Listen "Charles River Fishing Report: Bass, Perch, and More on This Crisp September Saturday"
Episode Synopsis
Charles River anglers, rise and shine—Artificial Lure here with your firsthand fishing report straight from Boston’s urban gem on this crisp September Saturday.Weather’s holding beautifully today: clear skies with just 21% cloud cover settles over the river, temperature starting a comfortable 68°F (morning lows of 60, highs topping out around 70), light wind at 4 mph, humidity at 76%, and a pleasant water temp right at 62°F. That makes for prime fishing conditions, especially if you’re working the banks or spending time on a kayak. The sun gave us a wakeup call at 5:46 am and won’t check out until 7:53 pm—plenty of daylight to chase your personal best.Here’s the tidal scoop for the Charles River Dam: we hit low tide at 6:21 am, with the tide turning and flowing in strong toward a high at 12:30 pm (9.09 ft). Evening sees another slack at 6:32 pm. That incoming tide late morning into early afternoon is historically a magnet for bait movement and hungry predators, so time your outing accordingly. Major fish activity these next couple hours (7:08–9:08 am) is peaking—if you’re hearing this, get moving.Recent catches from the community and chatter at area tackle shops point to classic late-September species: lots of *largemouth and smallmouth bass* along with *pickerel* lurking near weed beds and bridges. Outflows and current seams have seen solid numbers of *white perch*, and a few *yellow perch* as well around the shallows. Striped bass are still making the odd urban cameo—most folks drifting bait at the dam or mouth in the early evening have reported slot-size fish, though it’s a luck-of-the-draw proposition as fall approaches.On lures, stick to what’s working: *topwater poppers* or *walking baits* early, particularly in the Esplanade coves and along the Longfellow Bridge pilings. Once the sun climbs, pivot to *soft plastic jerkbaits* in shad or alewife patterns, *spinnerbaits*, and *Ned rigs* in green pumpkin or black. The Charles’ water clarity is pretty good, so natural colors have performed best. For bait, *nightcrawlers* and *cut shiners* are accounting for the bulk of catches, especially for perch and those bigger lurking bass. Catfishing after sunset? Bring stink bait or chicken liver.Hot spots haven’t changed much: - **The Hatch Shell Esplanade**: Steady action on both bass and perch in the shadow lines, especially with kayaks able to pick apart dock structure and rip-rap. - **Magazine Beach area**: The gradual drop-off and calm water are holding baitfish. Tossing a wacky-rigged Senko or working a swimbait here has produced several keepers this week.Word from some regulars is that the lower basin near the Museum of Science has given up quality evening bass—try pitching jigs under the bridges at dusk, and don’t be afraid to work a big swimbait aggressively if you’re after a trophy. Finally, shore anglers are quietly putting up numbers casting near dawn at the river mouth, particularly when the bait is visible flickering on the surface.To everyone listening: thanks for spending your morning on the river with Artificial Lure. Don’t forget to hit subscribe so you never miss a report or a fresh tip. This has been a Quiet Please production. For more, check out quietplease dot ai.Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1PnThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI