Here you see Fyke funnel nets in Mill Stream trying to trap glass eels just below the dam at Blue Hill Bay. These migrating immature American eels (sometimes called elvers) swim up our streams to spend the best years of their lives in freshwater. But you might wonder how they handle a dam such as this,
During some high tides in the spring, the Bay water reportedly comes in over this dam, which makes it easy at those times. However, glass eels have been known to wriggle up the wetted, vertical surfaces of some dams, often at night, though they much prefer man-made specialized eel ramps or ladders. (Images taken in Blue Hill, Maine, on April 4, 2026.)