FishCondishBoston, MA Fishing Report & Live Conditions
Boston, MA fishing report
Boston Harbor and the islands offer a solid three-season fishery built around striped bass, bluefish, and winter flounder. Bass show up in the harbor as water temperatures climb through the low 50s in spring, moving in from Cape Cod Bay to feed on herring, sand eels, and harbor pollock around the islands and harbor mouth. Bluefish typically arrive later, in early summer, and can push bait schools into a frenzy around the outer harbor. Flounder are a cold-water fish here — your best shots come in spring before water warms and again in fall when temperatures drop back down into the 50s.
Current seams and tide transitions are everything in this harbor. Stripers stack on the down-tide edges of rocky points and rip-rap shorelines around the islands, especially during the first two hours of an outgoing tide draining the harbor. Work soft-plastic paddle tails, bucktail jigs, or live eels along these edges. Bluefish will slash surface poppers and metal spoons over open water near the harbor mouth when surface temps hit the mid-60s and you see birds working. For flounder, anchor in sandy channels between the islands and fish cut sea worms or clams on a bottom rig — slack tide keeps your bait in the strike zone longer.
Boston, MA tide times
The closest NOAA tide station to Boston, MA is BOSTON (station 8443970), about 0.6 miles away. The mean tide range at this station is 9.5 ft. Predictions below are referenced to MLLW in local time.
| Date | Tides |
|---|---|
| Sat, Aug 1 | ▲ High 1:32 AM 10.2 ft▼ Low 7:49 AM 0.2 ft▲ High 2:02 PM 9.5 ft▼ Low 8:03 PM 0.8 ft |
| Sun, Aug 2 | ▲ High 2:11 AM 10.1 ft▼ Low 8:27 AM 0.2 ft▲ High 2:39 PM 9.7 ft▼ Low 8:45 PM 0.7 ft |
| Mon, Aug 3 | ▲ High 2:53 AM 10 ft▼ Low 9:06 AM 0.3 ft▲ High 3:18 PM 10 ft▼ Low 9:31 PM 0.6 ft |
| Tue, Aug 4 | ▲ High 3:37 AM 9.7 ft▼ Low 9:49 AM 0.5 ft▲ High 4:01 PM 10.1 ft▼ Low 10:20 PM 0.6 ft |
| Wed, Aug 5 | ▲ High 4:26 AM 9.4 ft▼ Low 10:36 AM 0.7 ft▲ High 4:48 PM 10.3 ft▼ Low 11:15 PM 0.6 ft |
| Thu, Aug 6 | ▲ High 5:20 AM 9.1 ft▼ Low 11:28 AM 0.9 ft▲ High 5:41 PM 10.4 ft |
| Fri, Aug 7 | ▼ Low 12:13 AM 0.5 ft▲ High 6:19 AM 8.9 ft▼ Low 12:25 PM 1.1 ft▲ High 6:39 PM 10.4 ft |
| Sat, Aug 8 | ▼ Low 1:14 AM 0.4 ft▲ High 7:23 AM 8.7 ft▼ Low 1:25 PM 1.1 ft▲ High 7:41 PM 10.6 ft |
| Sun, Aug 9 | ▼ Low 2:18 AM 0.3 ft▲ High 8:29 AM 8.8 ft▼ Low 2:29 PM 1 ft▲ High 8:46 PM 10.8 ft |
| Mon, Aug 10 | ▼ Low 3:21 AM -0.1 ft▲ High 9:34 AM 9.1 ft▼ Low 3:31 PM 0.8 ft▲ High 9:48 PM 11.1 ft |
Tide predictions from NOAA CO-OPS, regenerated daily. For the live water level, wind, and today's fishing score, open the Boston, MA dashboard.
What's biting near Boston, MA
The species most likely to be feeding Boston Harbor and the islands: striped bass, bluefish, and flounder. FishCondish grades every hour of the day for Boston, MA and gives each species its own bite forecast, so you can see which window is worth fishing before you load the truck.
Boston, MA fishing FAQ
What fish can you catch at Boston, MA?
The species bite forecast for Boston, MA covers what's likely feeding there, including striped bass, bluefish, and flounder — and updates with the live conditions.
What's the best time of day to fish Boston, MA?
Dawn and dusk are usually the strongest windows at Boston, MA, especially when they line up with moving water around a tide change. FishCondish grades every hour of the day so you can pick the best one.
When is the best season to fish Boston, MA?
Spring and fall typically bring the most active fishing along Boston Harbor and the islands as fish migrate and feed heavily, with summer steady for warm-water species. It varies year to year, so check the live score before you head out.
How do I know if it's a good day to fish Boston, MA?
FishCondish combines wind, tide movement, water temperature, pressure trend, and moon phase into a single 1–10 fishing score for Boston, MA, updated in real time — a quick go/no-go read before you make the trip.
Fishing tips for Boston, MA
New to these waters? Start with these beginner-friendly guides: