Rowing Clubs in Princeton (14 Clubs)

The rowing scene in Princeton

Princeton, New Jersey sits at the centre of one of the most important rowing pockets in the United States. Princeton University trains four programmes on Lake Carnegie - a 3.5-mile lake Andrew Carnegie built in 1906 specifically for the Tigers - while fifteen minutes east, Mercer Lake in West Windsor hosts the Finn M.W. Caspersen Rowing Center, longtime home of USRowings National and Olympic team training and the most-used trials venue in the country.

Key numbers

Two world-class venues sit on top of each other. Lake Carnegie is a 262-acre, 3.5-mile reservoir gifted to Princeton University by Andrew Carnegie in 1906 - listed on the National Register of Historic Places, free of commercial traffic, and home to the Class of 1887 Boathouse and the Shea Rowing Center. Mercer Lake in Mercer County Park (West Windsor, ~15 minutes east) is a purpose-built 2,000m seven-lane racing course used since 1987 to select US Olympic and World Championship crews; it hosted the 2003 Pan American Games rowing events and rotates the USRowing Youth National Championships.

14 Active rowing clubs verified in Princeton (May 2026). Source: British Rowing activity finder

11 Major annual regattas and head races hosted in or near Princeton. Source: Combined regatta organiser sites

1870 Founding year of Princeton Heavyweight Rowing (Mens) - the oldest rowing club in this list. Source: Club's own website

All 14 rowing clubs in Princeton

Sorted by founding year. Every entry links to the club's own website; we verified all URLs in May 2026. If you spot an error or your club is missing, let us know.

14 verified rowing clubs in Princeton, with founding year, location, reach and type.
Club	Founded	Location	Reach	Type
Princeton Heavyweight Rowing (Mens) Princetons mens heavyweight programme has rowed on Lake Carnegie since 1906; competes in the EARC for the Childs, Carnegie, Compton and Content Cups, Eastern Sprints and the IRA National Championship.	1870	Shea Rowing Center, 70 Faculty Road, Princeton, NJ 08540	Lake Carnegie (Princeton)	University (NCAA Division I, EARC)
Princeton University Rowing Association Alumni-funded association that supports all four Princeton crews equally - provides boats, oars, ergs, the Shea Rowing Center renovation and historical home of Lake Carnegie.	1870	Class of 1887 Boathouse / Shea Rowing Center, Lake Carnegie, Princeton, NJ	Lake Carnegie (Princeton)	University alumni / fundraising body
The Lawrenceville School Crew Big Red boys and girls varsity crews compete in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League; the 2015 boys crew won MAPL, Mid-Atlantic Youth Championships and raced at Henley Royal Regatta.	1888	The Lawrenceville School, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648; trains at Caspersen Rowing Center, Mercer Lake	Mercer Lake (regatta course)	School (prep)
Princeton Lightweight Rowing (Mens) Lightweight mens crew trains alongside the heavyweights at the Class of 1887 Boathouse and races for the Vogel Cup, Eastern Sprints lightweight title and the IRA National Championship.	1922	Shea Rowing Center, 70 Faculty Road, Princeton, NJ 08540	Lake Carnegie (Princeton)	University (NCAA Division I, EARC lightweight)
Princeton Open Rowing (Womens) Womens open (heavyweight) crew founded after Title IX; multiple Ivy League champions and NCAA Division I Rowing Championship finalists, training out of Shea Rowing Center on Lake Carnegie.	1971	Shea Rowing Center, 70 Faculty Road, Princeton, NJ 08540	Lake Carnegie (Princeton)	University (NCAA Division I)
Princeton Lightweight Rowing (Womens) Womens lightweight programme is one of the most decorated lightweight crews in the United States, with multiple IRA national titles contested on Mercer Lake.	1976	Shea Rowing Center, 70 Faculty Road, Princeton, NJ 08540	Lake Carnegie (Princeton)	University (NCAA varsity, IRA lightweight)
The Peddie School Coed Rowing Peddies girls programme has qualified for seven USRowing Youth National Championships with three golds (2006, 2007, 2009); boys won the 1992 National Prep School Championship and the 2018 MAPL title.	1976	The Peddie School, 201 South Main Street, Hightstown, NJ 08520; trains on Peddie Lake	Peddie Lake (Hightstown) and Mercer Lake for championship racing	School (prep)
Carnegie Lake Rowing Association (CLRA) Princetons community masters club on Lake Carnegie - sweep and sculling for adults, learn-to-row in autumn, and host of the Carnegie Lake Regatta and the Princeton Chase head race.	1985	Princeton Boathouse, Lake Carnegie, Princeton, NJ 08542	Lake Carnegie (Princeton)	Senior community (masters)
The Hun School of Princeton Crew Hun boys and girls varsity crews train at Caspersen on Mercer Lake and race the MAPL, Stotesbury Cup and USRowing youth circuit.	1985	The Hun School of Princeton, 176 Edgerstoune Road, Princeton, NJ 08540; trains at Caspersen Rowing Center, Mercer Lake	Mercer Lake (regatta course)	School (prep)
Princeton National Rowing Association (PNRA / Mercer) Three-time USRowing Club of the Year (2011, 2015, 2018). Operates the Caspersen Rowing Center on Mercer Lakes seven-lane buoyed course - the most-used US Olympic Trials venue in the country.	1987	Finn M.W. Caspersen Rowing Center, 1 South Post Road, West Windsor, NJ 08550	Mercer Lake (regatta course)	Community / elite / national team training site
USRowing National Team / Princeton Training Center (Elite) USRowings Princeton Training Center hosts 40-60 senior national-team athletes preparing for World Championships and the Olympics; selection regattas and trials have run on Mercer Lake since 1988.	1987	Caspersen Rowing Center, Mercer Lake & Shea Rowing Center, Lake Carnegie	Mercer Lake (regatta course) and Lake Carnegie	Elite / national team programme
Mercer Junior Rowing Program (PNRA) PNRAs year-round junior programme drawing from 30+ Mercer County area high schools - regular USRowing Youth National Championships finalist and Junior National Team feeder.	1995	Caspersen Rowing Center, 1 South Post Road, West Windsor, NJ 08550	Mercer Lake (regatta course)	Junior / youth competitive club
Mercer Masters Rowing Program (PNRA) PNRAs adult masters squad - sweep, sculling, erg fitness and learn-to-row out of the Caspersen Rowing Center on Mercer Lake.	1995	Caspersen Rowing Center, 1 South Post Road, West Windsor, NJ 08550	Mercer Lake (regatta course)	Senior community (masters)
Princeton Day School Crew PDS rowers compete through PNRAs Mercer Junior Rowing Program rather than a stand-alone school crew - producing multiple Youth National Championships finalists each year.	2010	Princeton Day School, 650 Great Road, Princeton, NJ 08540; rowers train through PNRAs Mercer Junior programme at Caspersen Rowing Center	Mercer Lake (regatta course)	School (independent K-12) / PNRA pipeline

Major regattas in or near Princeton

Princeton Chase (Lake Carnegie head race)

Early November

Carnegie Lake Regatta (CLRA-hosted sprint)

Mid-July

USRowing Youth National Championships (Mercer Lake host years)

June

USRowing Mid-Atlantic Regional Youth Championships (Mercer Lake)

Early May

USRowing Northeast Regional Youth Championships (Mercer Lake)

Mid-May

Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) Championship (Caspersen Rowing Center)

Early May

USRowing National Team Trials & Speed Order (Mercer Lake)

July

Eastern Sprints (Princeton heavyweight and lightweight squads attend)

Mid-May

IRA National Championship Regatta (Princeton mens crews attend)

Late May / early June

NCAA Division I Rowing Championship (Princeton womens open crew attends)

Late May

Head of the Charles Regatta (Princeton crews travel)

Mid-October

Software for Princeton rowing clubs

Most of the 14 clubs above still run their boat booking, member admin, session attendance and crew lineups on a combination of spreadsheets, WhatsApp groups and printed sheets on the boathouse wall. Row HQ is rowing-club management software built specifically for clubs like these.

If your committee is hitting the predictable problems - lineups in the wrong file, fees uncollected, attendance unrecorded, captain on holiday with the password - book a 30-minute demo. We've ported clubs from spreadsheets in a weekend.