Atlantic bluefin tuna fishing out of Marshfield starts at the Green Harbor inlet and points toward Stellwagen Bank and Cape Cod Bay. This guide follows planning order: the months, the run, the grounds, the tackle, who fishes for bluefin here and where the rules live. It can’t promise fish, but it should help you decide when and where to look.
When bluefin are off Marshfield
Two local operators give the timing, and their listings are the best local read on the season. The Marshfield port page covers the harbor itself, and the Atlantic bluefin tuna guide covers the wider migration.
| Months | Source |
|---|---|
| June | Black Rose: bluefin arrive |
| July, August, September, October, November | Big Fish: best months for giants |
| September | Green Harbor Tuna Club tournament |
Arrival
Black Rose Fishing Charters says bluefin arrive in June, which makes that the first month to plan around for a first trip in your own boat.
Best months for giants
Big Fish Charters out of Green Harbor lists July through November as the best months for giants. These are the operators’ own listings, not a survey of every boat in the port.
The September tournament
The Green Harbor Tuna Club holds its tournament in September, one of the months Big Fish lists for giants. Expect the port’s tuna fleet to be both active and visible that month.
The run from Green Harbor
Big Fish says its Stellwagen cod trips run about 1 to 1.5 hours each way from Green Harbor. That is one operator’s cod-trip figure, useful as a planning reference for the run but not a tuna-trip schedule or a promise for your boat.
Read the official marine forecast before you leave the dock. The Northeast bluefin guide (see also the wider Atlantic Northeast guide) places Stellwagen and Cape Cod Bay in the wider Gulf of Maine picture.
Stellwagen Bank
Big Fish names Stellwagen Bank as a ground its boats run to. The 1 to 1.5 hour figure above is the timing reference for that run.
Cape Cod Bay
Big Fish also names Cape Cod Bay, the water Green Harbor opens onto and the second area local boats work.
Grounds and structure
Some of these names are tuna water, some are landmarks you pass on the way out, and some are striped bass grounds you may already know.
- Stellwagen Bank: offshore, and a ground Big Fish runs to.
- Cape Cod Bay: a ground Big Fish runs to.
- Farnham Rock: off Green Harbor.
- Submarine Tower: off Brant Rock.
- Green Harbor jetties: at the Green Harbor inlet.
- Race Point: a striped bass ground.
- Billingsgate Shoal: a striped bass ground.
- Long Point: a striped bass ground.
You can study Stellwagen’s contours in the Chart Contours layer before the run. Chart layers are not for navigation.
Offshore: Stellwagen Bank
Stellwagen is the offshore ground in the local listings and the destination of the run from Green Harbor.
Near the harbor
Farnham Rock, the Submarine Tower off Brant Rock and the Green Harbor jetties are local reference points on the way in and out. Treat them as landmarks rather than tuna structure.
Striped bass grounds on the same boats
Race Point, Billingsgate Shoal and Long Point are named as striped bass grounds, not tuna grounds. They will be familiar water if you fish bass, but the local listings don’t place giants there.
How giants are fished here
Giant bluefin here are fished with heavy conventional gear, and the local listings give one concrete reference point for tackle.
130 lb class tackle
Big Fish provides up to six 130 lb class outfits for giant tuna trips. That is giant-class gear, a different scale from a striper setup. For technique beyond the tackle, see the tuna fishing guides.
Who fishes bluefin out of Marshfield
If you are weighing a Marshfield tuna charter before running your own boat, or alongside it, two operators list Atlantic bluefin from this port.
Big Fish Charters (Big Fish II)
Capt. Tom DePersia is named on the Big Fish tuna page. Big Fish lists Stellwagen Bank and Cape Cod Bay as grounds, July through November as the best months for giants, and up to six 130 lb class outfits on giant trips.
Black Rose Fishing Charters
Capt. Rich Antonino is named on the Black Rose site. Black Rose says bluefin arrive in June.
FAQ: bluefin tuna out of Marshfield
When do bluefin show up off Marshfield?
Black Rose says bluefin arrive in June. Big Fish gives July, August, September, October and November as the best months for giants. Together, that is the window for Atlantic bluefin tuna fishing out of Marshfield.
How long is the run from Green Harbor to Stellwagen Bank?
Big Fish says its Stellwagen cod trips run about 1 to 1.5 hours each way from Green Harbor. That is a cod-trip figure from one operator, so use it as a planning reference only.
What line class do local boats use for giants?
Big Fish provides up to six 130 lb class outfits for giant tuna trips. That is the gear class listed for giant bluefin from this port.
Are Race Point and Billingsgate Shoal tuna grounds?
No. Race Point, Billingsgate Shoal and Long Point are named as striped bass grounds. The listed tuna water is Stellwagen Bank and Cape Cod Bay.
When is the Green Harbor Tuna Club tournament?
The Green Harbor Tuna Club holds its tournament in September. Tournament boats must comply with applicable rules.
