Hampton Beach, NH Fishing: Charters & Pier Access

Hampton State Pier: Three Charter Operations at One Address

Al Gauron Deep Sea Fishing & Whale Watching, at 1 Ocean Boulevard, is the anchor business here and a genuinely old one: family-owned and operated since 1934, per the company's own site, running two named boats, the Northern Star and the White Star. Posted trips include a full-day, 9-hour deep-sea trip from $82, an extended half-day bottom-fishing trip from $52, 3-hour and 4-hour striped bass trips from $40 and $50, overnight and Monday "marathon" trips, and 4-hour whale-watching cruises (June through September) from $55, plus specialty fireworks and pirate cruises. Reach the dock directly at (603) 926-2469.

Sharing that same Hampton State Pier address is Steaker Charters, run by Captain Derek Gauron aboard the 65-foot F/V All In, offering bottom fishing for haddock and pollock, light-tackle striped bass trips, and bluefin tuna charters, with the boat's own site actively booking for the 2026 season; reach the captain at (603) 918-8626. Stevens Fishing Charters also operates from the State Pier, run by Captain Lee "Tuna" Stevens — a third-generation fisherman who got his start running charters out of Newburyport, Massachusetts before basing his boat, the Ruby Jean, at Hampton. Between these three operations, Hampton Beach has a genuinely working, multi-boat charter dock within easy walking distance of Ocean Boulevard, not just a single legacy operator.

Right next to Al Gauron's dock sits Hampton Harbor Tackle, a bait-and-tackle shop at the same 1 Ocean Boulevard address — a real, currently listed resource for rods, bait, and local know-how rather than a gap anglers have to drive inland to fill, which is the pattern this site has found in several neighboring Massachusetts beach markets.

Eastman's Docks: 80 Years in Seabrook, Just Over the Bridge

A few minutes south of Hampton Beach, over the bridge in Seabrook Beach, Eastman's Docks at 5 River Street is the region's other long-running fishing operation — family-run since 1946, and the company's own site was marking "80 years of fishing & fun, 1946-2026" as of this research. A fresh check of the current fleet lists six vessels: the 90-foot Lady Merrilee Ann III, the 85-foot Lady Audrey Mae, the newer Seacoast Lady, the 65-foot Lady Virginia II, and a pair of 42-foot "six-pack" charter boats, the Annie B and the Melanie Jeanne II, each licensed for up to six passengers on a private trip.

Eastman's runs deep-sea fishing for haddock and pollock from April through late December, including full-day, marathon, and night trips, with bait supplied and rod rentals and fish-cleaning available on site. The docks also book whale-watching trips (public and private), Wednesday-evening fireworks cruises through July and August, and private charters scaled from 1 to 130 people. On land, the seasonal Tuna Striker Pub & Dining operates April through mid-October, and the Annie B doubles as a "Floating Sea Lab," assisting New England Aquarium research alongside its charter work. The dock phone is (603) 474-3461; Capt. Don's Lobster Pound, the on-site retail counter, has its own line at (603) 760-2285.

Shore Fishing and Marinas Around Hampton Harbor

Hampton Harbor — the tidal estuary separating the Hampton Beach barrier spit from the mainland — is where all of the boats above actually dock, and it is also where shore-bound anglers work the jetty and pier areas near the mouth of the Hampton River at the edge of Hampton Beach State Park, a spot regularly mentioned by local anglers as a striped bass and mixed-bag shore option. This page treats that jetty as a real, commonly fished shore spot rather than an official launch or facility, since a precise, published access map specific to it was not independently confirmed in this research.

For boat owners, Hampton River Marina, on the harbor, offers wet slips (summer season roughly May through mid-October, plus year-round options), rack and trailer storage, and boat storage on blocks — sample 2026 summer wet-slip pricing posted on the marina's own site ran $750 for 30-amp service and $1,000 for 50-amp service, before a posted 7.5% environmental surcharge. The marina's own site did not list a public boat-launch ramp or fuel dock among its services in this research pass, so boaters trailering in for a day trip should call ahead — (603) 929-1422 — to confirm the closest public launch rather than assume the marina itself functions as one.

Licenses: The Rule Massachusetts Visitors Often Get Backward

New Hampshire's saltwater fishing rule surprises a lot of visitors coming up from Massachusetts, because it runs the opposite direction from what people expect: New Hampshire does require a license for recreational saltwater fishing. Per NH Fish and Game's own site, anyone age 16 or older fishing coastal or estuarine waters — from shore, a private boat, or a kayak — needs a NH Recreational Saltwater Fishing License, currently $11 including the agent fee. Anglers under 16 are exempt, and anyone fishing aboard a licensed charter or party boat — meaning every trip listed on this page — is also exempt, since the boat's own license covers its paying passengers. New Hampshire's designated Free Fishing Day, the first Saturday in June, waives the license requirement entirely for residents and nonresidents alike on that one day.

The honest bottom line: Hampton Beach's fishing identity is real and currently active, not a legacy claim resting on a single old business. Al Gauron has run boats from the same Ocean Boulevard address since 1934, and now shares that dock with Steaker Charters, Stevens Fishing Charters, and a working tackle shop; Eastman's Docks, just over the bridge in Seabrook, is marking 80 years with a six-boat fleet in 2026. Shore anglers have a real, if informally documented, option at the Hampton Harbor jetty, and boat owners can find slips at Hampton River Marina. Confirm current trip schedules, pricing, and marina services directly before a visit, and remember the license rule runs backward from what a Massachusetts angler might expect: New Hampshire requires one for anyone fishing outside a charter boat.