Hickory Shad (Alosa mediocris (Mitchell 1814) is an anadromous clupeid found in Atlantic coastal systems. Little information exists regarding the life history of Hickory Shad. and management strategies have relied on life history information from American Shad (Alosa sapidissima), as the two species are often assumed to be very similar. We are using otolith microchemistry to better understand the life history of Hickory Shad so that more appropriate management strategies can be devised. Sagittal otoliths were taken from Hickory Shad that were captured in 27 watersheds. Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was used to measure the concentration of seven different elements (Mg2+, Mn2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Sr2+, Ba2+, and Pb2+) along cross sections of each otolith, resulting in a chronological record of each individuals life history. We are fingerprinting separate spawning stocks of Hickory Shad, characterizing their migratory movements, and investigating the extent to which they show spawning fidelity to natal rivers. Differences in the chemistry of microstructures at various life stages were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey’s honestly significant difference (Tukey’s HSD) post-hoc test. A classifier will be developed using machine learning algorithms to identify watersheds based on the chemistry of each microstructure.