Spawn Watch | TightLinesBC

Where herring spawn was recorded

DFO snapshot: seasons through 2026 · latest recorded start April 21, 2026 · checked October 16, 2026

Survey season

Records without valid coordinates are not plotted (1 of 274 records in the 2026 season). Same-size dots are reference locations, not spawn boundaries or intensity. Tap a dot for original dates and index values. No paid tiles.

A spring gathering

Herring and their roe feed the coast. Spawn events can draw sea lions, whales and eagles. Herring are important prey for salmon; lingcod also eat herring. That does not establish where these animals are today.

NASA: spawn and coastal wildlife · DFO: lingcod diet

Recorded spawn, not live spawn. The season ends June 30, so “2026” means July 2025-June 2026. An empty area is not proof no spawn occurred. Survey coverage and methods vary. Do not use this to plan a fishing trip, approach wildlife or infer an opening.

Tap a recorded location

The original survey record will appear here.

What the index means

DFO converts egg observations into a relative index of spawning biomass, expressed in tonnes. It is not a direct fish count or a catch forecast. Surface, giant-kelp and understory components are shown separately; blanks remain missing, never zero.

“Incomplete” means reported spawn without enough information to calculate an index. A point represents a named location; the real spawn covers an area. Historical mode counts distinct recorded seasons at that location, not abundance or a ranked fishing hotspot.

Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Data: Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Herring Spawn Index Data. Technical report and caveats. DFO does not endorse this interpretation. Base land: Natural Earth, public domain. Map: Leaflet, BSD-2.