Great Herring Pond Access Site - North and South Rivers Watershed Association

Great Herring Pond Access Site, Herring Pond Road, Bourne, MA, USA

https://www.mass.gov/doc/great-herring-pond/download

Owned By: Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife

Directions

The Great Herring Pond Access Site is located on the Bourne/Plymouth town line. It features a shallow gravel boat ramp, suitable for small motorized boats, canoes and kayaks. For fishing, the pond is known to be a good location for smallmouth bass and white perch. Swimming is not permitted at this spot.

It’s important to know that some of our freshwater fisheries are contaminated with mercury, PFAS and/or other concerning substances. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health maintains an online database with up-to-date advisories regarding fish consumption, sorted by location. We recommend you consult this valuable resource when planning a fishing excursion.

Features

According to the Plymouth Trails Guide, the Herring Pond Wampanoag tribe referred to the area around the south and west of Great Herring Pond as Comassakumkanut. The tribe has inhabited the area for thousands of years. To learn more about local tribes, we encourage you to interact with their members. The Herring Pond Wampanoag shares information on its website.

According to Plymouth’s 2017 Open Space Report, from 1700-1869, the 3,000-acre Herring Pond Reservation was located on Great Herring Pond. In 1850, two-thirds of the reservation land was divided. Each reservation resident received an individual house lot and wood lot. European settlers called the area Cedarville.

Trail Description

There is a very short trail along the water’s edge.

Habitats and Wildlife

According to Mass Wildlife, Great Herring Pond extends over 424 acres in Plymouth and Bourne. It is also known as Lake Manomet. It has an average depth of 21 feet (47 maximum). At this spot, the pond is bordered by pine and oak trees.

Herring River, also known as Monument River, flows south out of the pond and into the Cape Cod Canal at the Bournedale Herring Run. The Herring River watershed was designated as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) in 1991, and is one of the largest herring runs in Massachusetts. Follow the Herring Ponds Watershed Association for more information.

Some of the fish commonly found here include yellow perch, white perch, white sucker, brown bullhead, banded killifish, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, chain pickerel, golden shiner, tessellated darter, American eel, alewife herring, blueback herring. There is a public health fish consumption advisory for mercury in some fish species sampled here.