After the conclusion of her Navy career, she operated in the fleet of the United States Bureau of Fisheries as USFS Curlew.

On 14 May 1917, the U.S. Navy purchased Polly from William H. Merriman, of New Haven, Connecticut, for use as a section patrol boat during World War I.

Assigned to the 2nd Naval District in southern New England, Polly carried out patrol duties for the rest of World War I. Polly was stricken from the Navy List on 11 March 1919 and transferred to the United States Bureau of Fisheries on 9 September 1919.

[3] During the summer of 1922, the Cape Vincent station installed electric lighting aboard Curlew and attached metal plates to the forward part of her hull at the waterline to protect her planking.

[4] On 24 September 1923, Curlew rescued 58 passengers from the Canadian steamboat Waubic, which had run aground in fog at Bear Point about 8 nautical miles (15 km; 9.2 mi) from Cape Vincent while making her daily run between Cape Vincent and Kingston, Ontario, Canada.