This is Artificial Lure bringing you today’s fishing report for Friday, April 18, 2025, focused on the Charles River in Boston. The river’s waking up for spring, and anglers are seeing some great action all along its urban and scenic stretches.

First, let’s cover the tides. High tide hits at 3:13 this morning and again at 3:54 this afternoon, with low tides at 9:41 am and 9:50 pm. Tidal amplitude is high today, which means more water movement and stronger currents—usually good news for active fish. Sunrise came at 5:58 am, and sunset will be at 7:29 pm, giving you plenty of daylight to get out and wet a line[1][5][9].

Weather-wise, it’s shaping up to be a mild spring day—expect partly cloudy skies and a light breeze from the west. Temps should climb to the mid-50s by afternoon. Fish are getting more active, especially as water temps continue to nudge upward.

The Charles is always a mixed bag, but this time of year the action is solid for largemouth bass, yellow perch, crappie, bluegill, and the odd carp or catfish. Anglers this week reported plenty of bass in the 2 to 4 pound range, especially around structure and bridges. Perch and bluegill are staging near weed beds and drop-offs, while the early carp bite is picking up near slower, muddy sections[6][7][10].

For lures, soft plastics are hot. The trusty 3-inch Mister Twister curly tail grub in white, chartreuse, or pumpkinseed is catching just about everything right now—rig it on a 1/8 or 1/4 ounce jig head and bounce it along bottom structure. Topwater plugs and spinnerbaits in bright colors like chartreuse or white work well in the mornings and evenings, especially along quiet shorelines and near downed timber. For perch and crappie, small inline spinners or crappie tubes are a safe bet. If you prefer bait, worms and shiners are local favorites, drifting just off bottom around cover[7][8][10].

A couple of hot spots for today—try the stretch from Watertown Dam to the Brighton community boat launch, focusing around downed wood and rocky structure for bass and panfish. The area around the bridges, especially North Beacon Street and the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge, has been holding good numbers of fish, particularly largemouth and the occasional crappie. Don’t overlook the basin by the Museum of Science, especially if you’re targeting larger bass and perch—focus on underwater humps and ledges with deep-diving crankbaits or jigs[7].

Spring is here and the bite is on, so grab your rod, pack those soft plastics, and get out there. Good luck and tight lines from Artificial Lure.