PLEASE REFERENCE THE 2020 HERRING SPAWN REPORT FOR CURRENT INFORMATION
2019 Herring Spawn Reports
978 Story Rd, San Jose, CA 95122
The annual pacific herring season is quickly approaching. With the rains finally hitting the bay area the spawn is not far off. Those who are familiar with the herring spawn know how exciting it can be for kids and for fisherman alike. I look forward to another great year!! GET YOUR SEX HERRING ON!
Need a cast Net? Buy one on Amazon and help keep this blog funded. This is what I use to catch sex herring!! There are many options and many mesh sizes. Beginners should get a 4-5 ft net while more experienced hunters can get larger sizes.
For those who have supported this site through purchasing a cast net or any other item i will make myself available during the herring run to provide a free cast netting lesson to show my appreciation. Please follow the thread to know where i will be next. -TLA
Guide to fishing the Herring Spawn
Update: Friday December 21, 2018
The Pacific Herring are in the bay! Happy times are here. The elusive sex herring are starting to stage in the bay for their annual “party”. There have been reports of herring in Richardson Bay and a smaller spawn Knock/Miller park. These are probably the scouts but the larger schools should be on the way!
I’m working on setting up an updated map on this thread. If there are good reports I’ll update the markers so everyone can keep posted. Stay tuned!
Update: Friday January 4, 2019
It seems like there is a possible impending spawn around coyote point. There is a lots life on the water and some herring hunters have reported pulling up seaweed with some eggs. (Possibly a smaller spawn). This maybe a good place to keep an eye on. January is the big spawn month.
JUST IN (11:44 am): Just got word from Cpt. David, (Herring Hunting Buddy), that the SPAWN IS ON around CandleStick Point. Maybe by the pier. THANKS Captain! — If it’s a bust, i don’t take any responsibility. LOL =P
Update: Saturday January 5, 2019
It looks like the fish have moved on from Candlestick point. Most people have confirmed the absence of our little friend. On to the next spawn. Hopefully Coyote point will be busy next.
Update: Friday January 11,2019
Possible spawn at Paradise pier in Tiburon. Can someone confirm? I will try and call the rangers office. If anyone knows for sure please comment below. Update 10:48am – Bunk report. Fish not there this morning. I’ll try to see if there something is happening in the afternoon. Thus, the life of a herring hunter. S
Update: Saturday January 12, 2019
The Spawn has been going at the paradise pier for the last two days. The fish have been spawning about 1 hour after the top of the high tide. There were many many OG herring hunters out today, but unfortunately our little friends didn’t want to play until the park closes. Maybe they are starting to catch on!? hmm….
Exciting News: January 12, 2019
I’m excited to announce that I am working with a few vendors to secure different types and models of cast nets. I will be conducting a review of these nets (Pros and Cons) and posting them on this blog over the next few weeks. I will be donating a few of the nets at random to those who have subscribe to this BLOG.
I will continue to build partnerships with vendors to support members of this community and continue what we have grown. Make sure to sign up to stay updated and to enter the raffle!
January 21, 2019 – I’ve been scanning the bay and trying to keep on top of the spawns but there hasn’t been much action. Exciting news! Hey but we made the SF chronicle! Check out the news article!
If you guys are bored, read my recent Sturgeon Adventure in San Pablo Bay. The action has been hot for Dino’s up there!
January 26, 2019
Just returned from the spawn. I was there around 4pm at the high tide. I can officially confirm THE SPAWN IS ON at ferry point in pt. Richmond. Go get your sex Herring on. It’s coming to a close.
The 2019 Herring Spawn Reporter of the Year is ANDRE!
Congratulations Andre for being the 2019 Herring Spawn Reporter of the year!!!, and your contributions to this site. Looking forward to delivering your herring shirt.
TLA
Any new updates on 2019-20 herring run? It’s been cold and rainy lately and wondering if anybody and seen any action.
I’ll get the new herring thread up soon.–TLA
waiting for herring
Now 3:15 time for this one to go home, even the birds have left and not one sea lion.
12:05 talked to someone who said he saw people catching yesterday. Nothing new here except now it’s raining good grief !
Thanks for the update Mark! Darn fish just keep moving around and around. Why can’t they just stay a little longer
so we can catch are few more?? =P
Coyote Point 11:25 AM, if you want jack smelt they are thick otherwise no herring in sight yet. Talked to one person who said they saw eggs on the rocks yesterday but no one fishing. I will stay for a while because I don’t know any better.
If I wasn’t self employed I would fire myself, the only high tide Monday is 10:36 am at coyote point unless someone posts a negative I will go up there tomorrow morning and see.
There’s a report of herring at coyote point.
Crazy ness it was loaded by the marsh area and eggs on the rocks and grass on shore. Weird to think they left that fast. It’s almost high tide
Yes Richardson bay off of seminary drive
At RB now 2:40pm noting happening…. Some light bird activity on the North side of the bay by the marsh preserve. No marine mammal activity
Thanks for the update. I think I will go take a look also as soon as I patch my net from the last Point Richmond sea lion attacking !
Hey Andre, can you reach me at [email protected] , I want to send your T-shirt. –TLA
Do you mean Golden Gate Bridge?
Think he means Richards Bay off the 101 near Sausalito. I’m going to go give it a look in a few hours. It’s the neap tide today, so far that’s been a good thing this year.
Spawn in Richardson near the 101 bridge. Might be able to throw out on the rocks at the high tide decent size spawn. Eggs on the rocks
Yeah lots of birds over a ball of herring yesterday in sausilitio but you’d need to get a boat out there to them. Didn’t come nearly close enough to shore. Still no eggs on the rocks, and it was low tide.
Big flocks of birds still present off of Sausalito yesterday (Sunday) out towards Richardson Bay. They school was mostly far off but it seemed to be moving around. A couple times they all came in closer to the Sausalito shoreline (maybe a few hundred meters? hard to say), not sure if this means anything. It was low tide and no eggs on any of the rocks in Sausalito.
Big flocks of birds still present off of Sausalito today out towards Richardson Bay. They were mostly far off but seemed to be moving around. A couple times they all came in closer to the Sausalito shoreline (maybe a few hundred meters? hard to say, but still looked like deeper water), not sure if this means anything. It was low tide and no eggs on any of the rocks at Sausalito.
Checked out Fort Baker again and Sausalito. No signs (no eggs) and at Sausalito the flock of birds were way to far out in Richardson Bay to get to.
Herring showed up in Crescent City. 6 hours north of the bay.
Looked like a small one today nothing can be caught from shore though
A new spawn was detected in Richardson bay anchorage per CDFW website.
That’s good news. Would like to get one more day in.
Nothing at Sausilito or Loch Lomond Marina, didn’t see eggs either but i guess it was high tide.
Larkspur Ferry Terminal, Harbor Point, Torpedo Wharf, and Crissy field looked quiet but didn’t look closely.
Didn’t go any farther today.
Thanks for the report.
Robert, Moon & others, thanks for the ongoing reports. Really appreciate it. I’m here (2 hours away) waiting for the go. I’m really hoping I didn’t miss the only show this year.
I’m thinking of doing a drive through likely herring spots in the north bay and SF, I’ll post what I find here. I’ll take suggestions for spots anyone wants scouted/checked in on if they’re along my route, and if you guys think any of my stops are a waste of time pls tell me I’d love to save some time and gas. I think I’m going tommorrow.
Here’s a my route so far:
PART ONE: https://goo.gl/maps/JsWrQY91jxC2
PART TWO: https://goo.gl/maps/PoqQc98r13C2
Pickleweed Park, SR > Behind Target, SR > Larkspur Ferry Terminal > Marin Montessori School/Tiburon Yacht Club > Paradise Beach County Park > Elephant Rock > drive Tiburon Waterfront (Linear Park Rd) > drive past Harbor Point on 101 > Sausalito > Fort Baker > Torpedo Wharf, SF >(part two)> drive past Crissy Field > Embarcadero Pier 7 > McCovey Cove/Pier 52 > Agua Vista Park > Hunters Point (Candlestick Point State Recreational Area)
FYI, Paradise Beach Park , Elephant Rock and Sausalito already had their spawn. Eggs present. Fort Baker there is no eggs on anything so they have not been there yet, as of Sat. Good luck and let us know if you get any action.
Any luck? Out at Pt Richmond on Monday and got skunked at hi tide.
Any action anywhere? I hope you are silent because you’re busy pulling in the fish.
I haven’t heard anything recently. Maybe its coming to the end here. Check my 2018 reports to see if they spawned in February last year. Someone said they are heading up to crescent City already.
Nothing happening at Fort Baker unless humpbacks eat herring in which case a humpback ate all the herring.
Thanks Robert for doing the leg work getting us up to date info. Wish you had hit it.
I heard about the Crescent City report, but that can’t be all the Herring. I saw no evidence that they had come to Fort Baker yet. No egg.
I was throwing kastmasters around fisherman’s point yesterday & drove past Coyote point also while I was in the area and there was no bird action. i’ll check it out on my way home today, but i’m not expecting anything
Any new info from the South Bay?
Just checked burlingame, aqua vista park and Mc covey cove, still nothing yet.
Nothing at Fort Baker around 12:30. Wanted to head to Coyote Point but got the no go from mission control (aka the wife).
Is Sausalito over? What about Fort Baker, any info?
Just checked coyote point, aqua vista park, embarcadero. Nothing yet.
Thanks for the update
Yes I think you are correct,like I posted Tuesday morning it’s just not right that there has been so little activity on the west side. Have to work tomorrow,but may take a quick ride to look tomorrow around noon and Friday morning. Maybe it’ll be HERRING BOWL SUNDAY!
Kirk Lombard, Mr. Herring hunter #1 , reports there is a massive school of herring under the san Mateo bridge and around the South Bay. Be on the look out for coyote and fishemans point for the next spawn.
I was at Pt Richmond today around 10pm and didn’t see any net casters from the lot so I guess I missed it again. Thought about crossing the bridge to the north but traffic was awful.
Ferry Point had excellent action Monday, but I went back for some more Tuesday (today) at about 12pm. Nothing. I’ll be on the lookout for the last catch or two of the season.
Experienced participants know if the spawn in the bay will continue into this next weekend?
My first time trying to catch herring.
Been eager for a chance to come down from Sacramento and waiting on a good report and some time off of work to coincide.
Went Monday at 2:00 pm,plenty of people mostly catching 2-6 fish a throw with the ocasional 10-15 but mostly the 2-6. Their were A -LOT of zero throws! No big concentration of fish,heavy egg deposits on rocks and plenty of fur bags. I got nailed 3 times pretty hard to catch fish with 3 hand size holes in your net,it looked like the fish had gone it’s been a pretty long spawn. When I quit at 6:00 the fur bags were attacking even 1 fish in the nets,I did manage to catch about 35 pounds. Time for net repair and scouting,outside of candlestick park the west side of the bay has been quiet.
there’s still some action at Ferry point today. I see some folks have buckets of herring When I Got there at 6:30pm. Being my first time at this I only managed to catch only 10 in one hour. I think I got the technique down but still need to practice more.
Did anyone notice the drones flying around above Miller Knox pier during this weekend’s spawn? Would love to see that footage.
Who should be the The 2019 Herring Spawn Reporter of the Year? Let me know. I think there should be some kinda award for this person! don’t you think? –TLA
We just got back from ferry point we were out there for 2 hours and we filled up so quick we had to use black trash bags lol. We caught more in those two hours than all day yesterday. definitely got herring for the year, already giving bags out to neighbors 😂. Happy fishing y’all!
Thanks to all for the timely reports. I finally connected with a spawn at Miller Knox this evening. Now I need to work on my pickled herring technique.
Great herring spawn at Point Richmond again today, Sunday Jan 27! Arrived at the Miller/Knox pier at 11:00 am it was already crowded with lots of folks getting lots of herring, we left at 1:00 pm with all the herring we wanted and it was still going strong.
Thanks. I left around 7:30pm and the spawn kinda died down by then. I will need to fix the net in the morning and may come back tomorrow afternoon for some more video footage. –tla
Handfull of people still out here not many herring are being caught , gonna stay for a while see if things change .
Great spawn at ferry point today we got a bunch of herring. Lots of fur bags though and lots of nets didn’t make it 🙂 one of mine included. We are heading back right now to see if there is anyone still out there .
Good spawn at Point Richmond today! Lots of action at the Miller/Knox pier around 3:30 PM, action moved a bit north towards sunset.
Nothing here In McCovey cove.
11:30 am 1-26-19 herring spawn at Point Richmond. I’m not there but was contacted by good source his buddy is there and says there are fish,I just got a message GET YOUR NET THE SPAWN IS ON🐋
Looks like cdfw updated their site and said that there is some activity in the north bay.
https://cdfwherring.wordpress.com/
I was driving over the San Rafael bridge yesterday and didn’t see much activity around Richmond point. Maybe it
it is tide dependent.If anyone is around these area can you guys scout this area and keep us posted. Thanks –TLA
Did not see anything downtown but it’s a pretty good Spawn right outside clipper Harbor about four football fields long but looks to be only fishable by boat.
Looks like a spawn started in Richardson bay right outside of Clipper Harbor can only hit it by boat. Lots of furbags. I’ll try to monitor the main rocky downtown area on the high tide.
Anything happening with the herring? Haven’t had a chance to go scouting,anybody getting them by boat?
Thanks! Keep us posted if something does go down. It’s been a tough year and I’m sure everyone would appreciate a few more spawns before calling it a year.
Hard to tell but I’d say it’s going down tonight.
Tide sitting on outgo. Lots(tons) of birds between Crissy Field and the Marina Green 100 yards out. Some diving. Watch the water fronts in SF. Either way Looks like time to load up the buckets…
Who would like participated in public boat fishing herring? 120 $ + licence . Sunday January 27.Let me know please before 6 pm January 22.
Me: Just another herring hunter hoping to hear when and where to show up next.
I have been in point Richmond 10 am . nothing !
I have been in Paradise Pier . Nothing.
Was in San Mateo at Cyote Point yesterday from 11-1 nothing at the park didn’t pay the 8 to drive all the way back but no birds in the binoculars.
Thanks for the report. I’ll be in the East Bay tomorrow and keep an eye out for any activity. I feel that the herring bio mass has been small this year compared to years past.
any new action out there? dropped by paradise and Chinabasin today and nothing. anyone else see anything?
Thinking of going to candlestick tonight about 11:00 weather looks good,just hold your net up and they will blow right in.
Hi Andre, it was at Paradise. I caught about 20-30 lbs on Friday and went back on Sunday.
Those furbags were damn smart. They only went after the net when there were a lot of herrings struggling inside.
Well time to shell out another $100 for a decent net.
E Z join the mailing list and get entered for a cast net, i got a few, and will be giving them out at the end of my review article (coming out). Let me know what cast net is a quality one, in your opinion. I’m reaching out to manufactures to provide me some for review. –TLA
Damn those furbags,where did you catch the fish E Z ? I went to coyote point Sunday morning and no sign of life then to candlestick sat at the pier from 11:15 till 2:45 watched the birds swim after the fish but never came more than 100 yards from the pier. A lot of eggs are on the rocks and grass. Maybe they were spawning on the grass outside.
I went to Paradise again yesterday (13th) A bit slower then Friday, but people were still catching.
Sorry to hear that. When did it happen? Where were you at? Please give more details on herring location. Thx
Paradise Pier. Sorry for not being clear.
Only managed a good haul of herring before those SOB sea lions shredded my 7-foot net into pieces.
Sorry to hear that. Where were you? Coyotes? Candle park?
wow that really sucks. I didn’t realize they’d be so aggressive even with all the other fish around
I got to Paradise Park around 3, there was a slow pick on herring. We could see a huge group of birds headed our way. People started really catching them around 4:20. Thirty minutes of chaos and then the rangers kicked us out. Wish we could have had more time.
Yeah similar to yesterday. Seems to be an hour or so after high tide. Thanks for the update. Gonna try McCovy tomorrow I think.
Anything around at&t park(Oracle Park)?
Not thing here at 11am
Keep us posted. I’m thinking of possibly heading out there later. -TLA
Just leaving ferry point came to check it out see if anyone seen any signs. A few guys are out here and they haven’t seen any herring. No sea lions or birds either. I live close by so once I get word of action out here I’ll post a note . Good luck out there y’all
For those that braved the rain the Herring came in around 2pm. Good run lots of coolers and trash cans full.
Does not look like anything here at paradise. Gonna hang around a bit, but so far nadda.
Thanks for sharing the update with the rest of us!
Thanks Willis. I’m gonna call up the ranger station later and try to get a confirmation. If it’s a go, I’ll give it the official, “the spawn is on!” Designation. Herring hunter stay tuned!
Not sure about Paradise. Heading there in an hour or so. Will update.
Thanks for this! I’m headed to the Bay Area this weekend, hoping to find a spawn. I will post here if I do.
Good herring spawn info. The comments also seem about right.
Not thing in AT&T park today (01.17.19) But yesterday alot of bird in Coyote park
Thanks for those providing updates. Make sure to subscribe below. I am looking at creating some good content in 2019 and you guys don’t wanna miss it! Also make sure to take the 2019 TLA survey. It will help guide me as I create new content. –TLA
My friends visited Coyote Point, Candlestick Point, and Tiburon today. No fish. Will try again tomorrow.
New to the blog. Looking forward to my first herring experience
No one catching anything at candlestick point this morning at 9:00am. Too windy, whitecaps, and looked like a very high tide. Still lots of birds and seals around.
Right on guys! awesome. Thanks for the heads up –TLA
Good run off of Candelstick point
Herring still at candlestick 3:45 pm, lots of snags.
There is a confirmed report happening around Candlestick. Lots of people throwing nets. This official report gets a: “THE SPAWN IS ON!!” status! Get your sex herring on folks!
Looks like we’re getting close. Maybe these next rains will bring the flood. Can’t wait
DF&W says some activity spotted at coyote point near jetty 1-3-19, shows picture of birds but they look like their just sitting on the water. They also said fish are also around Hunters point area,it’s time to scout maybe coyote point will try to stop by today 1-4-19
My buddy and I may head out there over the weekend. If anyone got news about today please share.
Much appreciated. –TLA
The bird were super active yesterday around 2pm. There was a tiny spawn yesterday at Knox Miller Park in Richmond, but the seals are ferociously ripping nets repeatedly. There are about 10 of them just waiting for humans to throw their nets. If you get a good cast and able to pull up the net, you should get about 10-15 herring per throw in a 6 foot net.
Any luck? Did you see any birds or bait balls?
word of a spawning off Brooks Island right by Knox Miller Park in Richmond…that was noon today. Im looking for a ride from SF if anyones headed out there tomorrow..
https://bit.ly/2Rao1XN
This would be my first year attempting to catch herring. I’m still unclear on how big of a throw net you can have. 36 inches looks small. I don’t know the difference between a beach net and Hawaiian throw net. Can some one help! Thanks you
Thanks for the Heads up John. It’s good that they are starting to make their way into the bay. I’m sure with the incoming rains things will start to get hot pretty soon in the bay. As funny as it sounds, herring hunting is one of my favorite fishing activities in the year. There is an energy to the whole scene that is hard to describe or put words to. –TLA
I’m just waiting for the Herring season to start.
Getting excited about it because there were some Herring Eggs found around Alameda, so it’s only a matter of time until the spawn is on.
This entry was posted on December 3, 2018.
https://cdfwherring.wordpress.com/
Crazy, I was thinking about those critters and how it’s getting about time. DFW should be gearing up soon. Only have two packs left for lingcod. I will post anything I hear or see.
Don’t leave me out TLA! 🙂
Q