Hingham, MA Fishing: Great Game in the South Shore of Massachusetts

Known for its location in the southwest corner of Boston Harbor, Hingham is a strategic place to live in for people who love architecture, city life, and the great outdoors. Boston is accessible from Hingham by highway, bus, commuter boat, and the Greenbush Line, a restored commuter rail. Hingham prides itself on its efforts to preserve its history and protect its natural beauty. The town has a close-knit community and supports local stores such as pubs, coffee shops, and even ice cream parlors! Like the Old Ordinary House Museum located north of the town, Hingham has its old history remarkably reflected in the ordinary streets and quiet life of the warm-hearted Hinghamites.

Originally named Bare Cove by its first English colonizers in 1633, the small city was incorporated as a town two years later, under its current name, Hingham. At first, it was part of Suffolk County and became part of Plymouth County from 1803 up to the present day. A statue of President Abraham Lincoln is erected in the central north part of the town. This is in place of the seven generations of Lincoln descendants that resided then, starting from Samuel Lincoln, President Lincoln's first ancestor, part of Hingham's first eight early settlers.

Hingham is on the South Shore of Massachusetts, right under Hingham Bay. It is a sweet spot for relaxed angling with the views of the Boston Skyline, but also an action-packed fishing experience for those who want to go after a bigger game. With the water right on the town's north shoreline, Hingham is dotted with ponds lined with rivers and brooks flowing throughout the city.

Hingham Fishing

Hingham not only strives to protect its natural beauty. It also preserves the quality of its water bodies to nurture its marine life. Native riverine species include brook trout, redfin pickerel, white sucker, and tessellated darter. Moreover, native pond species found in Hingham are chain pickerel, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, and golden shiner. The general weather in Hingham says a lot about its town—steady and accommodating. It is cloudy most times of the year, its summers are warm, and its winters are freezing. Anglers would love to come to Hingham from June to September to fish in peace with favorable warm weather. 

Discovering the old Hingham through fishing is best done in Triphammer Pond, found in the center of the town. The 19-acre pond is part of a 98-acre conservation area, including ruins of historic mills, a reconstructed old mill dam, and a stone well supporting warm-water fishery. Fishing in the pond means having a peaceful moment with nature amidst pine, oak, holly, hickory, and some beech plants. Triphammer Pond protects its marine life and ensures good water flow by maintaining its fish ladder, sluiceway, and spillway. Fishing in kayaks is popular in the pond and allows anglers to catch games such as largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, black crappie, sunfish, and chain pickerel. A long dirt road off of Pope’s Lane leads to a portage area for easy kayak launching and further exploration of the pond. When jigging, colorful artificial jigs are more recommended than fish skin ones.

Triphammer Pond offers a good view of migrating fish through the fish ladder. Herring are born in freshwaters, swim to salt waters as juveniles, and return to the waters they came from to spawn in the spring. This anadromous fish culture gave way for Weir River’s name, as native Americans set up fish weirs in the river and surrounding streams to catch herring and take advantage of the abundance of resources. Other anadromous fish species in Hingham include white perch and rainbow smelt. Today, catching herring is prohibited, although smelt can still be in one’s possession. Instead, brook trout, rainbow trout, and brown trout are stocked at different spots of Weir River, including Free Street, Union Street, and Leavitt Street. The river is a short stream that flows north into Hingham Bay. Anglers would find it comfortable setting up in Weir River’s banks to do some fly fishing with bait such as sandworms and crickets. Plymouth River gets stocked at Ward Street with the same trout species.

Cushing Pond supports a decent amount of largemouth bass for those aiming to catch trophy bass. On the other hand, anglers would find Porter’s Cove a paradise for striped bass.

Found on the south border of Hingham, Accord Pond is an excellent place to catch some of its native game species, such as chain pickerel, pumpkinseed, and yellow perch. Along with Fulling Mill Pond, Accord Pond has been stocked with smallmouth bass, and both are open to legal fishing for short periods.

Hewitts Cove is one of the best places to fish in Hingham. It has a long pier that allows anglers to cast their rods and fly fishing. Some of the notable catches in the cove include striped bass and haddock. From time to time, anglers get surprised by some occasional starry ray. The cove also has a dock for boats, perfect for drift fishing or going out to deeper waters. Inshore cod fishing is popular in Hingham, especially because Hewitts Cove is among other spots that grant an easy route to surrounding big water bodies such as the Hingham Harbor, Hingham Bay, and even farther north to Nahant Bay. These deeper waters are heaven to anglers who love bottom fishing and deep fishing. As the Gulf of Maine warms up due to climate change, there have also been some changes in fish species found in Hingham, specifically Hingham Harbor. Black sea bass and scup have shown up in the harbor last few years.

Top 10 Fish Species in Hingham, MA

These are the top 10 fish species you can catch in Hingham, MA, are chain pickerel, haddock, brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, black crappie, sunfish, striped bass, smallmouth bass, and largemouth bass.

Seasonal Fishing

Ponds and streams get stocked with brook, brown, and rainbow trout anytime between March to June to provide recreational fishing opportunities.

Atlantic cod has a size limit of 21 inches and a possession limit of 1 fish, which anglers can catch in the first half of April and the last half of September. Haddock can be captured all year except in March, with a possession limit of 15 fish and a size limit of 17 inches. Anglers can catch Striped bass all year round with a possession limit of 1 fish and a size limit of 28 inches to less than 35 inches. From June to March, anglers can catch up to 50 smelt.

Drop by the South Shores and Visit Hingham, MA

1. Book a Fishing Guide

Whether you are a beginner or experienced at angling, you will love fishing in the waters of Hingham. Coming to a place for the first time has its corresponding hassles. Get yourself a local guide and make your Hingham fishing experience smoother and more enjoyable!

2. Come to the World’s End

The Weir River runs along the north and east sides of the Hingham River, and it is home to a 251-acre park and conservation area. Immerse yourself in nature and witness its beauty wherever you look, 360 degrees! With 4.5 miles of nature walk overlooking fields, grasslands, and the Boston Skyline, it’s the perfect place to unwind and be at peace. 

3. Bring your Family to the Bare Cove Park

This 484-acre park and wildlife are perfect for your next outdoor family trip! Located northwest of Hingham, it offers different recreational activities for all family members, such as picnicking, bird watching, boating, hiking, jogging, bicycling, and ice-skating in the winter. The park is a great way to spend the weekend for locals and visitors alike. Visit the Bare Cove Fire Museum while you’re in the area for an informative bonus run!