Massachusetts Fishing Calendar

Massachusetts fishing, month by month

January

Off season for most charters. Some captains still run trips, so it is worth asking.

February

Off season for most charters. Some captains still run trips, so it is worth asking.

March

Off season for most charters. Some captains still run trips, so it is worth asking.

April

Tautog, Salmon, Trout

May

Striped Bass, Black Sea Bass, Haddock, Cod, Tautog, Salmon, Trout, Smallmouth Bass

June

Bluefish, Striped Bass, Flounder, Black Sea Bass, Shark, Haddock, Cod, Salmon, Trout, Smallmouth Bass

July

Bluefish, Striped Bass, Bluefin Tuna, Flounder, Black Sea Bass, Shark, Haddock, Cod, Marlin, Mahi-Mahi, Yellowfin Tuna, Smallmouth Bass

August

Bluefish, Striped Bass, Bluefin Tuna, Flounder, Black Sea Bass, Shark, Haddock, Cod, Marlin, Albacore, False Albacore, Mahi-Mahi, Yellowfin Tuna, Smallmouth Bass

September

Bluefish, Striped Bass, Bluefin Tuna, Flounder, Black Sea Bass, Shark, Haddock, Cod, Marlin, Albacore, False Albacore, Mahi-Mahi, Salmon, Yellowfin Tuna, Trout, Smallmouth Bass

October

Bluefish, Striped Bass, Bluefin Tuna, Black Sea Bass, Haddock, Cod, Albacore, Tautog, False Albacore, Salmon, Yellowfin Tuna, Trout

November

Tautog

December

Off season for most charters. Some captains still run trips, so it is worth asking.

Before you book

• Striped Bass: Striped bass is closed in federal waters, more than 3 miles offshore, so trips fish inside that line. Many states also close spawning rivers in spring.
• Cod: Gulf of Maine cod is tightly limited. Many trips target haddock and pollock instead.
• Albacore: Charters here that list albacore usually mean false albacore ("albies"), a fast inshore fish, not albacore tuna.
• Tautog: Tautog seasons differ by state. Rhode Island closes June and July, and Connecticut opens only in April, July and August, and Oct 10 to Nov 28. The minimum is 16 inches.

How this calendar is built

The charter counts are live from the Unreel directory: each one is a Massachusetts charter that lists that fish as a target. A fish only appears here if at least three local charters target it.

The shaded months are general peak windows for New England, not fishing regulations. For ocean species, the spawning, migration and federal closure notes were checked against NOAA Fisheries species profiles, and for inshore and freshwater species against state wildlife agency guidance and rules. Seasons, closures and limits change every year and can differ by water, so check Massachusetts's current regulations and ask your captain what is running before you book.