Salt Water Herring Vs. Fresh Water Herring Bait

The type of bait you use on a fishing trip is as important as any other supply decision. Different fish will be more attracted to certain types of bait, so if you are looking to catch a particular fish, you will want to use proper bait. Salt or fresh water herring make good bait, depending on what you want to catch.

  1. About Herring

    • Herring are relatively small fish that generally grow to between four and 12 inches loong. There are salt and fresh water herring, and both are good bait fish. Herring are good food for humans, too -- pickled herring is a popular dish in some cultures.

    Salt Water

    • Herring that are caught in salt water can grow up to a foot long, which is up to twice as long as freshwater herring. This is the biggest difference between salt water and fresh water herring. Both types can be used in either fresh water or salt water, provided they are cut (dead) and not live bait. Some types of freshwater herring can only be used live in rivers or lakes where they already live.

    Fresh Water

    • Called "river herring" by some, fresh water herring include alewife and blueback varieties. These herring are often cut at an angle so that as it moves through the water it spins, which attracts fish such as salmon. The herring may also be soaked in bluing liquid to give the scales a bluish, glistening tint that also attracts fish like river and bay salmon, which are heavily fished in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.

    Herring Used for Both Types of Water

    • The Blueback herring is a saltwater fish that can survive in fresh water, as well. They are found in the cold waters of Nova Scotia all the way down to Florida and in inland lakes as well. In some areas they have populated in fresh water so much that they threaten other species in the same lake. As a result, it is illegal to use Blueback herring for live bait in lakes where they do not already exist.