Experience the waterways around metropolitan Boston. Launch a canoe into freshwater rivers, salt marshes, tidal basins or bays, and cast your line. Boston offers numerous access points along its shoreline and rivers. Be sure to check with Massachusetts Wildlife Management for fishing and boating regulations, open season dates on specific species, and fish size and haul limitations.
Canoe Registration
Massachusetts requires you to register your canoe if it uses a motor, even an electric one. Even if you depend on paddles and rarely use the motor, you are still required to register it. If your canoe is 14 feet or longer and uses a motor, you must get a title of ownership before registering. In order to title your vessel, you must provide proof of ownership, a bill of sale and proof you paid the state the appropriate sales tax. The title is good for the life of the boat. In order for a canoe to be registered, you must provide the title and a hull identification number. Insurance is not required for boats registered in Massachusetts. The boat registration is good for two years. Fees vary according to vessel size.
Fishing License
All persons over the age of 15 must get a fishing license in Massachusetts. These licenses are valid from January 1 through December 31. You may apply at most town or city halls within the Commonwealth or online through the Massachusetts Department of Wildlife. Fees are dependent upon the age of the applicant. Fishing licenses are not needed for saltwater fishing; however, lobster and shell fishing permits are required.
Salt Water
Saltwater inlets and tidal basins around Boston have boat access for your canoe. Stick to areas without surf unless you have a special outrigger canoe or ocean kayak canoe. The Neponset River outlet into Squantum Bay at Squantum Point Park in Quincy creates a channel good for fishing. There is a boat ramp at Pope John Paul II Park Reservation located on Gallivan Avenue in the Dorchester section of the city. Canoe access can also be found at the Dorchester Shores Reservation.
Rivers
The Neponset River Watershed area runs from the suburbs to the bays at Dorchester and Quincy. There are a few dams along the way where you must haul out and relaunch.
Boston’s Charles River empties into Boston Harbor. There are public boat launches along the Charles. Weave your way upstream through to the Back Bay of Boston and the Charles River Basin between the Hatch Shell on the Boston side and MIT on the Cambridge side of the river. Channel catfish, largemouth bass and brook trout can be fished. Further along, you can canoe into Boston Harbor with calm waters, view the city skyline and have a chance to pull in a striper.
Ponds
The Blue Hills Reservation in Milton is only minutes from downtown Boston. Canoe and fish in Ponkapaug Pond, or begin the Neponset River canoe/fishing trek from the reservation. No motors are allowed. The pond is 203 acres and is relatively shallow, ranging in depth from 5 1/2 feet to 7 1/2 feet.
References
- Massachusetts Department of Wildlife and Game: Environmental Police/Frequently Asked Questions
- Massachusetts Department of Wildlife and Game: Hunting/Fishing Regulation Abstract
- Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
- MassOnline: Dorchester Shores Reservation
- Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation: Metro Boston Parks
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