White marlin fishing out of Plymouth is a long shot. The port is known for striped bass and bluefin tuna, and white marlin is not a headline species here. It appears as one line in one charter’s catch list: Black Rose Fishing Charters, covered below.
This guide helps you decide where to look and whether a run is worth the fuel. It does not promise fish.
White marlin out of Plymouth: what to expect
A white marlin from this port is most plausibly an encounter on a pelagic day rather than a planned target. You head offshore for other fish, and a billfish may or may not turn up.
Bluefin tuna is the offshore fishery a marlin would turn up alongside. That is context, not a catch claim. The summer and autumn species list for Plymouth looks like this:
- Striped bass and bluefish
- Bluefin tuna and giant bluefin tuna
- Sharks (mako, porbeagle, thresher)
- Haddock, pollock, and bottom species
Warm water decides whether billfish are in range at all, so check sea surface temperature first. OBS SST shows where the warm water sits before you commit the fuel. For biology and water preferences, read the white marlin species guide.
Where boats run from Plymouth Harbor
Boats launch at the Leo F. DeMarsh State Boat Ramp in Plymouth Harbor. From there you work out through Plymouth Bay and into Cape Cod Bay. Chart layers, including Chart Contours, are not for navigation.
| Route point or ground | Role from this port |
|---|---|
| The Gurnet | Outbound route point leaving Plymouth Bay |
| Race Point | Outbound route point, 22 nm from the ramp |
| Stellwagen Bank | Named ground near Plymouth |
| Jeffreys Ledge | Named ground near Plymouth |
The Gurnet
The Gurnet is the route point where you leave Plymouth Bay and enter Cape Cod Bay. The Plymouth Bay entrance lies between Gurnet Point and Rocky Point.
Race Point, 22 nm
Race Point is 22 nm from the Plymouth Harbor ramp (22 nm per Currents). Treat it as a route point on the way out, not as a marlin spot.
Stellwagen Bank and Jeffreys Ledge
Stellwagen Bank and Jeffreys Ledge are the two named grounds Plymouth boats fish, and both are near Plymouth. Neither is a white marlin claim.
Named grounds and structure
Not every named spot is a billfish spot. Each one below is listed for what it is known for. For where the white marlin fishery concentrates, read the Northeast white marlin guide (see also the Atlantic Northeast offshore fishing guide).
| Ground | What it’s known for |
|---|---|
| Regal Sword | Named ground near Plymouth |
| Crab Ledge | Bluefin ground, east of Chatham |
| Billingsgate Shoal | Cape Cod striper hot spot |
| The hole by Bug Light | Inshore spot in Plymouth Bay |
Regal Sword
Regal Sword is a named ground near Plymouth.
Crab Ledge
1620 Anglers names Crab Ledge, east of Chatham, as a bluefin ground.
Billingsgate Shoal
Plymouth Charters names Billingsgate Shoal as a Cape Cod striper hot spot.
The hole by Bug Light
The hole by Bug Light is an inshore spot in Plymouth Bay. Duxbury Pier Light, known as Bug Light, marks the north side of the channel.
How it’s fished and who fishes it
A marlin from here comes on a day spent offshore for pelagics. Methods are covered in the billfish guides, so spreads and baits are left there.
Black Rose Fishing Charters
Black Rose Fishing Charters, run by Capt. Rich Antonino on the boat Black Rose, lists white marlin among the fish it catches. It is the only Plymouth operator on this page with white marlin in its list.
Reading NDBC 44090 before the run
Before any run out of the bay, read NDBC 44090 Cape Cod Bay, the Cape Cod Bay waverider buoy. Look at wave height, period, and wind as numbers, then check the Cape Cod Bay marine forecast from the National Weather Service.
FAQ: white marlin fishing out of Plymouth
Do white marlin come into Cape Cod Bay?
White marlin is not a headline species here. One Plymouth charter, Black Rose, lists it. Warm water decides whether marlin are in range, and the species guide covers that.
How far is Race Point from the Plymouth Harbor ramp?
Race Point is 22 nm from the Plymouth Harbor ramp. Treat it as an outbound route point.
Which Plymouth charter lists white marlin?
Black Rose Fishing Charters lists it. The captain is Rich Antonino and the boat is Black Rose.
What buoy should I check before running out?
Check NDBC 44090, the Cape Cod Bay waverider buoy. Read wave height, period, and wind, then the official forecast.
Are Billingsgate Shoal or Crab Ledge marlin spots?
No. Billingsgate Shoal is named as a striper hot spot. Crab Ledge, east of Chatham, is named as a bluefin ground.
