Hi All:

I am not looking for any spot burning, just some general boating/fishing information around Boston Harbor and the Islands. I have been trailoring for 3 seasons and have had enough of boat ramps. I am getting a wet slip this summer and plan to spend most of my time in and out of the harbor with my 23 foot cc. Most of my previous fishing was out around Cape Ann-Halibut Point or down the Cape, both the bay and sound sides. The Boston Harbor thing will be totally new to me and my family. Any suggestions, opinions, advice? I know the area holds stripers, blues and fluke but what about cod or any other species? Boat traffic? Strong currents? Navigational hazards? etc.

Any input will be much appreciated.

Boston harbor is easy enough to get around, but it is loaded with hazards (like everywhere). Get a chart and read it over an over.
Lots of folks on this site travel those waters for business and pleasure and both. I'm sure they'll chime in.

Since moving to Marshfield in '94 I don't fish the harbor as much as I used to but still get up there on occasion.

To tell you the absolute truth and not bs you.....there is not a bad spot to fish in the harbor. You can catch quality bass just about everywhere. Sure some places produce better than others but sometimes when you duck behind an island cause it's blowin 25 you get surprized and you'll say why haven't I tried this spot before.....

.....for instance, maybe in the middle of a mooring field with no stucture to say.....fish didn't seem to care....

Boston is closed
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not sure what you are looking for in a slip but I know of a few in the area that are fairly inexpensive. all depends on if you need the yacht club atmosphere or just a place to park the boat.
fishing wise. like Beamie said, there really isn't a bad place to fish. I have caught fish in places I would have never thought to hold fish.

i have been out there once in my life and that was last year and i had a great guide. that place is amazing, you even get to chase around the yakkers! they love it when you give them a nice rolling 4' wake!
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the harbor is a fun place. you'll find small cod around the harbor but plan on heading beyond the harbor area for decent cod action. plenty of bait around if you fish that way. boat traffic on summer weekends is crazy - get out early. lot's of nav hazds in the harbor - nix's mate seems to sneak up on people. the waves at the outer harbor entrance get stacked up a little when its blowing from the east. do some flounder fishing. good luck

If you can survice the "Run and Gunners" on a Sunday morning when the birds are working outside the harbor, :fury::fury::smash:
You'll be fine. :uhuh::uhuh:


It the biggest non-natural hazard.

. the waves at the outer harbor entrance get stacked up a little when its blowing from the east.

Good point Paul, so if there is someone you want to get wet cause they maybe caught a bigger fish them you, just anchor at the entrance and have them pull up the anchor when the winds are blowing. :devil2:

Watch out for lower middle,southeast off the airport in between the two channels. It's not marked well on the charts & devils back off green island claims a few boats every year. Other than that there's not much to hit that's not marked well on the gps.
Macks are outside the harbor, cod at 100 feet outside, flounder all over the inside bays, harbor pollack around the outside islands. You won't catch many fluke. Schoolies around the airport/ inside channels every night just look for the birds. Strongest currents are at deer isl rip & hull gut/ point allerton but there nothing to worry about. Worst (best) is northeast wind & outgoing tide you won't make it past deer island. Bigger fish your on your own,but there's plenty of them around. If you see me out there say hi. And sorry in advance for the wake.
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Since moving to Marshfield in '94 I don't fish the harbor as much as I used to but still get up there on occasion.

To tell you the absolute truth and not bs you.....there is not a bad spot to fish in the harbor. You can catch quality bass just about everywhere. Sure some places produce better than others but sometimes when you duck behind an island cause it's blowin 25 you get surprized and you'll say why haven't I tried this spot before.....

.....for instance, maybe in the middle of a mooring field with no stucture to say.....fish didn't seem to care....
What he said.

Thanks All! Guess I came to the right place for info.
Freak: when you wrote that we won't catch many fluke - so only flounder in the harbor? I have heard from many fishermen about the flounder they catch and I just assumed it was Summer Flounder (Fluke). And Cod keepers, are outside of the islands? I will start studying the chart - thanks again to all.

some years you will catch plenty of fluke in the harbor. biggest fluke i've ever caught was in a river off the harbor

All fish in Boston Harbor are diseased, stay away.

I've never caught a fluke in Boston Harbor but I've heard they show up when the water is really warm. Try flounder fishing - there are lots of them out there from May to early July (and sometimes later). If your not sure where to go find the "flounder fleet" but ideally you find some softer bottom with some current nearby to fish to yourself.

There are lots of live bait opportunities in the harbor. Mackerel and harbor pollack early in the season and the pogies come in during the summer. Using live bait is the best way that I've found to get the larger bass to bite. Early morning or evening you can work the birds for smaller bass - be sure to match the hatch. It gets crowded under the birds and there are a lot of fisherman that don't show a lot of common sense when fishing under them so be careful. I've had a couple knuckle heads get too excited and gun past my lines and get tangled up with my braid.

You really can't go wrong in Boston Harbor if you take the time to learn the area.

Pick up a current chart and compare it to a chart for structure.Enjoy the hunt.