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Merrimack River is a public river in Essex County and Middlesex County, Massachusetts, managed by Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. You can fish it on a Massachusetts fishing licence; bank access is at bridge crossings, MassWildlife access points and public parks. Massachusetts riverbeds are private property up to the ordinary high-water mark except on a few federally-declared-navigable reaches, so wading or bank fishing away from a public access point needs the landowner's permission. Public access confirmed via marquee water.
The Merrimack River — smallmouth and largemouth bass, chain pickerel, an American shad run, and striped bass in the tidal lower river near Newburyport.
It runs roughly 56 miles through the North Shore region. Anglers here mostly fish for smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, chain pickerel, american shad; striped bass are also on record. Live flow and gauge height come from the Merrimack River At Newburyport, Ma USGS station shown below. The nearest other mapped waters on PiscaMaps are Merrimack River (Methuen) Pond and Merrimack River (Riverside Park) Pond.
Species from PiscaMaps water-type profiles, MassWildlife trout designations and hand research.
Night fishing: No statewide night-fishing closure in Massachusetts on most inland waters — check local rules for water-supply reservoirs (Quabbin, Wachusett), which have their own posted hours and access restrictions.
Boats: Most great ponds and lakes take a car-top or trailered boat via an OFBA site; Quabbin and Wachusett reservoirs restrict boat access to permit holders and DCR-operated rentals in season. No personal boats are allowed on the reservoirs.
Bank & bivvy camping: Camp at Massachusetts state forests and parks (several in the Berkshires and central uplands); Quabbin and Wachusett are day-use only with no camping.
Tackle: Statewide bass limit is usually 4 (with a closed season in spring on most waters); trout limits vary by water; pickerel and panfish are generous. Check the current MassWildlife abstracts for this specific water.
Boat ramps: 20 mapped — Boat ramp, Boat ramp, Boat ramp, Greeley Park Boat Ramp, Depot Street Boat Ramp, Boat ramp and others nearby.
Camping: 2 sites mapped nearby — Campsite, Salisbury State Park Reservation.
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors.
Loading live flow & gauge height…
Live from USGS gauge 01100870 — Merrimack River At Newburyport, Ma. Full gauge data →
Anyone 15 or older needs a Massachusetts fishing licence — the resident annual is about $28, the non-resident annual about $37, with non-resident 3-day (~$24) and 7-day (~$34) licences also sold. Massachusetts residents 70 and older need no licence, and anyone under 15 fishes free. Buy from MassWildlife at mass.gov/masswildlife. A Massachusetts fishing licence covers this water — it's on MassWildlife's 'Go Fish!' list of public fishing waters.
Every water carries species, bank & boat access, current regulations and live water conditions — and members get Swim Mapper, Catch Logger and Trip Planner. It's the only US map with a dedicated carp-water layer.
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