What to look for in nature in Massachusetts this April

When do river herring and shad run in Massachusetts?

• River herring at the fish ladders

  Late March through May; most viewing windows open in mid to late April · Plymouth, Brewster, Bournedale, Middleborough, Wareham, Essex, Newbury and Weymouth

  Marine Fisheries staff publish a viewing guide with a window for each run. Its listings include April 1 to May 2 on the Nemasket River in Middleborough, April 15 to May 20 at Stony Brook in Brewster, April 20 to May 20 at Town Brook in Plymouth, and April 20 to May 30 at the Monument River fishway in Bournedale. That guide is an older printing, so treat the windows as typical rather than promised. Plymouth’s own page says its run usually begins in late March and lasts into early June, and its table puts the visual counts at 202,851 fish in 2024, 119,820 in 2025 and 62,075 in 2026. A bench and an observation platform at the Jenney Grist Mill dam off Spring Lane are open to the public.

• What volunteer counts say about timing

  First fish in late March to late April; busiest counts mid-April to mid-May · Stony Brook, Brewster, and other Cape Cod runs

  The Association to Preserve Cape Cod and the Massachusetts Bays National Estuary Partnership have compiled volunteer counts from 2007 to 2023. At Stony Brook in Brewster, the first fish of the season was logged between March 23 and April 24, depending on the year, and the busiest ten-minute count fell between April 16 and May 16 in every year that has data. The last fish was counted from late May into June. Volunteers count for ten minutes at a time, which is why the numbers are estimates, and many watershed groups welcome new counters.

• The rules at the water

  All year · Every river herring run in the state

  Massachusetts has had a statewide moratorium on possessing and selling river herring since 2006, so taking a fish from a run is illegal. Plymouth’s page adds that young eels, called glass eels or elvers, are also protected: harvesting or possessing eels under 9 inches long can bring heavy fines. Look, count and photograph, and leave the fish where they are.

• American shad on the Connecticut River

  Beginning in late April, building into May and June · The Holyoke fish lift and the Turners Falls fishway on the Connecticut River

  At Holyoke, fish cannot pass the dam on their own, so most of the Connecticut River’s migrants are lifted over it. One local news report counted more than 3,000 shad passing between April 22 and April 29 in a year when the lift was running. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2025 fishway report listed 324,172 American shad through Holyoke by September 3 of that year, against 437,553 the year before, so numbers swing from season to season. The Turners Falls fishway has underwater viewing windows, but the 2026 viewing season ran May 9 to June 7, so expect May rather than April and check with FirstLight for 2027 dates. Holyoke’s own public fishway has been closed for maintenance at times, so ask before driving there.

Which birds arrive in Massachusetts in April?

• Barn swallows and other swallows

  Early April for the first scouts; barn swallows mostly from mid to late April · Ponds, marshes, barns and bridges statewide

  Mass Audubon’s breeding bird atlas says the first male barn swallows return from mid to late April, depending on warm weather, and that the most frequent arrival date at one Cape Cod colony is April 18. Most of the nesting population is back by mid-May. In an early spring, one 2023 report described a flock at Santuit Pond in Mashpee with a cliff swallow, barn swallows, northern rough-winged swallows and purple martins, all birds that seldom appear before early April. Barn swallows prefer to reuse old mud nests under eaves and bridges.

• Marsh birds and sandhill cranes at Burrage Pond

  Late April to mid-May is probably the best stretch for cranes and rails · Burrage Pond Wildlife Management Area, Hanson and Halifax

  Bird Observer describes Burrage Pond, a state wildlife management area of about 1,700 acres built from old cranberry bogs, swamp and cedar woods, as a place with annually breeding sandhill cranes and, in 2016, a breeding pair of king rails. Mass Audubon sightings from late April of two different years list sandhill cranes there, along with American bitterns and soras. The management area is state hunting land, and Hanson’s trail page notes that hunting is allowed except on Sundays, so wear something bright in the woods during turkey season.

• Warblers, waterthrushes and early hummingbirds

  Late April, with the main waves in May · Wooded wetlands and streamsides, then thickets and parks

  One late-April 2023 report described the widespread arrival of green herons and several warblers, including yellow warblers, northern waterthrushes and Louisiana waterthrushes, along with whip-poor-wills, chimney swifts and ruby-throated hummingbirds. In a cold spring, expect the same birds a little later. Journey North collects hummingbird sightings and keeps maps showing their progress north, a good way to judge when to hang a feeder.

What are piping plovers doing on Massachusetts beaches in April?

• Fenced nests on the sand

  Nesting begins in April and can run into early September · Crane Beach, Wollaston, Sandy Neck, the National Seashore and other fenced beaches

  Boston 25 News reports that nesting begins in April, though some plovers start later and can nest into early September, and lists beaches with restrictions including Crane Beach, Revere, Winthrop, Wollaston, Sandy Neck and the National Seashore. The Department of Conservation and Recreation says string-and-post fencing with signs goes up to protect nesting habitat, and Mass Audubon is its contractor for monitoring and fencing. Eggs and chicks are tiny and the color of sand, so nests are easily stepped on. If a nest is destroyed, the pair may lay again, which stretches the season into summer.

• Sharing the beach

  From April to the end of the nesting season · State and town beaches

  Stay out of fenced areas, follow each beach’s posted dog rules and carry out your trash, advice echoed by the Mass Audubon coastal waterbird director. Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, on Plum Island, closes at times for capacity or management, so check its page before you go.

Are right whales still in Cape Cod Bay in April?

• Rules that peak with the whales

  March 1 to May 15 for the small-vessel speed limit; the agency can end it early · Cape Cod Bay and waters north of the Cape

  In 2025 the state’s speed limit of 10 knots for vessels under 65 feet ran from March 1 to May 15 in waters of Cape Cod Bay south of 42° 08’ north and in waters north of the Cape west of 70°10’ west. Trap and gillnet closures also ran to May 15, and the agency said it might lift them sooner if whales left. Both state and federal law forbid coming within 500 yards of one. NOAA Fisheries puts the species at about 380 whales.

• Humpbacks and the whale-watch season

  Boston-area trips can begin at the end of March; most boats run May through October · Boston, Gloucester and Hyannis

  A Boston.com guide quotes a Boston operator saying its season starts at the end of March and runs to mid-November, while most boats run from May to October. Humpbacks are described as probably the most common species on Massachusetts trips, and right whales are occasionally seen in spring. Ask an operator what is in the area before booking a trip in April, because the schedule is shorter than in summer.

When do wildflowers and trees wake up in Massachusetts in April?

• Hepatica, bloodroot, trout lily and red trillium

  The first flowers in the last third of April in a warm spring; Mass Audubon points to the first week of May for the main show · Rich hardwood slopes and floodplain woods; the Connecticut Valley and Berkshires for variety

  Bloom dates vary with elevation and temperature. Mass Audubon’s wildflower-walk guide says to get out during the first week of May for Dutchman’s breeches, squirrel corn, spring beauty, bloodroot and trout lily, finds hepatica on rich forest floors in May, and puts the greatest diversity around the middle of May, when red trillium and marsh marigold are among the showiest. April is therefore the early edge of the season. Check warm, south-facing slopes and lowland woods first, and expect higher ground to follow. Trout lily leaves are mottled like a brook trout, and the Native Plant Trust notes that in most populations non-flowering plants outnumber flowering ones, so a patch of leaves without flowers is normal.

• Magnolias and forsythia in Boston

  Saucer magnolias are typically in full bloom in the middle of April for about seven to ten days · Boston’s streets and gardens, including Commonwealth Avenue

  A Boston Globe article on the 2026 bloom says the saucer magnolia is typically in full bloom in the middle of April and lasts about seven to ten days, depending on the heat. A mid-April day in the 80s will bring the petals down quickly, whereas days in the 40s and 50s with gentle rain are ideal. In the same article, forsythia and early cherries were opening, while true cherries and eastern redbuds were still to come.

• Red maples leaf out

  Around mid-April in a typical year; later in cold springs · Woodlands and streets, as seen at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston

  The Arnold Arboretum’s horticulturists reported red maple leaves emerging around April 15 in 2020, while sugar, paperbark and Nikko maples still showed very little bud development as of April 20. That is one year, and the Arboretum is in Boston, so higher woods in the west usually run later. Pick one red maple near home and note the day its leaves unfurl; the record becomes useful when it spans several springs.

• Fiddleheads

  Late April, May and early June, depending on location · Riverbanks, brooks and moist woods

  The University of Maine Cooperative Extension says ostrich fern fiddleheads emerge in late April, May and early June, and are best harvested an inch or two above ground. Its guidance is firm: boil them 15 minutes or steam them 10 to 12 minutes, because raw or undercooked fiddleheads sickened people in a 1994 outbreak, and sautéing or microwaving is not recommended. Ask the landowner before you pick.

What is calling after dark in Massachusetts in April?

• American toads

  Warm, rainy evenings in April and May · Ponds, ditches and flooded fields statewide

  Listen for a steady, high, musical trill that can go on for many seconds. It is a toad in a pool, and several often call at once. Because toads are small and slow, they are easy to run over on wet evenings. MassWildlife asks drivers to watch for amphibians and invites people who see a crossing hot spot to report it to the Linking Landscapes for Massachusetts Wildlife project.

• Vernal pools after the first rush

  April, as the pools fill and begin to shrink · Temporary woodland pools

  Mass Audubon explains that fairy shrimp hatch and develop early in the season, before most predators arrive, and that certified vernal pools receive the highest level of protection under the Massachusetts Wetland Protection Act. Look from the edge, never wade in, and keep dogs out. Staying out of the water protects eggs and young.

• Turtles basking

  Early spring, on sunny days · Ponds, swamps and slow streams

  MassWildlife’s page on the spotted turtle says early spring is its peak activity season, when it basks singly or in groups on partially submerged logs, rocks and sedge tussocks, and that its courtship runs from March through May. The page reports a decline of nearly 50 percent over 25 to 30 years in studied populations and lists illegal collection as a threat. Watch from a distance and never take a turtle home.

How much daylight does Massachusetts gain in April?

When is the last spring freeze in Massachusetts?

What is April weather like in Massachusetts, and what hazards come with it?

• Brush fires and open burning

  All of April, with the open-burning season ending May 1 · Statewide, especially dry woods and fields with last year’s grass

  April is the busiest month for brush fires in Massachusetts, according to state fire officials quoted in the Groton Herald, and the dry leaf litter and grass left after snowmelt burn easily on breezy, low-humidity days. The state allows open burning only from January 15 to May 1, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., with a permit from the local fire department, and it is prohibited in 22 densely built cities and towns, including Boston, Springfield and Worcester. The deputy state fire marshal warns that a sudden wind change is how most open burning gets out of control, which is why the state advises burning early, while snow is still on the ground. Ask your town before lighting anything.

• A late snow or frost

  Occasional; check the forecast before uncovering plants · The Berkshires, Hilltowns and central hills first

  The snowfall normals show how rarely, but not never, April brings snow: 1.6 inches at Logan and 4.4 inches at Ashfield. A freeze after buds and flowers have opened can brown magnolia petals, so the freeze table above is worth a look before you uncover tender plants. Higher ground and the Pioneer Valley are the last to be done with frost.

• Rain, runoff and rivers

  After heavy rain or rapid melt · Streams and rivers statewide, low roads and underpasses

  April brings 3.4 to 4.8 inches of precipitation at these stations, and after snowmelt the ground can still be saturated. The National Weather Service’s Boston/Norton office keeps river forecasts and flood information on its website, so check the river you plan to paddle or cross. Never drive into water over a road.

What can you see in the Massachusetts night sky in April 2027?

• The Pink Moon

  Full at 6:27 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, April 20; best evening April 20 · Rising in the east-southeast around sunset

  Traditional almanac lists name April’s full Moon the Pink Moon, a reference to spring wildflowers and not to the Moon’s own color. In Boston it should rise about 7:41 p.m. on April 20, a little over an hour after the exact full instant. The Moon looks full the evening before and after as well.

• The Lyrids, in bright moonlight

  Peak night April 22 to 23; one listing puts the maximum near 9:41 p.m. EDT on Thursday, April 22 · Look toward the east-northeast, where the constellation Lyra rises

  This is a poor year for the Lyrids. The Moon, roughly 95 percent lit three days after full, rises near 10 p.m. in Boston, so the sky is truly dark only in the early evening, with Lyra still low in the east and northeast. SeaSky calls the Lyrids an average shower with a best rate near 20 meteors an hour and says the bright Moon will drown out the faint ones, while brighter streaks can still be seen after midnight. Expect far fewer than the textbook rate.

• Jupiter, Mars and the Moon

  Evenings of April 14 and 15 · High in the southern to southwestern sky after dark

  Jupiter, in Leo and Cancer, rules the evening sky until summer and in early April stays up for about nine hours after sunset. By our own calculation, a waxing gibbous Moon, roughly two-thirds lit, sits just under a degree from it on April 15, and the pair is worth a look on the 14th as well. Mars, near magnitude 0.0 and drifting through Leo, lies about three degrees from the Moon the same night.

• Venus before dawn

  Early morning all month; a thin crescent Moon nearby on April 3 and 4 · Low in the east before sunrise

  Venus is still a brilliant morning star but is sliding toward the dawn glow, by our own calculation its head start over the Sun is about 75 minutes on the first and shrinks week by week. On April 3 and 4 a slim waning crescent, lit about 9 percent, hangs roughly three degrees from the planet. Saturn, buried in the Sun’s glare, reaches conjunction on April 7 and is not a target this month.

What can Massachusetts families do outdoors in April?

Safety notes for April in Massachusetts