Massachusetts Fishing Report – June 19, 2025

This week brought along a bump in big bass and a benevolence in that the bite is widespread. That “bass” moniker does not begin and end with linesiders either, as the Buzzards Bay black sea bass bite has been nothing short of outstanding.

Massachusetts South Shore and South Coast Fishing Report

Even if not a single striper swam into Buzzards Bay, fishing there would be special. There is just so much bait and different species to fish for, it seems like a world away from the rest of Massachusetts.

On a recent trip aboard Little Sister Charters with friends John and Mike, we didn’t even leave the river when we began catching schoolies and slab scup. We did not linger, however, as we had intentions of knothead black sea bass for the cooler. First, however, we took a few casts for fluke, but unlike last week, the action was slow. Fortunately, the black sea bass were cooperative and we limited out on fish of over 18”. Drifting while dancing Crippled Herrings over wrecks, rocks and ledge was just what the black sea bass wanted. Later, Captain Jason Colby offered to let us striper fish again while he made short work of the cooler full of fish. He cleated up next to a wharf in the river, sent out a chum slick of clams and brought on an instantaneous bite of stripers from 31”-41”! Our only regret was that the captain wasn’t as efficient at filleting fish as the 45 minutes we spent bailing the bass went by way too fast. We observed quite a bit of blitzing as well, which most likely was the handiwork of bluefish.

Pete Belsan from Belsan Bait and Tackle in Scituate said that a few of his commercial customers got into some “selling” fish off Plymouth this week. Other spots which attracted commercial interest were Race Point, the mouth of the North River, and off Cohasset. The modus operandi bait for most has been mackerel by day and eels at night. Water temperature matters greatly to those consistently searching for the warmest water possible.

According to Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish Charters, while there are still fish out in deep water and just inside state waters, especially by the 21 Can, they tend to be fussy as they feed on small shrimp/krill. A more reliable bite awaits those who look farther in, primarily in the South and North Rivers during an outgoing tide. Commercial acquaintances of the captain are reporting productive, solid trips to Race Point, where there are blues as well.

Greater Boston Fishing Report

If you’ve been cruising around in the harbor lately, you’re left with one inescapable conclusion – Boston is jammed with fishing boats! From deep inside among the ribbon of wharf pilings out to Graves Light, there seem to be boats everywhere. Fortunately, fishing and frustration don’t have to go hand in hand as Captain Brian Coombs of Get Tight Sportfishing is finding out as big bass continue to push inshore from established migration routes. It all comes down to bait, and with mackerel and sea herring present between the BG Buoy and the B Buoy, the skipper’s intuition is that it’s a tinder box ready to go off. And just maybe, best of all you’ll avoid the inshore boat show.

Pete Santini of Fishing Fishing FINatics in Everett said that flounder are hanging in there and, in fact, anglers are catching from piers off Deer Island, Lynn, Swampscott, and Marblehead. More migratory bass have moved into the harbor, said Pete, with water temperatures a factor when trying to find the fish. The mouth of the Chelsea Creek, as well as by Thompson Island, has been good for dragging Toscano and Red Santini Tubes. There are still fallback river herring dropping back into the harbor from the Charles and Mystic Rivers, resulting in early morning topwater activity as well as flutter spoon action.

Captain Paul Diggins of Reel Pursuit Charters has been in some cases, finding fish as soon as he pulls away from port in the Constitution Marina in Charlestown. There has also been action by the Coast Guard Station as well as by the “blue building” near the reserve channel. Mojo Rigs with white/chartreuse shads have been his go-to offerings for fish up to 40”. Lisa from Fore River Bait and Tackle said that pogy schools as well as prowling bass are in residence deep inside Quincy Bay with some having luck by Slate, Grape and Bumpkin Islands. The tube-and-worm continues to kill it. Shore/kayak anglers’ best bets are the Weymouth Fore River, Weymouth Back River, Neponset River, and Hull Gut. Chunk mackerel as well as seaworms have been hot.

Massachusetts North Shore Fishing Report

Line-slicers have moved onto the North Shore, according to Tomo of Tomo’s Tackle in Salem. I can speak to that personally as repeatedly I had my jig bitten off while jigging for mackerel outside of the Boston Humps. The potential culprits were either bluefish or bonito, which have already moved north! Tomo confirmed the presence of both species, as well as pogies/bass, among the mooring field of Salem Harbor. The Haste Shoal area has been among the hottest. Just look for the pogy seiners to find the bait and bass. Anglers catching blues are trolling X-Raps as well as Nomad DTX swimmers and covering a lot of water. Flounder are still a factor in Marblehead Harbor and Beverly Harbor.

While always a wealth of information, I especially wanted to hear what TJ from Three Lantern Marine and Fishing had to say after the first week of the commercial striped bass season. He said that selling bass have been caught deep inside of Gloucester Harbor on eels at night between Ten Pound Island and the inner harbor. The sun-up gang has been catching well from the mouth of the Annisquam River out through Essex Bay. Magnolia, when there’s mackerel on the line, has been good also. There’s no quit among the flounder faithful as blackbacks continue to be taken with Cripple Cove and Wingaersheek Beach standouts. The shop is also moving squid jigs; calamari cravers should check out the Gloucester State Pier or the Granite Pier in Rockport.

Martha from Surfland Bait and Tackle in Newburyport said that there has been a boat brigade from the Chain Bridge out to the mouth of the Merrimack River, as word is out that big bass have followed fall back herring from upstream spawning areas. But there’s more to that as small sea herring have moved inshore and, along with sand eels and mackerel, are keeping the bass in check. Anglers moving away from the mob along the ocean front have been catching quality fish as well. Bait soakers off Parking Lot 1, Sandy Point, and Plum Island Sound have found fish. With news of blues just south of Plum Island, it might be a good time to break out the trolling plugs and drag them along in 30-50’ of water in Ipswich Bay.

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Massachusetts Fishing Forecast

There are signs on the South Shore that big bass, which have been torturously lingering at the edge of state waters, may have moved in. Plymouth Bay has been productive, as have the South and the North Rivers, with the latter two fishing well on an outgoing tide. The Westport side of Buzzards Bay continues to stand out with a remarkable variety of fish, including big black sea bass as well as 40” plus stripers! Clams will catch both, as will jigging over structure just outside of the river. Mackerel, which had been ubiquitous just outside the harbor, are more scattered than they had been, which might be a tip-off that more large migratory bass have spooked them, or it could also be an indicator of the first wave of bluefish! One way to find out is to stagger a couple of deep diving trolling plugs off the ledges of Hull or out to the humps of the B Bouy. Pogies mired among the mooring fields of Salem and Beverly Harbors are holding fish. Commercial anglers have been bunched up deep inside Gloucester Harbor, by Essex Bay, and in the Merrimack River. If fishing among a few dozen new friends doesn’t sound like your idea of fun, then do as others have and fish the ocean front of Plum Island, where some have found that tranquility and a tight line are not mutually exclusive!