OUR PICKS: Visit a herring run on Cape Cod 4-27-15

OUR PICKS: Visit a herring run on Cape Cod
Wicked Local Eastham

April 27, 2015 3:21 p.m.
Each year millions of river herring return to their spawning ponds and lakes in Massachusetts many of which can be found on Cape Cod, where a visit to a herring run is a annual rite of spring for locals and visitors alike.

Here are some popular spots to view the run this spring on Cape Cod

Herring River, Wellfleet: A 4 mile river running through an 1,100 acre estuary to 4 head water ponds covering a 157 acre surface area
Pilgrim Lake in Orleans
Wicked Local photo by William F Pomeroy
Pilgrim Lake in Orleans
Pilgrim Lake, Orleans: The Orleans Run consists of a fish ladder, a short stream and then a water control structure and runs between Lonnies Pond (aka Kescayogansett) and Pilgrim Lake. Lonnies Pond is a salt water pond off The River which is located in the upper reaches of Pleasant Bay in Orleans. The man-made portion of the run was started in 1865 by the Linnell Fish Company, then purchased by the town. The first ladder was made out of wood then replaced in the mid-1940's by the Army Corp. of Engineers. after running the gauntlet of grey seals at the entrance of Pleasant Bay (Chatham), the herring make their way through Big Pleasant Bay, Little Pleasant Bay, The River, and then into Lonnies Pond. It's a long journey but the run is active with some herring making it every year. This run also serves as significant migratory route for the American Eel.
Visitors view the herring at the Stony Brook run in Brewster
Visitors view the herring at the Stony Brook run in Brewster
Stony Brook, Brewster: The Stony Book run had just 22,348 fish in 2007. The culvert was enlarged in 2010 and last year's tally was 271,353.

Mashpee River, Mashpee: The Mashpee River herring run on Route 130 is a favorite spot to view herring as they migrate to Mashpee Pond.
Bournedale Herring Run, Bourne: This system supports one of the Commonwealth's most productive river herring populations. DMF has monitored this run for over 20 years using electronic and visual counts to estimate population size, which has ranged from 91,000 fi sh in 1980 to 672,000 in 2000. Because of its size and accessibility, this population is the primary source of mature adult alewives for MarineFisheries's stocking program. The construction of the canal inhibited upstream access by intercepting the streams natural channel. A series of weir-pool and notched weir-pool fi shways, which are integrated within the stream's artifi cial channel, allows river herring to migrate upriver to spawning sites in Bourne and Plymouth