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Turners Falls Fishway
May 11 @ 9:00 am - 5:00 pm EDT
The Turners Falls Fishway will once again open for the spring migration in 2025! Visitors can come and enjoy watching the fish make their way up the Connecticut River. Hours for the migration viewing are Wednesday through Sunday 9am-5pm from May 10 through June 9. The Fishway is located at 15 First Street in Turners Falls, MA. The Fishway is free of charge.
Each spring when the shadbush blooms, New Englanders have the opportunity to view an incredible natural phenomenon. American shad, sea lamprey and other anadromous (ah-nad-rah-mus) fish swim up the Connecticut River as they begin their annual spring migration. Anadromous fish are born in freshwater, mature in the ocean and return to freshwater to spawn. Driven by instinct, adult fish migrate to return to spawn in the rivers of their birth.
The Ladders at Turners Falls
120 miles from the mouth of the Connecticut River, the Turners Falls ladders help migrating fish get past the Turners Falls dam. These stair-like ladders consist of a series of rising pools, each pool approximately one foot higher than the last. The fish climb these ladders by swimming from pool to pool. Completed in 1980, the Turners Falls ladders are a series of three ladders located along a 2.5-mile stretch of the river. The Turners Falls ladders are located at the Cabot Hydroelectric Station, the spillway (dam) and the gatehouse.
Admission is always free and the facility is open Wednesday through Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Fishway is open this year from May 11 until June 9th, Wednesday through Sunday, and Memorial Day. The Fishway is located on First Street, off Avenue A (15 First Street, Turners Falls). For information please email us at [email protected].
