Yellowfin tuna fishing out of Nantucket at a glance
Yellowfin tuna fishing out of Nantucket is a summer canyon fishery, about 100 miles south of the island. Boats leave from Nantucket, where harbor and port details live. This guide covers only what is specific to running from this port.
| Item | Nantucket |
|---|---|
| Season | Summer |
| Run distance | About 100 miles south, to the canyons |
| Depth | Canyon depths reported at 500 to 5,000 feet |
| Tournament | The Big Game Battle, usually July |
Season
The yellowfin season from this port is summer. Biology, tackle and how yellowfin feed are covered in our yellowfin tuna fishing guide.
The run
The 100-mile run shapes the whole trip. It sets your fuel range, your departure timing and how many hands you want aboard. Every mile out is a mile back, so planning starts with range and the hours you have on the grounds.
Where boats run: the canyons south of Nantucket
Boats from Nantucket run to the canyons south of the island, about 100 miles offshore. For the wider canyon picture across the region, see the Atlantic Northeast yellowfin guide (see also the Atlantic Northeast offshore fishing guide).
Distance
The distance is about 100 miles each way, so the day is built around range and timing before anything else.
Depths
Canyon depths are reported at 500 to 5,000 feet. The canyon edges and walls drop through that range, and that is the water you are running to.
Reading the chart
Canyon edges across the 500 to 5,000 foot range show on Chart Contours. Chart layers are not for navigation.
Leaving the island: rips, shoals and landmarks
Every canyon trip starts and ends inshore, past rips and shoals that Nantucket anglers know by name. The yellowfin fishing itself happens at the canyons. Read the Nantucket Sound marine forecast before you leave the dock, and keep the NOAA Coast Pilot chapter aboard as the navigation reference.
- Nantucket Harbor jetties: rock jetties protect the harbor entrance.
- Sankaty Light and the east side: eastern shore, near Sankaty Light.
- Great Point Rip and The Gauls: named grounds near the island.
- Miacomet Rip: south shore, west of Miacomet.
- Western shore: The Hooter, the Tuckernuck rips and Bonito Bar.
Nantucket Harbor jetties
The rock jetties protecting the harbor entrance are where the trip begins and ends.
Sankaty Light and the east side
Sankaty Light marks the eastern shore.
Great Point Rip and The Gauls
Great Point Rip and The Gauls are named grounds near the island.
South shore: Miacomet Rip
Miacomet Rip sits on the south shore, west of Miacomet.
Western shore: The Hooter, Tuckernuck rips and Bonito Bar
The Hooter is named for the fairway buoy at the end of Muskeget Channel. The Tuckernuck rips include the rip-edge pass between Madaket Harbor and Tuckernuck Island. Bonito Bar sits on the western shore of Nantucket and is fished in the fall, which makes it a separate fishery from the summer canyon trip.
How yellowfin are fished from Nantucket
The local pattern is an overnight run, a daytime bite on the canyon grounds, and night drifting with baits for swordfish, tuna or both. Running through the dark puts the boat on the grounds for the daytime bite, and the dark hours on the grounds go to drifting.
| Phase | What happens |
|---|---|
| Overnight run | About 100 miles covered in the dark |
| Daytime bite | Fishing on the canyon grounds |
| Night drifting | Baits fished for swordfish, tuna or both |
The overnight run
Boats cover the 100 miles in the dark so they arrive when the daytime bite starts.
The daytime bite
The daytime bite happens on the canyon grounds.
Night drifting for swordfish and tuna
Boats drift with baits at night for swordfish, tuna or both on the same trip. In a drift, the engines are off and the boat moves with the water while the baits fish.
Who fishes for them out of Nantucket
Private boats run the canyons from Nantucket through the summer, and The Big Game Battle, usually in July, is the port’s tuna tournament. When the night drift brings other tuna into play, our tuna fishing guides cover them.
- Private boats: owner-operators make the canyon run themselves.
- The Big Game Battle: the port’s tuna tournament, usually July.
Private boats
Owner-operators run the canyons from Nantucket through the summer.
The Big Game Battle
The Big Game Battle is usually held in July.
FAQ: yellowfin tuna out of Nantucket
How far is the run for yellowfin from Nantucket?
Yellowfin tuna fishing out of Nantucket means a run of about 100 miles to the canyons south of the island. That distance drives your fuel range and the overnight timing, so plan range and departure first.
When is the yellowfin season out of Nantucket?
The season is summer.
What depths do boats fish in the canyons?
Canyon depths are reported at 500 to 5,000 feet. The canyon edges and walls drop through that range.
Do boats fish swordfish on the same trip?
Yes. After the daytime bite, night drifting with baits targets swordfish, tuna or both.
When is The Big Game Battle?
The Big Game Battle is usually held in July.
