The Best Fishing Spots in Massachusetts
Massachusetts offers varied coastal and inland fishing opportunities from tidal rivers and Cape Cod bays to offshore canyons and freshwater lakes. In saltwater you can catch striped bass, bluefish, summer flounder (fluke), tautog, black sea bass, scup, migratory pelagics like false albacore and bonito, and seasonal giants such as bluefin tuna, with groundfish like cod and haddock available in cooler months. Freshwater anglers find largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, chain pickerel and stocked or wild trout across ponds, streams and reservoirs. Whether fishing from shore, a pier, a kayak or an offshore charter, Massachusetts supports a wide range of recreational fishing experiences year-round.
Top Cities For Fishing
River Fishing
Sea Fishing
Allston
(9 km to coast)
Amesbury
(9 km to coast)
Arlington
(15 km to coast)
Ashmont
(5 km to coast)
Back Bay
(4 km to coast)
Barnstable
(2 km to coast)
Belmont
(15 km to coast)
Beverly
(3 km to coast)
Beverly Cove
(1 km to coast)
Boston
(1 km to coast)
Braintree
(8 km to coast)
Brighton
(12 km to coast)
Brookline
(8 km to coast)
Cambridge
(7 km to coast)
Cambridgeport
(6 km to coast)
Charlestown
(3 km to coast)
Chelsea
(3 km to coast)
Chestnut Hill
(13 km to coast)
Danvers
(8 km to coast)
Dedham
(17 km to coast)
Dorchester
(4 km to coast)
Duxbury
(1 km to coast)
East Boston
(0 km to coast)
East Cambridge
(4 km to coast)
Everett
(6 km to coast)
Fairhaven
(0 km to coast)
Fall River
(2 km to coast)
Fenway/Kenmore
(6 km to coast)
Gloucester
(1 km to coast)
Hanover
(14 km to coast)
Harwich
(3 km to coast)
Head of Westport
(8 km to coast)
Hyannis
(1 km to coast)
Hyde Park
(12 km to coast)
Jamaica Plain
(8 km to coast)
Kingston
(2 km to coast)
Lynn
(3 km to coast)
Malden
(9 km to coast)
Marblehead
(1 km to coast)
Mashpee
(6 km to coast)
Mattapan
(8 km to coast)
Medford
(10 km to coast)
Melrose
(11 km to coast)
Mid-Cambridge
(7 km to coast)
Milton
(9 km to coast)
Mission Hill
(7 km to coast)
New Bedford
(2 km to coast)
Newburyport
(2 km to coast)
Newton
(18 km to coast)
Orient Heights
(1 km to coast)
Peabody
(5 km to coast)
Quincy
(4 km to coast)
Randolph
(15 km to coast)
Reading
(20 km to coast)
Revere
(4 km to coast)
Rockland
(17 km to coast)
Roslindale
(10 km to coast)
Roxbury Crossing
(5 km to coast)
Salem
(1 km to coast)
Saugus
(7 km to coast)
Seekonk
(4 km to coast)
Somerset
(0 km to coast)
Somerville
(7 km to coast)
South Boston
(1 km to coast)
South Peabody
(7 km to coast)
Stoneham
(16 km to coast)
Suffolk Downs Station
(1 km to coast)
Swampscott
(0 km to coast)
Swansea
(3 km to coast)
Taunton
(16 km to coast)
Union Square
(6 km to coast)
Wakefield
(16 km to coast)
Watertown
(15 km to coast)
West Roxbury
(13 km to coast)
Weymouth
(3 km to coast)
Winchester
(16 km to coast)
Winter Hill
(8 km to coast)
Winthrop
(0 km to coast)
Yarmouth
(3 km to coast)
Top Saltwater Fishing Spots
Boston Harbor
From the islands to the shipping channels, Boston Harbor offers prolific spring-through-fall action for striped bass, bluefish, and schoolie blitzes under birds, with summer jigging producing flounder and scup; boaters drift rips by the outer ledges while shore anglers work piers and causeways facing Massachusetts Bay .
Buzzards Bay
A warm, bait-rich bay famed for fast action on black sea bass, scup, and inshore tog, with spring runs of striped bass pushing along rocks and boulder fields; boaters hop reef edges near Westport Harbor while shore anglers fish current seams at the entrances to Cape Cod Canal .
Cape Cod Bay
Big-water trolling and live-lining shine here for migrating striped bass and bluefin tuna, with sand shoals and rips off Barnstable Harbor and Billingsgate Shoal also holding fluke and black sea bass through summer, plus late-season birds over sand eels for topwater mayhem.
Cape Cod Canal
A legendary migration corridor, the Cape Cod Canal draws massive spring and fall runs of striped bass and bluefish, with powerful currents concentrating bait along the riprap; shore casters swing jigs and plugs on the west and east ends, while boats work rips outside Cape Cod Bay and Buzzards Bay for bonus albies and bonito.
Duxbury Bay
A shallow bay with channels and flats that attract spring-through-fall schools of striped bass chasing sand eels, with summer opportunities for flounder and bluefish; boats pole the flats on flood tides while shore anglers fish outflows toward Plymouth Bay and Green Harbor .
Gloucester Harbor
Within reach of rocky shorelines and quick boat runs to ledges off Cape Ann , this harbor sees steady inshore bites for striped bass and bluefish, plus bottom fishing for cod, pollock, and haddock just outside the headlands when cooler water pushes in.
Monomoy Island
Shifting bars and rips around Monomoy create prime sight-fishing for striped bass in clear, shallow water, along with productive drifts for fluke and black sea bass; boats set up on the east-side rips while waders stalk flats facing Nantucket Sound and the open Atlantic.
Nantucket Sound
Broad shoals and rips across the Sound deliver steady summer bites for fluke, scup, and black sea bass, with roving schools of striped bass and late-season false albacore; boats drift squid grounds off Monomoy Island while surfcasters pick at troughs along Cape Cod ’s south side.
Plum Island
A classic North Shore surf destination where bars and river mouths funnel bait to prowling striped bass and seasonal bluefish, with summer bottom fishing for flounder; anglers work the oceanfront and the mouth of the Merrimack River , timing tides for sweeping current along the beach cuts.
Plum Island Sound
The back-barrier estuary linking the Parker River and Merrimack River circulates bait through winding channels and marshes, drawing striped bass to current edges and flats and offering summer action for flounder; kayaks and skiffs excel on moving tides, with selective topwater windows at dawn and dusk.
Stellwagen Bank
This offshore plateau is a premier ground for jig-and-bait action on haddock and seasonal cod, plus runs of bluefin tuna along temperature breaks; boats work contour edges from the southwest corner toward Massachusetts Bay watching for life—birds, whales, and bait pushing up over the bank.
Vineyard Sound
Tide-swept rips between the mainland and the Islands load with striped bass, bluefish, and late-summer false albacore; boats set drifts on classic shoals like Middle Ground while surfcasters work points on Martha's Vineyard and the shores facing Woods Hole .
Top Freshwater Fishing Spots
Deerfield River
A premier tailwater known for cold, consistent flows and year-round trout—the brown trout and rainbow trout fishery shines with hatches and nymphing, while streamers move bigger fish; anglers time releases from upstream dams and explore productive bends below Fife Brook toward Charlemont .
Jamaica Pond
A deep kettle pond in the city regularly stocked and known for accessible action on trout during spring and fall, with summer bites from largemouth bass and yellow perch; small craft and shoreline paths let anglers cover drop-offs close to Boston neighborhoods.
Quabbin Reservoir
A vast, cold-water fishery renowned for lake trout, landlocked salmon, and deep-water smallmouth bass, with smelt-driven bites in spring and fall; anglers troll spoons and live bait along basin contours while shoreline points can produce during low-light periods across Worcester County ’s doorstep.
Lake Quinsigamond
Long, narrow, and structure-rich, this urban lake produces strong catches of largemouth bass and smallmouth bass, plus pickerel, yellow perch, and crappie; anglers target bridge pilings, drop-offs, and weedlines from kayaks and shore along the Worcester and Shrewsbury shorelines.
Wachusett Reservoir
Cold, clear water supports trophy lake trout, quality smallmouth bass, and occasional landlocked salmon, with shoreline access to steep drop-offs and long points; boaters and walkers alike find spring and late-fall windows especially productive around the narrows toward Clinton .
Top Saltwater & Freshwater Spots
Charles River
From suburban coves to the tidal lower river, the Charles holds abundant largemouth bass, pickerel, and panfish, with urban stretches producing strong catches of carp and springtime striped bass; kayaks and shore anglers target weed edges and current seams toward Boston Harbor .
Merrimack River
A major river with tidal lower reaches and broad freshwater upstream, the Merrimack offers spring surges of striped bass near the mouth at Plum Island , plus inland action for smallmouth bass, walleye, and pike; boaters drift channel edges while shore anglers fish outflows and eddies.