Eating Out of The Charles River

Is it okay to eat the fish out of the Charles? I know that for years it was a bad idea, but they recently ok'd people swimming in there again, I saw a family of otters in there the other day, seems like it's getting cleaner all the time. Any of you guys eat out of there? Couldn't find much current info on this through googling. I mainly ask because I've been hauling in some hog-sized crappies and would love a little fish fry this weekend.

http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/dph/environmental/exposure/fish-consumption-advisory-list.pdf

No to all carp, two meals per month for largemouth bass.

No for women who are pregnant or may become pregnant, children under 12, and nursing mothers.

Crappie are not on the list to be avoided so I think that you should be fine so long as you only eat them occasionally. Enjoy your fish fry!

Crappie fry time! Found a newer "search" function on the MA department of public health's website too, little bit easier to use: http://webapps.ehs.state.ma.us/dph_fishadvisory/default.aspx

although it's "safe" do you really want to be eating anything from that disgusting water? it can't really be great for you. there's so much garbage in there, not just mercury levels. is crappie really that good for it to be worth it?

A quick glance at the Public Health's advisory list and you could say that about every major body of water this side of 95 :/ People eat out of the harbor all the time (and I imagine if you've ordered a local species at any nearby restaurant you probably have as well), and I have no reason to believe the Charles is that disgusting. Between Newton and Boston the water is extremely clear.

i don't eat anything i catch and fortunately don't eat fish in general, at least around here. just doesn't really seem worth it to me in the long run even if there's only a small health risk involved each time. it's just interesting to me why people eat what they catch (non bucket brigade) and especially crappie which seems to be the most popular.

I just find Crappie to be delicious. If I could catch Walleye out here I'd be eating the heck out of em Which brings up another interesting topic, I had a fellow angler tell me the other night that "catch and release fishing is barbaric." He claimed it's traumatic for the fish to the point where most don't recover from being caught and that it annihilates fish stocks. Seems like total baloney to me, but I'd never encountered that opinion before from another fisherman.

Yea I don't eat anything I catch as well, but fish out of the Charles? If it says Largemouth Bass should only be eaten twice a month, I can't imagine that Crappie are that much better, since Crappie are still predatory fish. So they'll have elevated levels of PCB's and Mercury to begin with. Plus like Sam said, the Charles was once the dumping grounds for Boston and the greater Boston area for like what, 200 something years? Haha, I am all set with that man. It's entirely up to you, but I'd personally stay way clear of it.

What about gut-hooking or mortally wounding a fish? You guys wouldn't keep him even if it came out of the Quabbin or something equally pure? I learned to fish to eat, it was all part of the same activity when I was younger. I understand the difference nowadays, especially in smaller lakes and ponds, but the thought of never eating what you catch strikes me as just as strange as the idea that catch & release is horrible for fish

I won't eat any of the fish I catch locally other than stripers from the harbor or trout that I caught out west while bass fishing and trout outta the Quabbin. My theory on stripers is they are migratory and the ocean is a lot bigger than a river as far as water turnover. I agree with these guys though. As far as the Charles goes it was dirty for so long that it just has that rep. The Quabbin and wachusett reservoirs have mercury warnings too. It's the whole state

"The Quabbin and wachusett reservoirs have mercury warnings too. It's the whole state."

Boy, that's depressing. I'm with ya on the Stripers (they should be coming around soon, right?) In semi-related news, just stumbled across this http://www.mediacoop.ca/story/why-are-millions-fish-suddenly-dying-mass-death-ev/18569

I'm going to be the contradictory opinion here. Just because the water is dirty doesn't necessarily make the fish dirty. The public health advisories are just that, advisories. They are based on the precautionary principle, if you think something might be bad for you but you don't know how much (what dose) is actually bad for you then just limit your dose.

Larger top level predator fish (bass, pike, pickerel, stripers, blues, etc.) generally have much higher concentrations of mercury and other contaminants compared to smaller bait fish and pan fish. Mid level predators like crappie and perch will generally have lower concentrations of contaminants than bass.

For everyone who says they eat stripers because they are in the ocean, you are in for an unpleasant surprise. Many states along the eastern seaboard recommend no more than one meal per month, Maine recommends only 4 meals per year. That makes the Charles River crappie seem like a much safer bet.

I have eaten largemouth years ago and it was very good. Very much like haddock or cod. I would never eat anything I catch now. The ponds on the Cape are all surrounded by homes with septic systems. Between that and the fertilizer run off, it's not worth the risk.

Well, this begs the question then, if the entire eastern seaboard has advisories, and almost all the bodies of water inland have some level of mercury or PCB, is it only safe to eat farm-raised fish? Even in (or especially in) a restaurant setting?

I think I fall on the bloomagoo side of moderation being the key. I probably eat striped bass once every couple of years. I'm not much of a fish eater anyway. Like Chinese food, if it tastes good, I don't wanna know what's in it.