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FISHING GUIDE · GLOUCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS
Gloucester, Cape Ann & Stellwagen Bank Fishing Guide
Gloucester is a big-game tuna port, with bluefin on Stellwagen, Tillies and Jeffreys Ledge from early summer into fall. The same grounds hold haddock, pollock and cod, though cod rules are very tight. Closer in, anglers fish the Annisquam and Essex rivers and rocky points for striped bass and use mackerel for bait.
📍 Gloucester and Cape Ann, on the North Shore of Massachusetts. Boats leave Gloucester Harbor for Stellwagen Bank, Tillies Bank and Jeffreys Ledge; shore and small-boat anglers fish the Annisquam and Essex rivers, Eastern Point and the Dog Bar Breakwater.
📅 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
- Gloucester was first settled in 1623 as a fishing and trading post and is known as America's oldest seaport.
- Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, set up in 1992, covers 842 square miles at the mouth of Massachusetts Bay, about 21 miles east of Boston.
- The sanctuary runs from 3 miles southeast of Cape Ann to 3 miles north of Cape Cod and includes Stellwagen and Tillies banks and the southern part of Jeffreys Ledge.
- Fishing is allowed in the sanctuary; it is managed by NOAA Fisheries and the New England Fishery Management Council.
- Gloucester's 1926 schooner Adventure is described as the last American dory fishing schooner in the Atlantic.
What you can catch
- Bluefin tuna
Main big-game target, roughly June to November. HMS permit needed; trophy fish (73 in.+) closed in the Gulf of Maine for the rest of 2026. - Haddock
Main groundfish to keep; Massachusetts Gulf of Maine limit 15 fish at 17 inches. - Atlantic cod
Western Gulf of Maine cod: 1 fish at 23 inches, short season only. Several cod closures apply. - Pollock
No state limit; federal waters 19-inch minimum. - Striped bass
May to October in the Annisquam and Essex rivers and along rocky shore; 1 fish 28 to under 31 inches. - Atlantic mackerel
Used as live bait for tuna and bass; 25 per angler (50 on for-hire boats). - Flounder
Dog Bar Breakwater is a well-known spot. - Bluefish
Taken by surfcasters; 5 per day (7 for-hire).
Month by month
| January | State Winter Cod Conservation Zone (off Nahant to Marblehead) closed to hook and line through Jan 31. Haddock open. |
|---|---|
| February | Haddock open through Feb 28. |
| March | Gulf of Maine haddock closed in March (season Apr 1 - Feb 28). |
| April | Haddock reopens Apr 1. Whaleback cod spawning area (north of Cape Ann) pelagic gear only Apr - Jun. Spring Cod Conservation Zone off Manchester closes Apr 16. |
| May | Federal groundfish year starts May 1. Striped bass arrive. |
| June | Federal bluefin angling limits start Jun 1; tuna show on the banks. Striped bass peak June-July. |
| July | Tuna on Stellwagen, Tillies and Jeffreys. Spring Cod Conservation Zone reopens after Jul 21. |
| August | Gulf of Maine trophy bluefin (73 in.+) closed from Aug 4, 2026; smaller bluefin still open. |
| September | Bluefin continue. Cod season: check current 2026 rules (dates were under change). |
| October | Bluefin into fall; striped bass leaving. Cod season: check current rules. |
| November | Some bluefin into November. Winter Cod Conservation Zone closes Nov 15. |
| December | Federal bluefin angling limits run through Dec 31 unless NOAA changes them. |
Tips
- Get an HMS Angling permit for your boat before tuna fishing, and report every bluefin you keep or kill within 24 hours (app, HMS Permit Shop, or 888-872-8862).
- Massachusetts anglers 16 and older need a state saltwater permit too; charter passengers are covered by the boat.
- Before groundfishing on the east side of Stellwagen, check the Western Gulf of Maine Closure Area (70°00'-70°15' W, 42°15'-43°15' N); charter boats need a NOAA letter of authorization there.
- Inside the sanctuary, do not harass or harm whales, seals, seabirds or turtles; stay 500 yards from right whales and slow down when whales are near.
- Live mackerel is a go-to bait for both bluefin and striped bass.
Rules and license
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries; NOAA Fisheries / New England Fishery Management Council (groundfish); NOAA HMS (tuna); NOAA Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary · Official rules page ↗
- Massachusetts recreational saltwater permit required at 16+; HMS Angling or Charter/Headboat permit required for tuna and sharks.
- 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. Gulf of Maine trophy bluefin closed Aug 4 - Dec 31, 2026.
- Haddock (Gulf of Maine) 2026: 17-inch minimum, 15 fish, open Apr 1 - Feb 28.
- Cod (Western Gulf of Maine): 1 fish, 23-inch minimum, short fall season; 2026 season dates were being revised, so check current rules before keeping cod.
- State cod closures: Winter Cod Conservation Zone (off Nahant-Marblehead) no hook and line Nov 15 - Jan 31; Spring Cod Conservation Zone (off Manchester) no cod Apr 16 - Jul 21.
- Gulf of Maine (Whaleback) Cod Spawning Protection Area, 42°47'-42°58' N, 70°32'-70°42' W: April - June, only pelagic hook-and-line gear and no groundfish kept.
- Western Gulf of Maine Closure Area overlaps the east side of the sanctuary; groundfish gear restricted.
- Striped bass 1 fish 28 to under 31 inches, circle hooks with bait. 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 18 boat ramps and 4 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.
- Boat ramp near Dolliber Cove
- Boat ramp near Freshwater Cove
- Boat ramp near Goose Cove
- Boat ramp near Gull Cove
- Boat ramp near Inner Harbor
- Boat ramp near Oakes Cove
- Boat ramp near Smith Cove
- Boat ramp near Western Harbor
- Brown's Marina
- Corliss Landing
- Freshwater Cove Landing
- Gloucester Landing
- Kettle Cove Landing
- Lanes Cove Boat Ramp
- Manchester Marine
- Old Harbor
Sources
- https://www.mass.gov/info-details/recreational-saltwater-fishing-regulations
- https://www.mass.gov/doc/2026-rec-haddock-memo/download
- https://www.mass.gov/doc/42111-renewal-of-spring-and-winter-cod-conservation-zone/download
- https://www.mass.gov/doc/62910-the-division-of-marine-fisheries-extends-spring-cod-conservation-zone-closure-until-july/download
- https://www.mass.gov/how-to/get-a-recreational-saltwater-fishing-permit
- https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-05250
- https://stellwagen.noaa.gov/about/faqs.html
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-50/chapter-VI/part-648/subpart-C/section-648.81
- https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/bulletin/northeast-multispecies-groundfish-fishing-year-2019-recreational-rules
- 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.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/marine-life-viewing-guidelines/guidelines-and-distances
- https://www.achp.gov/node/9067
- https://fishingbooker.com/blog/?p=48300
- https://www.maine.gov/dmr/sites/maine.gov.dmr/files/inline-files/2026_sportfish_regs_Gabrielle%20Page_0.pdf
Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.