See how they run: Grab a front row seat as herring migrate to Cape Cod spawning grounds
Cape Cod Times
April 26, 2021
Gregory Bryant
Watch for the gulls. They gather to feast.
Their prey — river herring — are on an epic, ancient journey to their birthplace to spawn and replenish their species. But first, they must navigate their way upstream, bolt through a series of fish ladders — and evade swarms of ravenous gulls and an array of other hungry creatures.
The herring are running.
Here’s how acclaimed Brewster nature writer John Hay described a predatory conclave in “Nature’s Year” (1961): “The big white and gray birds hover over, then dive down in a flock where the fish crowd in shallow water on their way up. The valley is full of marauding and assemblies and crying out as the fish keep on, rushing and weaving with the stream flowing over their backs.”
Bruce Connelly peers down into the water as the morning sun lights up the herring cueing up at the the Pilgrim Lake herring run in South Orleans before their journey up the fish ladder.
In a kind of gull flash mob, the birds alight in places such as the Stony Brook marsh off Route 6A in Brewster, opposite the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History. In their quest to grab a quick meal, the birds unknowingly herald an extraordinary annual migratory event, now underway — and detailed in another Hay classic, “The Run” (1959).
The Cape is one of the premier places herring hone in on this time of year, with several locales that provide front-row seats to witness the migratory runs.
What’s the herring run all about?
The two species of river herring, alewife and blueback herring, hatch in freshwater, where they remain until the late summer or fall when they are mature enough to swim downstream to where salt and fresh water mix, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Gradually they make their way to the fully charged saltwater of the ocean and meet up with other migrating herring along the East Coast.
Photo gallery: Osprey hunting for herring in Marstons Mills
Fast-forward to when they’re 3-5 years old, and about 10-12 inches long, and they heed the call to return to the place where they were born. In Massachusetts, alewives spawn in late March to mid-May when the water temperature hits about 51 degrees, according to the state Division of Marine Fisheries.
Some herring fun facts
– Females lay 60,000 to 350,000 eggs. Depending on the water temperature, their eggs hatch in three to six days.
Fins skim the surface of the water as herring navigate the shallow water at the entrance to the Pilgrim Lake herring run in South Orleans.
– Adults that survive the stressful spawning process swim back to the ocean, recuperate and prepare for their next arduous spawning season. Relatively few young herring survive to return to spawn. Most get eaten by other fish and animals.
– River herring don’t jump like salmon as they move upstream, but they swim fast in short bursts to pass through the rapids and fish ladders.
Photo gallery: Make way for the herring
– Alewives prefer to lay their eggs at night in slow-moving water. Blueback herring prefer spawning over rocks in fast-moving water in daylight.
– River herring are known as a diadromous species, meaning they migrate between fresh and saltwater.
– Concerned by severe population drops, the harvest of river herring was prohibited by the Division of Marine Fisheries in 2006 — except in cases of aboriginal rights to fish and harvest.
Herring mill about in the morning sun waiting to head up the fish ladder into Pilgrim Lake in South Orleans to finish their journey from the sea. Herring return to the places where they were born to spawn.
Where to see the herring run
The Stony Brook herring run in Brewster, on Stony Brook Road, is regarded as the crown jewel of the Cape’s runs and a crowd pleaser. But there are other herring runs across the Cape, several detailed in an interactive map: capecodonline.com/things-to-do/cape-cod-herring-run-guide/
– Herring River run, off Depot Street, West Harwich
– Santuit Pond dam and fish ladder, Santuit Pond Preserve, Mashpee
– Mashpee herring run, Route 130, next to the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Museum
– Bournedale herring run, Carter Beal Conservation Area, Herring Pond Road
– Monument River Fishway, Scenic Highway, north side of the Cape Cod Canal, at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers station
– Eastham herring run, Herring Brook Road, between Bridge Pond Drive and Cole Road
– The Association to Preserve Cape Cod website also lists additional Cape herring runs, along with information about the challenges herring face: apcc.org/our-work/science/community-science/herring/
– In addition, the Buzzards Bay Coalition compiled 10 herring runs on the Upper Cape and Southeastern Massachusetts: savebuzzardsbay.org/news/10-herring-runs-around-buzzards-bay/
Contact Gregory Bryant at gbryant@capecodonline.com. Follow him on Twitter: @GregBryantCCT.
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