Fly and Gear ordering and delivery: We can get flies to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Please see the bottom of this column for ordering options.
We also have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes. They make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Type of Stream
Freestone
Species
Rainbow Trout (wild and stocked with holdovers)
Brown Trout (wild and stocked with
holdovers)
Brook Trout (wild and stocked with
holdovers)
Size
Medium
Location
Northeast Massacchusetts
Nearest Towns
Ispwich
Wilmington
Season
Year-round
Access:
Good
Non-Resident License
State of Ma https://www.mass.gov/massfishhunt-buy-fishing-or-hunting-licenses
Fishing License Article – Everything you need to know: Click Here
Weather
National Weather Service Link
Season:
The season runs year-round
Winter:
Trout can be caught on some warm winter days.
Spring:
Spring is the best time for fly fishing the Ipswich River.
Summer:
Summertime is marginal, the water can become too warm in some areas and some are fine.
Fall:
Fall is a good time to fish the Ipswich River. There’s good fishing and less people.
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
4, 5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 to 12 ft., 5 or 6X Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Supreme Four, Superb Five
or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 4/5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Fly and Gear ordering and delivery:
Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
Copyright 2016 James Marsh
Fly Fishing The Ipswich River Massachusetts
The Ipswich River begins in Wilmington and flows for about thirty-four miles into Ipswich Bay. It’s not over thirty miles to Boston at the cities closest point to the river, so you can imagine the attention the stream gets. It’s formed by the confluence of Lubbers Brook and
Maple Meadow Brook. This area is called the one-hundred acre swamp.
The quality of the water in the Ipswich River is very high. Several small brooks and springs add to the flow and also helps make the water chemistry excellent for trout and their source of food. Pye Brook, Howlett Brook, Boston Brook and Fish Brook are all stocked
tributaries of the river.
The Ipswich River serves as the main source of drinking water for a huge number of communities and people. There are a few places where the river looks like the typical trout stream, meaning riffles, runs and pools but most of it is a slow moving, meandering slick water stream that flows through marshes and swamp areas. It has a huge amount of backwater and swampland area. All the surrounding property is well protected from impurities and pollution.
The Ipswich River is best fished from a small boat or canoe. Much of its water flows through private property that could not otherwise be reached. Considering all the pockets and coves along the stream, it would an angler a very long time to completely fish a short section of the stream.
The stream is stocked but many of its trout are streambred trout. There are a lot of holdover trout. In its upper section just downstream from the swamp it begins in, below the Woburn Street Bridge, there’s a deep water, far too deep to wade. This upper section, downstream for about five miles, is best floated. At Ipswich River Park there are areas to take a boat or canoe out. The area within the park, which looks more like a pond that a trout stream, provides a place for anglers to fish from the bank and do some wading.
The section from the Ipswich River Park downstream for just under three miles to the Peabody Dam is best fished from a small boat or a canoe. Two bridges near the end of this section provide some access.
Below the Peabody Dam lies the best section of the Ipswich River. Its a four mile long stretch that ends at Middletown. This section can be accessed from an area near the Boston Road bridge. This water below the dam can be waded in this area. There’s also access at the state highway 114 Bridge. Boats can be taken out at an access on state highway 62 at Howe Station.
The ten mile long section from Howe Station to Bradley Palmer State Park is best fished from a boat or canoe. This section flows through Wenham Swamp. Several bridges in this area upstream from the swamp provide places to launch and/or takeout. You cannot put in or take out in the four mile long swamp section. Bradley Palmer Park and Willowdale State Park are on opposite sides of the river downstream to Willowdale Dam Reservation. Fly fishing the Ipswich River in this area is top notch. Several areas can be waded.
Angie and I have fished the river in the Bradley Palmer Park and from the Willowdale State Park. We did well from each side of the river. The trout are beautiful and it’s more difficult than it normally is to tell stockers from streamborn trout.