GRUNION RUNS
Grunion spawn on all of Southern California's long, sandy beaches
from early March through mid-August each year. Anglers may only use
their hands to catch grunion, and the season is closed during April and
May each year.
The times refer to the grunion runs at Cabrillo Beach near the Los
Angeles
Harbor entrance. The times of the runs vary along the coast. San Diego
runs are about five minutes earlier and Santa Barbara area runs are
about 25 minutes later. The best activity is usually in the second hour
of the run and on the second and third nights of the four-night
spawning period.
The next run will be August 17-20. Times for this run are as
follows: Tuesday, August 17, 10:40 p.m. to 12:40 a.m.; Wednesday,
August 18, 11:20 p.m. to 1:20 a.m.; Thurday, August 19 (actually
Friday, August 20), midnight to 2 a.m., and Friday, August 20 (actually
Saturday, August 21), from 12:55 a.m. to 2:55 a.m.
The Department of Fish and Game publishes an annual brochure
called "California Grunion Facts and Expected Runs.'' It is available
free if you mail a self-addressed stamped business-size envelope to
Grunion, Department of Fish and Game, 4665 Lampson Avenue, Suite C, Los
Alamitos, CA 90720. It is also available on the DFG's Web site at
www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/gruschd.html.