May 8, 2017 — For many Cape Cod residents, it’s not spring unless the herring are swimming up local rivers, en route to their summer spawning areas.
These two species of fish, Alewives and Blueback Herring, swarm the Cape’s streams and rivers from hundreds of miles away in the Atlantic Ocean each spring. Amazingly, each individual returns to breed in the same freshwater bodies in which it was born.
Dedicated Herring Counters keep track of them, but the spectacle is seen by all who pay the runs a visit during peak season in April and May.
When to See Herring on Cape Cod
The rest of Eastern Massachusetts often has herring still in migration through mid-June, but on Cape Cod, you’ll see most of them shuffle through by mid-May. They spend the summers in our water bodies, and then head back to sea before autumn.
When driving near rivers and streams, keep an eye out for frenzied seagulls. That’s a clue that herring are running. Water temperature is a tell, also. The fish really crank into gear at 50 degrees.
Cape Cod Herring Run Locations
Monument River Fishway, Bourne – A critical spot for herring, since the groups which flock up this river system are one of the most productive in Massachusetts.
Santuit Pond Fish Ladder – A dam completed in 2013 separates Santuit Pond from the river of the same name at the Santuit Pond Preserve, Mashpee.
Route 130 Herring Run – Not far from the Santuit Pond Ladder, the Rt. 130 ladder next to the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Museum is easily accessible.
Eastham Herring Run – Nestled on the aptly-named Herring Brook Road near Bridge Pond Drive.