Mystic River is a River located in Middlesex County, MA. Starting in Arlington Heights, MA, the Mystic River flows 5 miles through Somerville, MA before ending in Charlestown, MA. Find maps, fishing guides, weather and recreation information at Guidesly.

About Mystic River, MA

Mystic River is located to the north of Boston. This river naturally flows 7 miles (11.3 km) long, allowing the river to stream beginning from the Lower Mystic Lake to the Boston territory. The Mystic is a body of freshwater that is parallel to the lower area of the Charles River. Where the Mystic River and Charles River meet would form what is referred to as the inner Boston. The Mystic is known to house 44 lakes and ponds, with its largest pond recognized as the Spot Pond located in Middlesex Fells. 

Most people mistake the origin of Mystic RIver’s name to be related to the English word mystic. Interestingly, Mystic River’s name was inspired by the Algonquian word missi-tuk, which translates to “great tidal river”, resembling the nature of the Mystic.  

Historically, the Mystic River was known to play a part in the American Revolution. On September 1, 1774, it was rowed on by about 260 British regulars from Boston, allowing them to reach a landing point close to Winter Hill. After reaching Winter Hill, they began marching about 1.6 km to the place where a large supply of provincial gunpowder was stored, otherwise known as the Powder House. After sunrise, they made sure to remove all the gunpowder which brought about what they pertained to as the Powder Alarm. 

All About Fishing in Mystic River, MA

The Mystic River is readily available to anyone who wants to catch and release fish. However, the Mystic River Watershed Association only advises people to consume bluefish and striped bass from here. In addition, they’ve released some precautionary measures for pregnant women and children below 12 years old. Fish could look healthy but could be chemically-laden.

Taking note of the polluted fish in the Lower Mystic would help anglers who wish to visit this location in developing a keen eye for what’s safe to consume and what fish species in the area would not be recommended to eat. Some examples of polluted fish found in the area would be the American eel, flounder, rainbow smelt, striped sea robin, white perch, and skate species. 

Even though edible fish species are not as prevalent in the Mystic River, this waterbody could still be the spot for anglers who want to catch and release as several species can be found in the area including alewife, bluegill, brown bullhead, common carp, mirror carp, largemouth bass, salmon, and smallmouth bass species. 

Location-wise, the following are considered safe when dealing with fishing in the watershed: Mill Pond in Burlington, Quannapowitt Lake in Wakefield, Horn Pond in Woburn, Wedge Pond in Winchester, Spot Pond in Stoneham, Lower Mystic Lake, and Spy Pond in Arlington, and Clay Pit Pond in Belmont. 

Fishing Seasonality

The best time to go fishing in the Mystic would be in November since the highest recorded number of species was recorded in this particular month. Among alewives, smelt, and winter flounder, the winter flounder dominates in abundance considering that alewives and smelt fish species are abundant on a seasonal basis. As an angler looking to fish in August, it would be best to look for a different spot because the lowest number of species recorded would be during this time of the year. 

Precipitation patterns in Massachusetts used to consist of minute amounts of rain and snow in 3-day intervals. Nowadays, intensified rainstorms, hotter temperatures in the summer, and huge storms have been more common, causing the climate in the area to move south. The warmest seasons allow the winter flounder species to be concentrated in the lower portions of the estuary; whereas in wintertime, they are likely to be evident upriver due to the spawning of smelt and alewives. It would be best to take note of which month and season would work best for anglers who wish to fish in this waterbody. The month of June would be a great time to consider a fishing trip to this spot. On the other hand, anglers should try to consider a different location in the month of August as this would be recorded as the most stagnant month for fishing. Checking on weather updates would make a great difference too to prevent unwanted occurrences. 

Fishing Seasonality

The best time to go fishing in the Mystic would be in November since the highest recorded number of species was recorded in this particular month. Among alewives, smelt, and winter flounder, the winter flounder dominates in abundance considering that alewives and smelt fish species are abundant on a seasonal basis. As an angler looking to fish in August, it would be best to look for a different spot because the lowest number of species recorded would be during this time of the year. 

Precipitation patterns in Massachusetts used to consist of minute amounts of rain and snow in 3-day intervals. Nowadays, intensified rainstorms, hotter temperatures in the summer, and huge storms have been more common, causing the climate in the area to move south. The warmest seasons allow the winter flounder species to be concentrated in the lower portions of the estuary; whereas in wintertime, they are likely to be evident upriver due to the spawning of smelt and alewives. It would be best to take note of which month and season would work best for anglers who wish to fish in this waterbody. The month of June would be a great time to consider a fishing trip to this spot. On the other hand, anglers should try to consider a different location in the month of August as this would be recorded as the most stagnant month for fishing. Checking on weather updates would make a great difference too to prevent unwanted occurrences. 

All About Fishing in Mystic River, MA

The Mystic River is readily available to anyone who wants to catch and release fish. However, the Mystic River Watershed Association only advises people to consume bluefish and striped bass from here. In addition, they’ve released some precautionary measures for pregnant women and children below 12 years old. Fish could look healthy but could be chemically-laden.

Taking note of the polluted fish in the Lower Mystic would help anglers who wish to visit this location in developing a keen eye for what’s safe to consume and what fish species in the area would not be recommended to eat. Some examples of polluted fish found in the area would be the American eel, flounder, rainbow smelt, striped sea robin, white perch, and skate species. 

Even though edible fish species are not as prevalent in the Mystic River, this waterbody could still be the spot for anglers who want to catch and release as several species can be found in the area including alewife, bluegill, brown bullhead, common carp, mirror carp, largemouth bass, salmon, and smallmouth bass species. 

Location-wise, the following are considered safe when dealing with fishing in the watershed: Mill Pond in Burlington, Quannapowitt Lake in Wakefield, Horn Pond in Woburn, Wedge Pond in Winchester, Spot Pond in Stoneham, Lower Mystic Lake, and Spy Pond in Arlington, and Clay Pit Pond in Belmont.