Herring Run Brochure and Migration Route Map

The North River is formed by the junction of the Indian Head River and the Barker River; it flows northeasterly through the towns of Marshfield, Scituate, Norwell, Pembroke and Hanover and flows to the outlet to the Massachusetts Bay. This is where the adult herring fish, know as alewives, begins its journey towards their spawning grounds in Furnace and Oldham Ponds.

The Indian River is fed from a series of ponds, including Maquan, Indian Head, Wampatuck and Mill Pond. Alewives turn south and travel along the Barker River, where they continue their movement towards their exact place of birth in Furnace and Oldham Ponds.

          Herring Run Brochure: A History of the Valley and Fishery

 

For a map of the herring migration route, please click the link below. Visit locations on the map for a fabulous view of the alewives traveling from the ocean to the freshwater rivers and streams to spawn beginning in April; return and visit these locations to view the juvenile fish passing downstream on their way to the ocean in the late summer and early autumn, usually during August and September.

           Herring Migration Route Map