Shad And Herring Hotspots

By C.C. McCotter

Scramble down the bank of the Rappahannock River in historic Fredericksburg and perch yourself on a shoreline rock. Maneuver a shallow draft boat up the James River in the shadow of downtown Richmond and anchor under a busy bridge. Actually find Fletcher’s Boat House on the Potomac River, row or paddle your way upriver until your arms can take no more. Sit along the dam between the Chickahominy River and Lake with a doctor on one side and a laborer on the other.

Now, let the day unfold and your responsibility turn to finding out how to catch a small, shiny annual inhabitant of the river you’re fishing. All these situations describe what you will find around the region’s migratory fishing hotspots. It’s a pursuit that bring together all kinds of folks at some interesting venues.

The common bond among the participants is the love of catching shad and herring. Usually the weather in early spring is beautiful and there are plenty of things to look at while waiting for the next strike. Serviceberry or shad bushes are blooming white, the dogwood flowers are striking and the daily greening up of the surrounding shorelines and marshes can be marked each passing warm afternoon.

It is under this setting that anglers will visit the four top shad and herring fisheries in our region. They include the tidal James River at Richmond, the tidal Rappahannock at Fredericksburg, the tidal Potomac in the Washington, D. C. area, and the tidal Chickahominy east of Richmond at Walker’s Dam.

Locate the fall line in these rivers during the spring months and you are almost sure to catch some migrants. Rocky points that extend out into the river such as those in the Potomac, James and Rappahannock are excellent places to start your search.

Water temperature dictates the arrival of the shad and herring in our rivers. The fish have been found in the Chesapeake Bay as early as February and as late as June. In most cases, however, we bank on the months of March and April to provide us with this exceptional and long awaited event. Shad and herring prefer water temperatures between 55 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit, so depending on where you choose to fish, keep in mind that southern waters have an earlier migration than up north. One of the most well known and highly anticipated shad and herring runs occurs in and around the area of our nation's capital.

The Potomac River has long been the destination for local shad and herring anglers of all ages. Some folks rely on word of mouth to signal the arrival of their quarry, while others watch for the blooming of the famed cherry blossom to get them out on the river with rod in hand. Regardless of how or when you find out the fish are running, one thing is guaranteed, you won't be alone. The news spreads quickly. From the area around Fletcher's Boat house in Washington, DC, north to the Chain Bridge, which connects Mclean, VA to Washington, DC, you'll find excellent opportunities to catch the shad and herring throughout their run.

Shad and herring hit a dead end when working up river to towards an area called Little Falls. This natural barrier causes fish by the millions to congregate in this area, making this an excellent place to concentrate your efforts. Access to these sections of the river can be a very simple endeavor, or can be quite challenging.

If visiting these areas for the first time, I recommend having someone familiar to the waters to help you find your way. One of the easiest and most convenient ways to get to these fish is to visit Fletcher's Boat House in Washington, DC. Once there, one could find bait and tackle, boat rentals, and plenty of sound advice. Even a novice angler could find himself in a fishery that rivals some of the best anywhere.

Shoreline fishing opportunities are great in this area of the river north or south for a good distance. The Chain Bridge area of the Potomac River has also given anglers many years excitement that keeps them coming back. With walking access from both the Virginia and Washington, DC sides of the river, one can be in some of the most productive areas to be found anywhere in this body of water.

Getting your boat to these areas is not difficult, it's just a little time consuming. There is a long six mph. speed zone you have to go through to get to these fishing grounds from the closest boat ramps available. The launching areas that will put you closest to the action are the Columbia Island Marina and the ramp at Gravely Point Park. Once launched simply head up river until you mark fish on your electronics or find the crowds of others enjoying this annual event. The techniques used to catch shad and herring vary from angler to angler, but not by much.

Light spinning tackle, and light fly fishing equipment are the most commonly used methods adopted by most anglers. On light line, basic shad darts rigged tandem or single are most common; however, tiny spoon type bait, in-line spinners, or jigs trimmed with small plastic are also productive. Fly fisherman using 2-5 weight set ups will always have success with a tiny shad dart fly on a sinking line.

Shad offer the most excitement of the migratory species and probably take the lead in drawing anglers to the tidal rivers in the spring. These fish leap spectacularly when hooked and can attain weights approaching eight pounds. Keep an eye on the weather, though, when planning a shad fishing trip. Cold weather and floods can throw off the arrival and activity of the fish.

Shad fishing regulations are tricky. In the freshwater portions of the streams all shad, either American or hickory must be released. This does not bother most anglers as the fish are filled with bones and almost impossible to eat, though their roe is considered a delicacy.

Other shad and herring fishing rivers and streams include the Appomattox, Chickahominy, Mattaponi, Meherrin and Pamunkey. The hickory shad is the most abundant in area waters, but there are small populations of the larger American shad. The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has been aggressively working to restock area rivers with shad and in most cases, the plan is working. Blueback herring, like the shad are catch-and-release only above the fall line in freshwater, but they can be creeled downstream in the tidal or saltwater.

Check with the Virginia Marine Resources Commission on current herring fishing regulations as there has been talk of further modification.

Probably the most popular place in Virginia to fish for herring is Walkers Dam on the Chickahominy River. The fish are easily caught on hook and line. Gold hooks tied onto a weighted line is the basic setup. Blocked from miles of their ancestral spawning grounds for generations, shad and herring now have an estimated one hundred miles of the James River in which to spawn plus untold miles of tributary waters like the Chickahominy that offer spawning grounds.

The blasting of the Embry Dam just above the fall line on the Rappahannock offers the same promise for the fish migrating up the big river. As in the case of the James River, this mighty explosion opened many miles of ancestral spawning water for the migratory fish. Last year marked the best yet for the Rapp and shad. Anglers were catching them above the old Embry Dam as well as migratory rockfish. For information on the shad run on the Rappahannock River call Ken’s Tackle Shop at 540.898.1011. For information regarding the herring run on the Chickahominy call Ed Allen’s Boats & Bait. To find out what the shad are doing on the James River contact Green Top Sporting Goods in Ashland, Virginia at 804.550.2100. On the Potomac, a good number to have handy when planning a trip would be Fletcher’s Boathouse 202.244.0461.