Saugus River Fishing Guides
The tidal Saugus and the Rumney Marsh behind it, a north-of-Boston estuary that holds striped bass from April to November within sight of Route 1.
Map of the Saugus River
22 numbered points: 2 access points, 1 bait & fly shop, 7 bridges, 11 parks and conservation areas, 1 USGS gauge. Tap a marker for details. Reviewed Sep 26, 2026.
- Access / boat ramp (2)
- Bait, tackle & fly shop (1)
- Bridge crossing (7)
- Park / conservation area (11)
- USGS gauge (1)
Print it. Bag it. Bring it.Phones die, screens crack, and most of this water has no signal. Print this map, fold it into a zip-top bag or dry bag with your license, and you have a backup your electronics can’t give you. Every marker is numbered so you can say exactly where you are.
Open the printable mapAll 22 points on this map
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Town Wells Wakefield | Park / conservation area | 42.52289, -71.07103 | Town conservation land at the head of the river below Lake Quannapowitt. |
| 2 | Freeman Park Wakefield | Park / conservation area | 42.52504, -71.06641 | |
| 3 | Conservation Land - Wakefield | Park / conservation area | 42.52374, -71.06199 | Town conservation land on the upper river; OSM carries no more specific name. |
| 4 | Audubon Road Wakefield | Bridge crossing | 42.51408, -71.03820 | |
| 5 | Salem Street Wakefield | Bridge crossing | 42.51177, -71.03666 | Two adjoining OSM ways condensed to one crossing. |
| 6 | Breakheart Reservation Mass DCR | Park / conservation area | 42.49646, -71.03521 | State reservation on the left bank through Saugus. OSM carries it as eight separate polygons under one name; one is shipped. |
| 7 | Water Street (MA 129) Saugus | Bridge crossing | 42.49828, -71.04211 | |
| 8 | Curley Property Saugus | Park / conservation area | 42.49201, -71.02420 | Town conservation parcel on the right bank. |
| 9 | Saugus River Trail footbridge | Bridge crossing | 42.49135, -71.02703 | Trail footbridge over the river in Breakheart Reservation. |
| 10 | Camp Nihan Environmental Education Center Mass DCR | Park / conservation area | 42.48923, -71.02320 | DCR camp and education centre on the river. |
| 11 | USGS streamgauge - Saugus River at Saugus USGS | USGS gauge | 42.46942, -71.00696 | Flow reference for the river above the tidal reach. |
| 12 | Prankers Pond Saugus | Park / conservation area | 42.47403, -71.01330 | Town conservation land at Prankers Pond on the river. |
| 13 | Salters Mill Saugus | Park / conservation area | 42.47285, -71.00673 | Conservation parcel at the old mill site, the Saugus Iron Works reach. |
| 14 | Elm Street Saugus | Bridge crossing | 42.47222, -71.00691 | |
| 15 | Hamilton Street Saugus | Bridge crossing | 42.46565, -71.00436 | |
| 16 | Town Conservation Land - lower Saugus Saugus | Park / conservation area | 42.46219, -70.99812 | Town conservation land on the tidal river; OSM carries no more specific name. |
| 17 | Lincoln Avenue Saugus | Bridge crossing | 42.45963, -70.98907 | The last road crossing above Rumney Marsh. |
| 18 | Marshview Park Mass DCR | Park / conservation area | 42.45965, -70.98812 | DCR park on the edge of Rumney Marsh, the estuary of this river. |
| 19 | David C. Penny Memorial Landing Lynn | Access / boat ramp | 42.45245, -70.98463 | Named town landing on the tidal river; mapped in OSM as recreation ground rather than as a ramp. |
| 20 | Kelly's Bait and Tackle Lynn | Bait, tackle & fly shop | 42.45235, -70.98033 | Bait and tackle shop 150 m off the tidal river - the only real one found in this corridor. |
| 21 | Saugus River slipway - Lynn | Access / boat ramp | 42.45156, -70.97975 | Public slipway on the tidal river at Lynn. Unnamed in OSM; the adjoining service way at the same place is folded in. |
| 22 | Officer Harold Vitale Memorial Park Saugus | Park / conservation area | 42.45085, -70.98297 |
Guides on the Saugus River
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About the Saugus River
The Saugus River runs a short course from the Saugus and Wakefield ponds down to Lynn Harbor and Broad Sound, north of Boston. The gauge at the Saugus Iron Works reads discharge and stage at the head of tide. Below that point the river becomes a tidal channel winding through the Rumney Marsh, one of the largest remaining salt marshes in eastern Massachusetts and a designated Area of Critical Environmental Concern.
The marsh is the reason the fishing is as good as it is. Rumney Marsh covers several square miles of spartina, tidal creeks and mud flats, and it produces an enormous volume of forage: grass shrimp, silversides, mummichogs and juvenile herring. Every ebb tide flushes that bait out through a limited number of channels and cuts, and striped bass position themselves at those choke points to feed.
Striped bass are the fishery and they are present from April into November. Most are schoolies in the twenty to thirty inch range, but larger fish work the deeper channels at night, and the sheer reliability of the water makes up for the average size. Bluefish arrive in summer and will push well up into the marsh. White perch hold in the brackish middle reach, American eel are abundant, and chain pickerel live in the fresher water above the head of tide.
Access is easy and mostly urban. The Iron Works National Historic Site offers parking and bank access at the gauge, there are landings on the lower river, and the marsh channels are excellent kayak water on a planned tide.
The marsh is the fishery and it is also the hazard. Channels shift, mud is deep and soft, and a falling tide will strand a kayak far from anywhere in a hurry. Plan on the tide, carry a light for the walk out, and stay in the channels rather than crossing the flats. Tidal current at the bridges is strong enough to matter.
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The photo at the top of this page is not Saugus River.
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Access
Saugus Iron Works - the gauge reach at the head of tide, with parking and bank access.
Rumney Marsh - the tidal marsh channels below Saugus, kayak water.
Belle Isle Marsh Reservation - protected marsh at the southern end with trails.
Lynn Harbor - the open water at the river mouth.
Pines River - the main marsh tributary joining from the north.
Revere Beach - the barrier shoreline south of the river mouth.
Saugus River bridge - structure and current on the lower tidal river.
Seasons
Spring: stripers arrive in April and feed hard in the marsh channels through June.
Summer: schoolies and bluefish, best on the ebb at the channel mouths, often at night.
Fall: the strongest month as bait pours out of the marsh ahead of the migration.
Winter: the estuary empties and fishing effectively stops until spring.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Saugus River?
As of Nov 2, 7:55 am, the USGS gauge SAUGUS RIVER AT SAUGUS IRONWORKS AT SAUGUS, MA reads 4 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Saugus River?
Anglers target American Eel, Bluefish, Chain Pickerel, Striped Bass, White Perch on the Saugus River in Massachusetts.
Where can you access the Saugus River?
Saugus Iron Works - the gauge reach at the head of tide, with parking and bank access. Rumney Marsh - the tidal marsh channels below Saugus, kayak water. Belle Isle Marsh Reservation - protected marsh at the southern end with trails. Lynn Harbor - the open water at the river mouth. Pines River - the main marsh tributary joining from the north. Revere Beach - the barrier shoreline south of the river mouth. Saugus River bridge - structure and current on the lower tidal river.
When is the best time to fish the Saugus River?
Spring: stripers arrive in April and feed hard in the marsh channels through June. Summer: schoolies and bluefish, best on the ebb at the channel mouths, often at night. Fall: the strongest month as bait pours out of the marsh ahead of the migration. Winter: the estuary empties and fishing effectively stops until spring.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Saugus River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Massachusetts agency site: https://www.mass.gov/recreational-saltwater-fishing