I want to Adopt a Herring!
Where's my Herring?
Friends of the Herring
Juvenile Sampling
Photos: 2005-2006 2007
Get Involved
News and Events
Many coastal rivers in Massachusetts need volunteers to help count the migrating river herring. This information is neccessary in helping managers understand how the population is doing, or if a river needs stocking for restoration. There are even rivers where you can get your feet wet by helping get river herring over a dam in a "bucket brigade".
Want to be in contact with other people interested in river herring? The River Herring yahoo group is now online. We encourage researchers, biologists, herring counters, fishermen, students,and anyone with an interest in river herring to joinIf you are involved in counting, let everyone know when your river herring start running upstream!
Ipswich River
Mattapoisett and Sippican Rivers
Stony Brook
Charles River: You can adopt a Shad!
Jones River
Concord River
Agawam River: Check out the Herring Cam!
Parker River
Do you have a river herring counting program, but don't see your river listed? Contact Holly to have it added. Do you want to know more about what a volunteer counter does? Check out this data sheet or this summary of what is involved. All it takes is a few minutes, and the counts provide valuable information about the health of the river herring population.
If you like to kayak or canoe:
River herring will often spawn at dusk, swimming in a circle below the surface of the water before diving towards the bottom to broadcast their gametes. You may be able to spot spawning river herring in quiet, still pools (if they're alewife) or in swifter waters (if they're blueback herring)--you'll see splashing at the surface of the water. If you do spot river herring spawning, let us know--contact Holly or tell us on the River Herring group: we'd like to know!
If you want to see the fish:
The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries has a guide to the best spots to see a river herring run. Click here to plan a trip to see the migration!
