Silver Hake
Silver hake are a bottom-dwelling groundfish found along Canada's Atlantic coast, most abundantly on the Scotian Shelf.
Commercially important in Nova Scotia and marketed as whiting or Atlantic hake, they're less a recreational target than a commercial one — but inshore runs during warmer months bring them within reach of boat anglers fishing the shelf edge.
Scientific Name: Merluccius bilinearis
Also known as Whiting, Atlantic hake, New England hake
- Slender, elongated body with two dorsal fins — not three like true cod — and a protruding lower jaw with no chin barbel.
- Silver-grey on the sides, darker on the back, pale on the belly; the iridescent sheen fades fast once the fish is out of the water.
- Typical fish run around 37 cm; larger individuals reach up to 75–76 cm and weigh roughly 750 g on average.
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- Native to the northwest Atlantic; in Canada, found from Newfoundland and the Gulf of St. Lawrence south along the Scotian Shelf, with the highest abundance in Emerald and LaHave Basins.
- Bottom-dwellers that prefer warmer shelf-edge water, generally between 7–10°C, at depths of 50–400 m — occasionally deeper than 900 m.
- Migrate inshore to shallower water during warmer months and retreat to deeper shelf-edge water in winter.
Key Locations
- Emerald Basin, Scotian Shelf — the primary area for the directed Canadian fishery since the mid-1990s.
- LaHave Basin, Scotian Shelf — fished alongside Emerald Basin by the Canadian mobile-gear fleet.
- Scotian Shelf broadly (NAFO Divisions 4VWX) — the core Canadian range, with fish abundant from the shelf edge inshore during warmer months.
Specific Spots
- Emerald and LaHave Basins on the Scotian Shelf are the core Canadian grounds — where the directed fishery concentrates and where fish school around specific depth contours.
- Shelf-edge drop-offs and deeper basin structure hold fish year-round; inshore grounds become productive as water warms in spring and summer.
- Dense schools form around prey concentrations, so finding baitfish marks on a sounder is a reliable way to locate fish.
Silver Hake FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What are the best lures and bait for Silver Hake?
Diamond jigs and metal spoons worked near bottom imitate the baitfish silver hake chase; keep the presentation close to the seafloor where fish school. Cut bait, herring or mackerel strips, fished on a bottom rig is a straightforward approach when jigging is slow.
When is the best time to fish for Silver Hake?
May to October, fish move inshore and are accessible to smaller vessels along the Scotian Shelf. Year-round, offshore shelf-edge grounds hold fish through winter, though this is primarily commercial territory.
How do you catch Silver Hake?
The Canadian fishery is primarily commercial, conducted by small mobile-gear vessels (under 65 ft) trawling Emerald and LaHave Basins. Recreational anglers targeting silver hake do so by boat, jigging or bottom-fishing near the shelf edge during the inshore season from roughly May through October.
What do Silver Hake eat?
Feeds heavily on smaller fish, including herring, sand lance, and juvenile groundfish, as well as shrimp and other crustaceans. Jigs, small metal spoons, and baitfish-profile lures all work on this basis.
Where do Silver Hake live?
Native to the northwest Atlantic; in Canada, found from Newfoundland and the Gulf of St. Lawrence south along the Scotian Shelf, with the highest abundance in Emerald and LaHave Basins. Bottom-dwellers that prefer warmer shelf-edge water, generally between 7–10°C, at depths of 50–400 m, occasionally deeper than 900 m.
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