By Andrew McLoon
Surfcasting along the North Shore can present anglers with one of those painful problems: there are too many places to go! From Boston to Newburyport, the North Shore offers tons of great surf, and you can spend days driving in pursuit of the next great hot spot. This list will help get you to the must-fish spots along the coast.
TOP 5:
â¨Castle Island, Boston, MA: A perennially popular surfcasting spot, South Bostonâs Castle Island continues to attract eager anglers by the dozens. Thankfully, ample parking and fishing areas accommodate the crowds. Boasting a fishing pier, a variety of docks, sands, and rocks, Castle Island provides plenty of places to drop your lines. Continue around the shore and check out Pleasure Bay, affectionately known as the Sugar Bowl. Youâll find stripers, cod, mackerel, and more. Even if youâre getting skunked, you can grab something fried from Sullivanâs and watch the planes come and go from Logan Airport.
Dog Bar Breakwater (and Annisquam River), Gloucester, MA: Offering a great view of Gloucester Harbor, the Dog Bar Breakwater is an idyllic surfcasting spot. The half-mile breakwater provides a perfect, rocky shelf for surfcasters. Dog Bar carries a great range of fish including stripers, flounder, macks, and pollock. The location is perfect for a daylong outing, so grab the cooler and head out! Also nearby is the Annisquam Riverâa tidal, salt-water estuary. The Anni can suffer from boat traffic, though, so evening is your best bet.
Deer Island, Winthrop, MA: Although Winthropâs Deer Island is most famous for its sewage treatment center, the location has proven to be a worthy fishing ground. Choose your favorite spot anywhere along the shore or cast off from the pier and jetty. The fishing at this harbor peninsula changes drastically with the tide, so survey the shoreline when the waterâs out. Pick up a map to help you gauge the water depths, read the water well, and youâll be pulling stripers, macks, flounder, cod, and bluefish.
Crane Beach / Castle Neck River, Ipswich, MA: If youâre sick of battling crowds at more public locations, make the trek to Crane Beach and the Castle Neck River estuary system. The secluded waters of the Castle Neck River often remain flat, and fish frequently break to feed on the surface. These conditions will allow you to hone your top water touch, so bring along the appropriate lures for the day. Stripers and bluefish are there for the taking.
âThePoint,âPlumIsland,Newburyport, MA: Newburyportâs Plum Island is home to one of the most promising surfcasting spots on the North Shore. Located at the mouth of the Merrimack River, the northern tip of the island (âThe Pointâ) is a great feeding location for migrating stripers, blues, and macks. The seven-mile island offers plenty of space for anglers to spread out and drop their lines. Be sure to stop by Surfland Bait and Tackle and pick up some tips from founder Kay Moulton, the authority on the Plum Island waters.
ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS:â¨
Salem Willows Pier, Salem, MA: This three-hundred-foot pier will get anglers stripers, macks, cod, flounder, and blues.
Devereux Beach, Marblehead, MA: Devereux Beach is a great place to surfcast for stripers and blues. Peak times in the early morning and late afternoon.
Wolly (Wollaston) Beach, Quincy, MA: Quincyâs Wolly Beach is definitely worth a visit in search for some stripers.
Although the Top 5 locations help narrow your search, by no means should the adventure stop there. Bust out the map and start the hunt for those untapped spots in the surrounding areas. But whether you join the ranks of those who have caught keepers at these legendary locations or find a surf all to yourself, just make sure to get out there, tackle the North Shore, and wet a line!
The sun sets over surfcasters at the jetty in Rye Harbor, NH.
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