Located in an historic area of Brewster at a scenic location by an old water mill on Stony Brook Road

Every spring two species of fish, Alewives and Blueback Herring, abound in Cape Cod rivers and streams, coming from hundreds of miles away in the Atlantic Ocean.

Remarkably, each individual returns to breed in the same freshwater ponds in which it was born.

The Importance of River Herring

An essential link in the coastal food chain, River herring are eaten by an assortment of other fish and animals. During the spring months, the adult herring journey from the ocean swimming upstream to their spawning areas in the Cape’s freshwater streams and ponds.

River herring are essential to the history and culture of Cape Cod. Herring runs and the annual spring herring migration were important to the inhabitants and natives as a food source and supported a local economy.