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FISHING GUIDE · CAPE COD, MASSACHUSETTS
Cape Cod, Massachusetts Fishing Guide
Cape Cod is a striped bass destination, with spring fish in May, big bass in June and a fall run through the Canal that peaks in October. Bluefish, false albacore and bonito join in summer and fall, and boats out of Provincetown and Chatham fish for bluefin tuna from June. White sharks are common along the Outer Cape, and the state has strict shark and shore-fishing rules there.
📍 Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Shore anglers fish the Cape Cod Canal service roads in Bourne and Sandwich, the bay flats and the Outer Cape beaches. Boats run from harbors such as Hyannis, Chatham and Provincetown; Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge is off Chatham, and Stellwagen Bank lies north of Provincetown.
📅 Massachusetts Fishing Calendar — best months, closed seasons, bait & rigs →
Map: spots, ramps and marinas
★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)
Open the full Rhode Island & Massachusetts map →
Quick facts
- The Cape Cod Canal opened in 1914 and is run by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; it is about 480 feet wide at its narrowest and its current reverses about every 6 hours.
- Service roads run about 7 miles on the mainland side and 6.5 miles on the Cape side, with numbered markers every half mile.
- Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge in Chatham covers 7,921 acres, nearly half of it federal wilderness, and its offshore islands are reached only by boat.
- Massachusetts bans attracting or capturing white sharks without a state permit, including chumming or baiting for them.
- Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary's boundary begins 3 miles north of Cape Cod.
What you can catch
- Striped bass
Main target; 1 fish 28 to under 31 inches. Canal, flats, Monomoy rips and Outer Cape beaches. - Bluefish
Arrive in early May and leave in fall; 5 per day (7 on for-hire boats). - Bluefin tuna
Show off Provincetown and Chatham from June; offshore fishing peaks in September. HMS permit needed. - Sharks
White sharks must be released and may not be attracted. Other sharks have federal and state limits; several species must be released. - False albacore
Arrive by mid-July; can vanish after an October storm. - Bonito
Arrive from the south by August, usually away from shore. - Fluke, black sea bass, scup and tautog
Summer bottom fishing; scup from docks and piers. Check seasonal closures. - Cod and haddock
Head boats from Hyannis and Plymouth fish offshore in cooler months when weather allows; strict rules, check before you go.
Month by month
| January | Some years have holdover schoolie bass in estuaries like Scorton Creek. Cape Cod Bay right whale slow zone (boats 65 ft+) Jan 1 - May 15. |
|---|---|
| February | Head boats fish offshore for groundfish when weather allows; check cod and haddock rules. |
| March | Holdover bass may show in estuaries late March. Off Race Point right whale slow zone Mar 1 - Apr 30. |
| April | Migrating bass reach south-facing beaches mid to late April. Great South Channel slow zone Apr 1 - Jul 31. |
| May | Bass arrive daily; bluefish arrive early May; scup open May 1, sea bass May 16, fluke May 24. Cape Cod Bay flats fish well. |
| June | Biggest bass arrive. Bluefin show off Provincetown and Chatham; federal tuna limits start Jun 1. Tautog 1 fish in June-July. |
| July | Night fishing best for bass. False albacore arrive by mid-July. |
| August | Bonito arrive. Tautog back to 3 fish Aug 1. GOM trophy bluefin (73 in.+) closed from Aug 4, 2026. |
| September | Offshore bluefin peaks. Sea bass drops to 2 fish Sep 1; fluke closes Sep 23. Fall bass run builds. |
| October | Fall bass run through the Canal peaks. Sea bass closes Oct 14; tautog 5 fish from Oct 15. |
| November | Bass numbers drop; schoolies hang in upper salt ponds. State winter cod closure starts Nov 15. |
| December | Quiet. Scup and tautog seasons end Dec 31; federal tuna limits end Dec 31. |
Tips
- Get a Massachusetts saltwater permit if you are 16 or older ($10, free at 60+ but still required); charter passengers are exempt.
- When fishing bait for striped bass in Massachusetts, use inline circle hooks; no gaffing, and keep fish whole until you are ashore.
- In the Canal, use the half-mile markers to find spots, watch your footing on the steep, slippery riprap, and expect to lose rigs on the rocky bottom.
- From Plymouth Beach around Cape Cod Bay, the Outer Cape, Chatham Harbor and Monomoy, shore anglers may not use heavy shark rigs (big hooks with long wire leaders).
- Keep at least 50 yards from seals and leave white sharks alone; if you hook one by accident, release it right away.
Rules and license
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries; NOAA Fisheries (federal waters and HMS); U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Monomoy NWR) · Official rules page ↗
- Massachusetts recreational saltwater permit required at age 16+; for-hire passengers exempt; RI/NH/CT permits honored for non-residents.
- Striped bass: 1 fish, 28 to under 31 inches, all year; inline circle hooks with natural bait; no gaffing; no high-grading.
- Bluefish 5 per day (7 for-hire). Fluke 17.5 in. boat / 16.5 in. shore, May 24 - Sep 23, 5 fish. Sea bass 16 in., 4 fish May 16 - Aug 31, 2 fish Sep 1 - Oct 14.
- Sharks: most permitted species 54 in., 1 per trip; white, sandbar, dusky, shortfin mako and others must be released. White sharks may not be attracted or captured without a state permit.
- Shore shark gear and chumming limits apply from Plymouth Beach around Cape Cod Bay and the Outer Cape, including Chatham Harbor and Monomoy; no drones or launch devices to drop baits.
- Bluefin tuna (federal, Jun 1 - Dec 31, 2026): HMS Angling permit; private boats 2 fish 27 to under 73 inches per day, charter 3, headboat 6; only 1 may be 47 to under 73 inches. Report each fish within 24 hours.
- Monomoy NWR: surf fishing allowed in designated areas year-round with a state permit; no pets on the offshore islands; South Monomoy access limited during a fall 2026 prescribed burn.
- Right whale slow zones (boats 65 ft+, 10 knots): Cape Cod Bay Jan 1 - May 15, off Race Point Mar 1 - Apr 30. Stay 500 yards from North Atlantic right whales (federal law); NOAA asks 100 yards for other whales and 50 yards for seals.
Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.
Boat ramps and marinas
The map above shows 103 boat ramps and 17 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.
- Boat ramp near Anns Cove
- Boat ramp near Bournes Pond
- Boat ramp near Centerville Harbor
- Boat ramp near Duck Creek
- Boat ramp near East Basin
- Boat ramp near East Bay
- Boat ramp near Falmouth Inner Harbor
- Boat ramp near Fiddlers Cove
- Boat ramp near Grand Cove
- Boat ramp near Great Harbor
- Boat ramp near Great River
- Boat ramp near Green Pond
- Boat ramp near Head of Harbor
- Boat ramp near Hen Cove
- Boat ramp near Hospital Cove
- Boat ramp near Little Harbor
- Boat ramp near Marks Cove
- Boat ramp near Mill Pond
- Boat ramp near Northwest Cove
- Boat ramp near Ockway Bay
- Boat ramp near Onset Bay
- Boat ramp near Outer Megansett Harbor
- Boat ramp near Popponesset Bay
- Boat ramp near Quanset Pond
- Boat ramp near Quissett Harbor
- Boat ramp near Rachel Cove
- Boat ramp near Ryder Cove
- Boat ramp near Salt Pond
- Boat ramp near Saquatucket Harbor
- Boat ramp near Sesuit Harbor
- Boat ramp near Stetson Cove
- Boat ramp near The River
- Boat ramp near Vineyard Haven Harbor
- Boat ramp near West Bay
- Boat ramp near West Boat Basin
- Boat ramp near Wings Cove
- Boat ramp near Woods Cove
- Cape Cod Canal Access
- Children’s Beach Boat Ramp
- Fiddler's Cove Marina
- Great Bay Boat Launch
- Hemenway Landing
- Hoopers Landing
- Hyannis Marina
- Hyannis Port Yacht Club
Sources
- https://www.mass.gov/info-details/recreational-saltwater-fishing-regulations
- https://www.mass.gov/how-to/get-a-recreational-saltwater-fishing-permit
- https://www.mass.gov/doc/5725-new-shark-fishing-rules-for-2025/download
- https://www.mass.gov/doc/06042015-new-regulations-affecting-activity-around-white-sharks/download
- https://www.fws.gov/refuge/monomoy
- https://www.fws.gov/refuge/monomoy/visit-us/activities/fishing
- https://stellwagen.noaa.gov/about/faqs.html
- https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/retention-limit-adjustment-atlantic-bluefin-tuna-angling-category-fishery-2
- https://onthewater.com/noaa-closes-gulf-of-maine-trophy-bluefin-tuna-fishery-through-end-of-2026
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-50/chapter-II/subchapter-C/part-224/section-224.105
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-50/chapter-II/subchapter-C/part-224/section-224.103
- https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/marine-life-viewing-guidelines/guidelines-and-distances
- https://onthewater.com/get-to-know-the-cape-cod-canal-an-excerpt-from-seven-miles-after-sundown
- https://saltycape.com/?p=583
- https://www.chathaminfo.com/?p=57895
Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.