Merrimack River Mouth (Newburyport and Salisbury)

At the mouth of the Merrimack River, between Plum Island in Newburyport and Salisbury Beach, the river pours deep, fast water past sandy points and two jetties, and striped bass anglers work it from shore on both sides. Upriver, Joppa Flats and Deer Island under the Chain Bridge offer quieter water with early-season bass.

When to fish

• Early season: The Fisherman's writer says Joppa Flats, a shallow mudflat less than a mile upriver, is a haven for the first stripers and bait of the year because its dark mud warms quickly.
• Tides: Plum Island Point and the sandbar fish best in the last few hours of the outgoing tide; the south jetty is better on the top half of the tide, since sand has made it shallow.

Where to fish

• Plum Island Point (Newburyport): the most popular spot is the sandy corner just downriver of the fishing-boat docks, where deep, fast water runs close to shore. Expect a crowd.
• The sandbar: it reaches out into the river off the point. Wading it is dangerous; be very careful.
• The jetties: the south jetty on the Plum Island side can be fished to its tip. Across the river, the Salisbury jetty is reached through Salisbury Beach State Reservation and also borders deep, fast water.
• Joppa Flats: early bass on the flats; the mud is treacherous to wade. There's a small lot on Water Street on the way into Newburyport.
• Deer Island (Chain Bridge): in the middle of the bridge between Newburyport and Amesbury, with paths to deep, moving water all around.
• Cashman Park pier (Newburyport): a rebuilt public fishing pier next to a state boat ramp, where Marine Fisheries lists striped bass, bluefish, harbor pollock and mackerel.

How to fish it

At the point, The Fisherman's writer uses soft plastics on weighted jig heads, bucktails and small deep-diving swimming plugs. Bait anglers use clams or sea worms on a fish-finder rig with a heavy sinker, and he asks them to hold the rod and let the bait drift rather than spiking it, both to hold bottom and to leave room for others. On Joppa Flats, try weightless soft plastics and small topwater plugs. At Deer Island, carry lures for the whole water column, from swimming plugs to pencil poppers.

Getting there

Plum Island Point has ample parking at the north end of Plum Island. The Salisbury side is inside Salisbury Beach State Reservation, which charges a parking fee in season and has two boat ramps on the river. You need a Massachusetts saltwater fishing permit. Striped bass have a slot limit, you must use inline circle hooks when fishing bait for them, and gaffing them is illegal.