Massachusetts Fishing Regulations: State and Federal Waters

Massachusetts fishing regulations change at a line you can’t see, and the water runs from Stellwagen Bank, Cape Cod Bay, the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank to the waters south of the Islands. The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (MassDMF) sets the rules from shore to 3 nautical miles. Federal agencies set them from 3 to 200 nautical miles, so the rule that applies depends on where the fish is caught. Below, each species lists its length, bag, season and gear rules, labeled by jurisdiction where they differ, with the agency page to check.

Massachusetts Fishing Official Government Organizations

State water runs from shore to 3 nautical miles. MassDMF manages it under 322 CMR, and state water includes tidal water up to the first upstream bridge on rivers and streams. From 3 to 200 nautical miles is the federal Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), managed by NOAA Fisheries with two councils. The New England Fishery Management Council handles groundfish, and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council handles fluke, scup, black sea bass, bluefish, mackerel and tilefish. The rules sit in 50 CFR part 648, with dolphin and wahoo in part 622. Tunas, billfish, swordfish and sharks are highly migratory species (HMS) and fall to the NOAA HMS office.

Your Massachusetts recreational saltwater fishing permit also covers federal waters from 3 to 200 nautical miles. An HMS permit is separate, though, and the state permit does not replace it. The state permit is also honored in the marine waters of Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Connecticut under the terms below, and the other state regulation pages cover the neighbors. Rules change by season and quota, so check the agency page before you fish.

• Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (MassDMF) – Sets state-waters rules under 322 CMR and issues the recreational saltwater permit to every angler age 16 and older, from shore or a private vessel. The permit costs $10 for ages 16 to 59, residents and nonresidents alike, and $0 at age 60 and over (still required). It is not needed on a permitted for-hire vessel or under age 16, and it expires December 31.
• MassDMF reciprocity – A Massachusetts permit covers Maine waters for any resident, New Hampshire waters for non-New Hampshire residents, Rhode Island waters for any resident, and Connecticut waters for Massachusetts residents. In return, New Hampshire and Rhode Island permits cover Massachusetts waters for non-Massachusetts residents, and a Connecticut permit covers Connecticut residents.
• MassDMF For-Hire Saltwater Fishing Permit – Every Massachusetts for-hire captain needs one, and in state waters captains report to MRIP when contacted.
• NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) – Sets federal-waters rules under 50 CFR 648 and 622. For-hire vessels need a federal charter/headboat permit and an operator permit for non-HMS species, and they file an eVTR within 48 hours of every trip, including trips in state waters.
• New England Fishery Management Council – Develops the groundfish rules for cod, haddock, pollock, flounders and halibut.
• Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council – Develops the rules for fluke, scup, black sea bass, bluefish, mackerel and tilefish.
• NOAA Highly Migratory Species office – Manages tunas, billfish, swordfish and sharks. Private boats need the HMS Angling permit and for-hire vessels need the HMS Charter/Headboat permit (see the NOAA HMS permits page), with catch reported to NOAA Fisheries within 24 hours of landing. An HMS permit holder fishing only federal waters needs no Massachusetts permit unless they transit state waters with the fish, fish state waters, or land in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts Offshore Fishing Regulations by Species

These regulations cover the grounds of the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank, Stellwagen Bank and the waters south of the Islands. A species can be governed in five ways. Cod carries one rule shared by both jurisdictions. Haddock, scup and sharks carry different state and federal rules. Fluke and black sea bass are waived in federal waters to the landing state. Striped bass is closed in federal waters. Tunas, tilefish, mahi-mahi and wahoo are federal only.

Bullets are labeled "State waters:" and "Federal waters:" where the two differ. In state waters, lengths are total length unless stated, and limits are per angler per day unless stated. The Mass.gov recreational limits table is the primary source for every state figure below.

Cod and groundfish closures carry dates. In state waters, the Winter Cod Conservation Closure runs November 15 to January 31, and hook-and-line fishing is unlawful there. The Spring Cod Conservation Closure runs April 16 to July 21, and taking cod is unlawful there. In federal waters, the GOM Cod Spawning Protection Area closes April through June. The Winter Massachusetts Bay Spawning Protection Area closes November 1 to January 31, and the Spring Massachusetts Bay Spawning Protection Area closes April 15 to April 30. See 322 CMR 8.07 and 50 CFR 648.81 for the maps, the boundaries and the pelagic hook-and-line exemption conditions.

Striped bass

Striped bass stay inside 3 miles. Federal waters are closed to them, and fishing for, possessing or retaining striped bass in the EEZ is unlawful.

• LengthThe slot runs 28 inches to less than 31 inches. Measure from the snout or jaw tip, mouth closed, to the farthest tail extremity with the tail squeezed.
• Bag limit1 fish.
• SeasonYear round in state waters. Closed in federal waters.
• Gear and permitsInline circle hooks are required with whole or cut natural bait, but not with bait attached to an artificial lure such as a tube and worm. No gaffing; use a non-lethal device to lift fish from the water. Releasing a dead legal fish, high-grading, and holding a fish alive on a stringer, in a live well or in a holding car are all unlawful. Keep the fish whole until you are on shore with gear stowed, though gutting, bleeding and scaling are allowed. On shore, you may cut 2 fillets per angler, each with 2 square inches of skin. Spearfishing for striped bass is not allowed.

Mass.gov recreational limits table