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Late Spring Stripers and Shad Highlight Busy Charles River Fishing
Artificial Lure here with your Monday, May 26th, 2025 Charles River fishing report, straight from the banks and boats of Boston.
The Charles is buzzing with late spring energy as we head into the final week of May. At dawn, air temps are hovering in the low 60s, with a light breeze and some scattered cloud cover keeping things comfortable. Sunrise was just past 5:15 am and sunset is set for about 8:10 pm, offering a long window to get after it on the water. Today’s tide is rising through the morning and will flip around mid-day, so expect fish activity to pick up, especially in the tidal stretches near the Museum of Science, Longfellow Bridge, and mouth around the locks. These spots always draw a crowd when the spring runs are strong and this year is no different.
Bass are the big story right now, with schoolies and slot-sized stripers pushing upriver in hot pursuit of thick herring schools. Shore and boat anglers alike have been hooking into steady action the past few days, with plenty of fish in the 22 to 32 inch range and a few solid keepers in the mix. Even better, some sharp-eyed anglers near Constitution Marina have spotted American shad pushing through, a rare but welcome sign that restoration efforts are working. Black bass and panfish are also biting well higher upriver, especially where weed beds are shaping up nicely.
Best baits and lures right now are anything that imitates herring or small baitfish. Soft plastics like Al Gag’s Whip-it Fish in white or silver, paddle tails, and classic swimbaits are getting crushed, especially at first light or as the sun drops in the evening. If you’re trolling, a tube-and-worm is a sure bet, and topwater plugs can trigger aggressive strikes when the water’s lively. For those targeting largemouth and panfish above Watertown Dam, spinnerbaits, jigs, and live nightcrawlers are getting the job done.
Hot spots to try today include the stretch from the Longfellow Bridge to Science Park for stripers at the change of tide, and the locks at the mouth if you’re chasing bigger bass. For a quieter scene, head upriver toward Magazine Beach or the Cambridge esplanade, where herring schools tend to stack up and draw in both bass and shad. Early morning and late evening are hands-down the most productive windows, but the action’s been good throughout the day with these mild temps and overcast skies.
That wraps today’s report. Tight lines and good luck out there on the Charles.
The Charles is buzzing with late spring energy as we head into the final week of May. At dawn, air temps are hovering in the low 60s, with a light breeze and some scattered cloud cover keeping things comfortable. Sunrise was just past 5:15 am and sunset is set for about 8:10 pm, offering a long window to get after it on the water. Today’s tide is rising through the morning and will flip around mid-day, so expect fish activity to pick up, especially in the tidal stretches near the Museum of Science, Longfellow Bridge, and mouth around the locks. These spots always draw a crowd when the spring runs are strong and this year is no different.
Bass are the big story right now, with schoolies and slot-sized stripers pushing upriver in hot pursuit of thick herring schools. Shore and boat anglers alike have been hooking into steady action the past few days, with plenty of fish in the 22 to 32 inch range and a few solid keepers in the mix. Even better, some sharp-eyed anglers near Constitution Marina have spotted American shad pushing through, a rare but welcome sign that restoration efforts are working. Black bass and panfish are also biting well higher upriver, especially where weed beds are shaping up nicely.
Best baits and lures right now are anything that imitates herring or small baitfish. Soft plastics like Al Gag’s Whip-it Fish in white or silver, paddle tails, and classic swimbaits are getting crushed, especially at first light or as the sun drops in the evening. If you’re trolling, a tube-and-worm is a sure bet, and topwater plugs can trigger aggressive strikes when the water’s lively. For those targeting largemouth and panfish above Watertown Dam, spinnerbaits, jigs, and live nightcrawlers are getting the job done.
Hot spots to try today include the stretch from the Longfellow Bridge to Science Park for stripers at the change of tide, and the locks at the mouth if you’re chasing bigger bass. For a quieter scene, head upriver toward Magazine Beach or the Cambridge esplanade, where herring schools tend to stack up and draw in both bass and shad. Early morning and late evening are hands-down the most productive windows, but the action’s been good throughout the day with these mild temps and overcast skies.
That wraps today’s report. Tight lines and good luck out there on the Charles.
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By Quiet. PleaseArtificial Lure here with your Monday, May 26th, 2025 Charles River fishing report, straight from the banks and boats of Boston.
The Charles is buzzing with late spring energy as we head into the final week of May. At dawn, air temps are hovering in the low 60s, with a light breeze and some scattered cloud cover keeping things comfortable. Sunrise was just past 5:15 am and sunset is set for about 8:10 pm, offering a long window to get after it on the water. Today’s tide is rising through the morning and will flip around mid-day, so expect fish activity to pick up, especially in the tidal stretches near the Museum of Science, Longfellow Bridge, and mouth around the locks. These spots always draw a crowd when the spring runs are strong and this year is no different.
Bass are the big story right now, with schoolies and slot-sized stripers pushing upriver in hot pursuit of thick herring schools. Shore and boat anglers alike have been hooking into steady action the past few days, with plenty of fish in the 22 to 32 inch range and a few solid keepers in the mix. Even better, some sharp-eyed anglers near Constitution Marina have spotted American shad pushing through, a rare but welcome sign that restoration efforts are working. Black bass and panfish are also biting well higher upriver, especially where weed beds are shaping up nicely.
Best baits and lures right now are anything that imitates herring or small baitfish. Soft plastics like Al Gag’s Whip-it Fish in white or silver, paddle tails, and classic swimbaits are getting crushed, especially at first light or as the sun drops in the evening. If you’re trolling, a tube-and-worm is a sure bet, and topwater plugs can trigger aggressive strikes when the water’s lively. For those targeting largemouth and panfish above Watertown Dam, spinnerbaits, jigs, and live nightcrawlers are getting the job done.
Hot spots to try today include the stretch from the Longfellow Bridge to Science Park for stripers at the change of tide, and the locks at the mouth if you’re chasing bigger bass. For a quieter scene, head upriver toward Magazine Beach or the Cambridge esplanade, where herring schools tend to stack up and draw in both bass and shad. Early morning and late evening are hands-down the most productive windows, but the action’s been good throughout the day with these mild temps and overcast skies.
That wraps today’s report. Tight lines and good luck out there on the Charles.
The Charles is buzzing with late spring energy as we head into the final week of May. At dawn, air temps are hovering in the low 60s, with a light breeze and some scattered cloud cover keeping things comfortable. Sunrise was just past 5:15 am and sunset is set for about 8:10 pm, offering a long window to get after it on the water. Today’s tide is rising through the morning and will flip around mid-day, so expect fish activity to pick up, especially in the tidal stretches near the Museum of Science, Longfellow Bridge, and mouth around the locks. These spots always draw a crowd when the spring runs are strong and this year is no different.
Bass are the big story right now, with schoolies and slot-sized stripers pushing upriver in hot pursuit of thick herring schools. Shore and boat anglers alike have been hooking into steady action the past few days, with plenty of fish in the 22 to 32 inch range and a few solid keepers in the mix. Even better, some sharp-eyed anglers near Constitution Marina have spotted American shad pushing through, a rare but welcome sign that restoration efforts are working. Black bass and panfish are also biting well higher upriver, especially where weed beds are shaping up nicely.
Best baits and lures right now are anything that imitates herring or small baitfish. Soft plastics like Al Gag’s Whip-it Fish in white or silver, paddle tails, and classic swimbaits are getting crushed, especially at first light or as the sun drops in the evening. If you’re trolling, a tube-and-worm is a sure bet, and topwater plugs can trigger aggressive strikes when the water’s lively. For those targeting largemouth and panfish above Watertown Dam, spinnerbaits, jigs, and live nightcrawlers are getting the job done.
Hot spots to try today include the stretch from the Longfellow Bridge to Science Park for stripers at the change of tide, and the locks at the mouth if you’re chasing bigger bass. For a quieter scene, head upriver toward Magazine Beach or the Cambridge esplanade, where herring schools tend to stack up and draw in both bass and shad. Early morning and late evening are hands-down the most productive windows, but the action’s been good throughout the day with these mild temps and overcast skies.
That wraps today’s report. Tight lines and good luck out there on the Charles.