Access Properties
The Salem Willows Park Fishing Pier Reopens
The Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Marine Fisheries and Office of Fishing and Boating Access partnered with the City of Salem to rebuild the historic Salem Willows Park Fishing Pier. A large portion of this new pier’s design, permitting, and construction were paid for from the sale of recreational saltwater fishing permits. Here are some of the great new features:
- The new fishing pier spans 346 feet in length out into Salem Harbor
- Features a T-shaped end (16’ x 60’) to maximize access to the most coveted locations for angling
- The new pier is fully ADA-compliant to make fishing more accessible for all anglers
- Several bait cutting stations are installed throughout the fishing area
To read more, visit online.
Approximately one-half of all saltwater recreational fishing trips take place from shore.
Unfortunately, this highly popular method of fishing is being threatened by the rapidly accelerating loss of public access to coastal waters. Much of this loss is the direct result of acquisition and development of coastal properties by private parties who then post their holdings against public access. In Massachusetts, colonial law granted private ownership to the intertidal zone (the wet sand), but reserved the public rights of fishing, fowling, and navigation. Although the public rights were reserved for certain uses of the intertidal zone, it is often not possible to enjoy those rights because access across private property to the intertidal zone was never reserved.
To guarantee that the public has access to shore-based fishing opportunities, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and the Department’s Office of Fishing and Boating Access (FBA) with help from federal aid in Sport Fish Restoration funds and funds generated from the sale of recreational fishing permits, have made it a priority to find, acquire, and provide access by way of land acquisition of easements and/or tidal property.
Currently there are fourteen DMF properties and/or FBA properties or facilities providing anglers with access to shore fishing locations:
- Wareham River Fish Pier, Wareham
- Craven’s Landing at Scortons Creek, Sandwich
- Popponesset Beach Shore Fishing Area, Mashpee
- Parker's River Fishing Pier, Yarmouth
- Bass River Fishing Pier, Yarmouth (South Street)
- Bass River Fishing Pier, Yarmouth (High Bank Rd)
- Dogfish Bar, Aquinnah
- Great Rock Bight Shore Fishing Area, Chilmark
- Leland Beach, Edgartown
- Fore River Shore Fishing Area, Quincy
- Broad Cove Shore Fishing Area, Somerset
- Cashman Park Fishing Pier, Newburyport
- Oak Bluffs Fishing Pier, Martha’s Vineyard
- Deer Island Fishing Pier, Boston
