Onset Town Pier

With great fishing, regional boat tours, rental slips and moorings, and access to one of the region’s most protected harbors, the Onset Town Pier is the centerpiece of bustling Onset Village. This large pier on the calm waters of Onset Bay provides boaters and landlubbers alike access to the best outdoor activities that Onset has to offer.

Features

Man in wheelchair fishes from Onset Town Pier in Wareham

Bring a fishing pole to Onset Town Pier for a chance to catch migrating stripers and bluefish.

Onset Town Pier is a great stopping place for mariners heading into Buzzards Bay or transiting the nearby Cape Cod Canal. Tucked into the upper reaches of Buzzards Bay, Onset Bay’s protected waters shelter boats from rough seas and offer a prime place for fishing and paddling. The pier is also just steps from restaurants, shopping, and the sandy shores of Onset Beach, offering a full day’s worth of activities.

There are slip rentals available at the dock, or rent a mooring and use the Wareham Harbormaster’s launch service (available from June through September) for quick access to Onset Town Pier. The pier is also within a few minutes of a boat ramp and fuel station, both located to the east just beyond the Stone Bridge.

Those coming to Onset Town Pier from the land will find plenty to enjoy here, too. Anglers will be in good company casting from this popular fishing pier, where fluke, sea robin, and juvenile “schoolie” striped bass are common fare in spring and summer, and luck might land you a wandering bluefish or adult striper. Want to get out on the water? Book a fishing charter or Cape Cod Canal cruise from the pier to the region’s nearby waters. If you need help with anything, just ask the folks in the seasonal Harbormaster office, located right on the pier.

Habitats & Wildlife

Onset Bay’s peaceful waters are home to a diverse array of coastal wildlife. These shores are rich with shellfish, from quahogs and crabs to whelks and moon snails. Stripers move into Onset Bay in the spring and late summer as they migrate along the coast, making it a great place to go fishing. Even dolphins have been spotted taking shelter in this calm harbor!

Above the water, ospreys nest along the shoreline and are a common sight in the summer as they hunt for fish. You can’t miss the numerous cormorants slipping underwater in pursuit of fish and drying out their wings atop docks, rocks, and unattended boats.

Property Owned By
Details
Hours: Launch service 8am to 8pm from June 15 to Labor Day, 8am to 4:30pm from June 1 to June 14 and Labor Day to September 30
Parking: Large paved parking lot and metered street parking; fee to park May 1 to October 1
Cost: First hour of dock tie-up free, additional 2 hours $5-10 per hour; Daily slip rental $2 per foot; Daily mooring rental $30
Dogs: Yes (on leash)
Facilities: Pier (asphalt), Dock (floating), Restrooms (seasonal), Trash, Water, Ice
Boat Ramp: No
Lifeguards: No
ADA Accessible: Yes

Please follow all posted rules and regulations at this property.

Address & Contact Information
186 Onset Ave.
Wareham, MA 02558
41.741040, -70.658846
Wareham Department of Natural Resources: (508) 291-3100 x380
Onset Pier Office: (508) 295-8160 (Open seasonally)

Please follow all posted rules and regulations at this property.

Onset Town Pier
Wareham, MA
View larger map

Top Stories

Officials and community celebrate long-awaited ribbon-cutting of the Coalition’s Onset Bay Center

Officials and community celebrate long-awaited ribbon-cutting of the Coalition’s Onset Bay Center.

Full Story ›
Coalition celebrated with national award for coastal stewardship

The national Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (CERF) recently awarded the Buzzards Bay Coalition its 2021 Coastal Stewardship Award for the breadth and depth of its programs to protect and preserve Buzzards Bay.

Full Story ›
Seeding Onset Bay for clean water and healthy shellfish

The newly launched Onset Bay Shellfish Project seeks to draw attention to the importance of the region’s shellfish―the economic and environmental benefits that shellfish provide as well as what’s needed to maintain healthy habitat for the fishery.

Full Story ›

Upcoming Events

Buzzards Bay Watershed Ride
Sun, October 01
Sakonnnet Point to Woods Hole,
Falmouth

Nearby Places To Go

Onset Beach

Families flock to kid-friendly Onset Beach in Wareham thanks to its protected waters, beautiful scenery, and central location.

Onset Boat Ramp

Launch your vessel into the waters of Onset Bay from the newly renovated Onset Boat Ramp in Wareham.

Tempest Knob

Embark into the Wareham River and upper Buzzards Bay from Tempest Knob, a town-owned public boat ramp in Wareham.

What You Can Do

On the Water

There’s no better way to enjoy Buzzards Bay than by getting out on the water. You can do your part to keep our water clean by practicing a few simple, responsible boating tips. Try these 5 easy ways to have a Bay-friendly adventure on the water.

Read More ›