Atlantic Herring
Atlantic herring are the backbone of Canada's East Coast marine fishery — commercially critical from Labrador to the Bay of Fundy and throughout the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Most anglers encounter them as bait for bluefin tuna, cod, and striped bass, but a dedicated inshore fishery targets them with jigs and dip nets from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland. Few fish matter more to the ecosystem or the economy of Atlantic Canada.
Scientific Name: Clupea harengus
Also known as Bank herring, shore herring, common herring, sardines
- Slender, fusiform body with a distinctly round belly, forked tail, and slightly protruding lower jaw — classic streamlined schooling fish shape.
- Bright silver sides with a bluish-green or greenish-blue back; large, delicate scales that strip off easily when handled.
- Typical size runs 20–30 cm (8–12 in); maximum around 45 cm (18 in) and just over 1 kg (2.4 lb).
- Distinguished from similar clupeids (shad, alewife) by the combination of smooth belly scutes, no notch in the upper jaw, and the blue-green back coloration.
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- Native to the Northwest Atlantic; in Canada they range from Labrador and Newfoundland south through the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Scotian Shelf, and Bay of Fundy.
- Pelagic and schooling — they roam open water in mid-column but move into coastal bays, coves, and estuaries to spawn and over-winter.
- Cold to cool temperate waters are their home; the semi-enclosed Gulf of St. Lawrence and Gulf of Maine support some of the densest concentrations in the world.
- Managed under DFO across multiple regions: Newfoundland and Labrador (Divisions 2+3), Gulf Region (Division 4T), and the Maritimes Region (4VWX, including Nova Scotia and Bay of Fundy).
Key Locations
- Bay of Fundy — a traditional weir fishery in sheltered coves along both shores; one of the most historically significant herring fisheries in Canada.
- Gulf of St. Lawrence (NAFO Division 4T) — supports both spring and fall spawning components managed under separate DFO rebuilding and management plans.
- Newfoundland bays: Bonavista, Trinity, Notre Dame, and Conception bays all have active herring fisheries under the 2J3KLPs management plan.
- Scotian Shelf and Eastern Shore, Nova Scotia — coastal herring fisheries including gillnet operations and a significant offshore spawning component.
- Southern Labrador (Fishing Area 2) — northernmost extent of the managed commercial herring range in Canada.
Specific Spots
- Inshore coves and sheltered bays along the Bay of Fundy shoreline — traditional weir sites concentrate herring as schools move with the tide.
- Mid-water column over rocky or gravelly bottom during spawning runs; eggs are deposited directly on hard substrate, so schools stack up over reefs and ledges.
- Surface and near-surface at night, when herring rise from deeper daytime holding depths to feed — this is when jigging from wharves and breakwaters is most productive.
- Coastal Newfoundland bays (Bonavista, Trinity, Notre Dame, Conception) where schools stage seasonally and support both commercial and personal-use bait fisheries.
Atlantic Herring FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What are the best lures and bait for Atlantic Herring?
Sabiki rigs, strings of small, flashy dropper flies or beaded hooks, are the go-to for jigging herring from docks and boats; they mimic a cluster of small organisms and can bring up multiple fish per drop.
When is the best time to fish for Atlantic Herring?
Spring season: April through June in most Newfoundland and Maritimes fishing areas, schools move inshore as water temperatures rise. Summer: juvenile herring form large coastal schools through the summer months, making inshore jigging productive from late June onward.
How do you catch Atlantic Herring?
Most recreational anglers in Atlantic Canada target herring from wharves, breakwaters, or small boats at night using sabiki rigs or small jigs, primarily to gather live or fresh bait for larger species like bluefin tuna, striped bass, and cod.
What do Atlantic Herring eat?
Herring are filter feeders, straining copepods, krill, and other small zooplankton through their gill rakers, they don't chase individual prey the way predatory fish do, which is why small, flashy jigs that mimic a struggling creature in a school work better than large lures.
Where do Atlantic Herring live?
Native to the Northwest Atlantic; in Canada they range from Labrador and Newfoundland south through the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Scotian Shelf, and Bay of Fundy. Pelagic and schooling, they roam open water in mid-column but move into coastal bays, coves, and estuaries to spawn and over-winter.
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