Ever burned half a tide driving around looking for a legal place to park and wet a line? Massachusetts just made that a lot less likely. The Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) has launched a new Saltwater Fishing Access Dashboard, an interactive map that helps you find public saltwater fishing spots along the Massachusetts coast. Type in a town, and the map shows what’s available. You can filter by access type, including fishing piers, bridges, boat ramps and shoreline, so you can zero in on exactly the kind of spot you want to fish. Whether you’re a kayak angler looking for a launch or a surfcaster scouting a new beach, it saves you the guesswork.
Click on a location and you’ll get the scoop on parking, including car and trailer parking. If you’re towing a boat to a ramp you’ve never used, that’s the detail that can make or break a morning. “Massachusetts provides an amazing variety of high-quality fishing from boat or shore, and finding those opportunities should never be a struggle,” said Ben Gahagan, Recreational Fisheries Program Leader at DMF. “The Division of Marine Fisheries is proud to publish this accessible online tool that can help the lifelong resident and the weekend visitor get fishing and make some great memories.”
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And yes, your permit fee is part of this. “Public access is a core part of DMF’s mission, and we are constantly improving access in coastal Massachusetts using funds from the Saltwater Fishing Permit,” Gahagan said. “The Saltwater Fishing Access Dashboard is a great tool for anglers and highlights how their permit money comes right back to benefit them.”
Link: Saltwater Fishing Public Access Projects in Massachusetts
Our advice: bookmark it on your phone now, then use it to scout a few new spots to catch the fall run. Spots can change, so if you find an error or have a question about an access site, you can reach DMF Public Access Coordinator Ross Kessler at ross.kessler@mass.gov.