish on: First round of stocking complete for Anchorage lakes," 26 May 2018
Washington state tested smolt in a Cooke Aquaculture incubator and found the Atlantic salmon had a strain of Icelandic virus.

— lynda v. mapes, The Seattle Times, "Washington state finds virus in Cooke Atlantic salmon, plans expanded testing," 19 May 2018
Hatchery managers release more than half a billion pink salmon smolts into Prince William Sound each year, some to be caught by fishermen.

— ned rozell, Anchorage Daily News, "Pink salmon — too much of a good thing?," 15 June 2018
Hatchery steelhead smolts are expected to be released early this week, which should lead to good striper fishing river wide.

— sacbee, "Fishing line: Steelhead action improves on American River | The Sacramento Bee," 29 Jan. 2018
Many of these studies showed our out-migrating smolt were not surviving within months of entering the marine environment.

— sam cotten, Anchorage Daily News, "Why the state decided to shut down or restrict king salmon fishing in the Susitna River drainage," 14 Mar. 2018
While specific causes have not been identified, the department is confident that our statewide downturn in productivity can point directly back at smolt survival after entering the ocean.

— sam cotten, Anchorage Daily News, "Why the state decided to shut down or restrict king salmon fishing in the Susitna River drainage," 14 Mar. 2018
Minnows tend to work best in the mornings and then swimbaits in the evenings as the stripers feed on the steelhead smolts.

— sacbee, "Fishing line: Steelhead action improves on American River | The Sacramento Bee," 29 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'smolt.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.