About Shad
Shad were introduced to the west coast by Seth Green, a fish culturist, who released 10,000 fry into the Sacramento River near Tehama in 1871. An additional 800,000 fish were released over the next ten years.
Shad have established populations in over a dozen California rivers, including the Russian, Klamath and Feather as well as the Umpqua, Coos, Suislaw and Coquille rivers in Oregon.
Male shad mature in three years and the females in four. Shad are an anadromous species but unlike salmon do not necessarily return to the stream of their birth. The spawning runs begin in March or April with the bulk of the run following in June or July. Mature shad weigh 3 to 6 pounds.
