Boating, Fishing, and Travel Information for Newburyport (Merrimack River), MA

Newburyport is a small coastal, scenic, and historic city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, 35 miles northeast of Boston. A historic seaport with a vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island. The mooring, winter storage and maintenance of recreational boats, motor and sail, still contribute a large part of the city’s income. A Coast Guard station oversees boating activity, especially in the sometimes dangerous tidal currents of the Merrimack River.

The city is part of Massachusetts’ North Shore. Newburyport was laid out on the elevated south bank of the Merrimack River between the river and Newbury marshes. The shipyards, now boatyards (and still vigorously active), extended along the bank at the edge of the river. They were connected by Merrimac Street, which ends upriver where the bank merges into bluffs covered with pine forest. Colonial residences extend up the bank from Merrimac Street to High Street running parallel to it near the top of the ridge. The homes of the seafaring entrepreneurs line High Street. Many feature widow’s walks, structures on the roof where the residents could watch for the return of sailing vessels.

The river bank gradually descends to marshes at Joppa Flats beyond downtown Newburyport. The Plum Island Turnpike was pushed out over the marsh on a causeway to a narrow part of the Plum Island River just to the south of where it connects to the mouth of the Merrimack. A drawbridge was built there, the only access to the island by road. On the Newburyport side a small airport, Plum Island Airport, was built at the edge of the marsh. The portion of Plum Island that is in the city has no direct access to the rest of the city; similarly, there is no access between the mainland and Woodbridge Island or Seal Island, west of Plum Island (the latter being shared between Newburyport and Newbury). Several parks and beaches dot the city, including Plum Island Point Beach, Simmons Beach, Joppa Park, Waterfront Park, Woodman Park, Cashman Park, Moseley Pines Park, Atkinson Common and March’s Hill Park. Newburyport Forest is located in the southwest corner of the city, and Maudslay State Park lies along the northwest part of the city, along the banks of the Merrimack.

See our weather radar, buoy data, marine forecast, and current weather for Newburyport (Merrimack River), MA.

Helpful Resources for Newburyport (Merrimack River), MA

Cashman Park Boat Launch Facility Info
Mass.gov Saltwater Fishing Public Access – includes interactive public boat launch map
Marinas near Newburyport, Merrimack River, MA

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Boating in Newburyport (Merrimack River), MA Map View

Merrimack River is the largest river in the eastern part of Massachusetts. It is the approach to the cities of Newburyport and Haverhill and to the towns of Amesbury, Merrimacport, Groveland and Bradford. The river is used by vessels of 6-foot draft at high water up to Haverhill and about 12-foot draft at high water to Newburyport. The head of navigation is at the dam just above Broadway Bridge in Lawrence, 25.7 miles above the mouth. The river is seldom entered for refuge and has virtually no commercial traffic.

The shifting bar at the entrance is usually dangerous to cross in heavy weather. The whole entrance breaks in easterly gales. A lighted fairway whistle buoy, about 1 mile off the jetties, marks the approach.

Newburyport is a city on the south bank of the river, 3 miles above the entrance. Merrimack River Coast Guard Station is on the south side of the river west of the American Yacht Club.

At Newburyport the usual and best anchorage is in the channel about 400 yards below the highway bridge, favoring the north side of the channel and keeping clear of the two charted cable areas. The current is reported to run strongest along the south shore here. The holding ground is good.

The yacht club maintains guest moorings as do many of the service facilities and marinas. Numerous private moorings are maintained off Newburyport under control of the Harbormaster.

Public floats are along the south side of the river at Newburyport, about 0.2 mile west of Merrimack River Coast Guard Station. In 1979, 8 feet was reported alongside the floats. Berthing is under the control of the Newburyport Harbormaster.

U.S. Route 1 highway bridge, which crosses the river at Newburyport, has a bascule span with a clearance of 35 feet. In the open position, the draws overhang the channel above a height of 55 feet. The bridgetender monitors VHF-FM channel 16 and works on channel 13; call sign WQA-806. The railroad bridge immediately westward has a swing span with a clearance of 13 feet. The channel is through the north draw.