Recreational finfish regulations
| Species | Size Limit | Open Season | Possession Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| American eel (1) | Min: 9" | Year Round | 25 fish |
| American Shad (Merrimack and Connecticut Rivers) | No Limit | Year Round | 3 fish |
| American Shad (Other Waters) | N/A | Year Round | Prohibited. Catch and release only. |
| Atlantic bonito & false albacore (2) | 16" | Year Round | 5 fish both species combined |
| Black Sea Bass (3) | Min: 16.5" | May 17 - Sept 1 | 4 fish |
| Bluefish (Shore and Private Vessel) | No Limit | Year Round | 3 fish |
| Bluefish (For-Hire Vessel) | No limit | Year Round | 5 fish |
| Cod (4, 5) * Western Gulf of Maine | Min: 23" | Sept 1 - Oct 31 | 1 fish |
| Cod (4,5) * Southern New England | N/A | N/A | Prohibited |
| Dab (plaice) (4, 5) | Min: 14" | Year Round | No Limit |
| Grey Sole (4, 5) | Min: 14" | Year Round | No Limit |
| Haddock (4, 5) * Gulf of Maine | Min: 18" | Apr 1 - Feb 28 | 15 fish |
| Haddock (4, 5) * Southern New England | Min: 18" | Year Round | No Limit |
| Halibut (4, 5) | Min: 41" | Year Round | 1 fish |
| Mackerel (6) | No Limit | Year Round | 20 fish |
| Monkfish (4, 5) | No Limit | Year Round | No Limit |
| Ocean Pout (4, 5) | N/A | Closed | Prohibited |
| Pollock (4, 5) | No Limit | Year Round | No Limit |
| Redfish (4, 5) | No Limit | Year Round | No Limit |
| River Herring | N/A | Closed | Prohibited |
| Scup (7) (Private Vessel) | Min: 11" | May 1 - Dec 31 | 30 fish |
| Scup (7) (Shore ) | Min: 9.5" | May 1 - Dec 31 | 30 fish |
| Scup (7) (For Hire Vessel) | Min: 11" | May 1 - Jun 30 Jul 1 - Dec 31 | 40 fish 30 fish |
| Smelt | No Limit | Jan 1 - Mar 14 Jun 16 - Dec 31 | 50 fish 50 fish |
| Summer Flounder (Vessel Based) | Min: 17.5" | May 24 - Sep 23 | 5 fish |
| Summer Flounder (Shore Based) | Min: 16.5" | May 24 - Sep 23 | 5-fish |
| Spiny Dogfish | No Limit | Year Round | No Limit |
| Striped Bass (8) | 28" to less than 31" | Year Round | 1 fish |
| Tautog (9) | Min: 16" Only one fish may exceed 21" | Apr 1 - May 31 Jun 1 - Jul 31 Aug 1 - Oct 14 Oct 15 - Dec 31 | 3 fish 1 fish 3 fish 5 fish |
| Weakfish | Min: 16" | Year Round | 1 fish |
| White Perch | Min: 8" | Year Round | 25 fish |
| Windowpane Flounder | N/A | Closed | Prohibited |
| Winter Flounder Gulf of Maine | Min: 12" | Year Round | 8 fish |
| Winter Flounder Southern New England | Min: 12" | Mar 1 - Dec 31 | 2 fish |
| Wolffish | N/A | Closed | Prohibited |
| Yellowtail Flounder | Min: 13" | Year Round | No Limit |
* Rules are subject to change for 2025.
General Notes: For any dates not listed in the "Season" column, the recreational fishery is closed. During closed seasons, retention, possession, and landing is prohibited and and all catch must be released. All size limits are total length unless otherwise specified in the footnotes below. When shore fishing baited hooks cannot be deployed by the use of mechanized, propulsion, or remote controlled devices, which include drones, rc-boats, and bait cannons. Tunas, billfish, and swordfish are managed by NOAA's Highly Migratory Species Office. Please consult NOAA Fisheries for permitting requirements and regulations. More on shark fishing regulations below.
1) American Eel: For-hire vessels may harvest and land up to 50 eels per calendar day and possess 50 eels while fishing. Harvest of eels may also be subject to municipal regulations, please contact municipality for additional information.
2) Atlantic Bonito and False Albacore: New this year, DMF has adopted a 16" minimum size for both species and a 5-fish limit of both species combined. The 16" size limit is measured by curve fork length, which follows a line tracing the contour of the body from the tip of the upper jaw to the fork in the tail. These limits apply only to fish caught and possessed in state waters.
3) Black Sea Bass: Fish are measured from the tip of the snout or jaw (mouth closed) to the farthest extremity of the tail, not including the tail filament. Black sea bass may be filleted but not skinned while at-sea. No more than two fillets per allowed fish may be possessed.
4) Multi-Species Groundfish: Regulated groundfish species in state waters are defined as American plaice, cod, haddock, halibut, monkfish, ocean pout, pollock, redfish, windowpane flounder, winter flounder, witch flounder, wolfish and yellowtail flounder. Gulf of Maine refers to all waters north of Cape Cod, including Cape Cod Bay, and those waters east of Cape Cod that are north of 42°00'N latitude. Southern New England refers to all waters south and west of Cape Cod, including Nantucket Sound, Vineyard Sound, Buzzards Bay and Mount Hope Bay, and all waters east of Cape Cod that are south of 42°00'N latitude including Nauset Harbor and Pleasant Bay. The limits listed apply to state-waters only. Vessels fishing lawfully in federal waters may possess and land fish in accordance with federal rules - consult NOAA Fisheries for regulations.
5) Cod: It is unlawful to fish with hook and line gear in the Winter Cod Conservation Closure from November 15 through January 31. It is unlawful to take cod from the Spring Cod Conservation Closure from April 16 through July 21. See maps in 322 CMR 8.07 for more details. Western Gulf of Maine refers to all state waters north of Cape Cod and those waters down the backside of Cape Cod and east of Nantucket west of the 70th meridian. Southern New England refers to all state waters south and west of Cape Cod that are west of the 70th meridian. State-waters within the Southern New England Cod Management Area are closed to the retention of cod. Vessels fishing lawfully in federal waters may possess and land fish in accordance with federal rules - consult NOAA Fisheries for regulations.
6) Mackerel: The limit applies as a daily per angler harvest limit and a per angler possession limit while fishing. It does not apply to holding mackerel in a freezer, fish car, holding car, or shore-based bait well.
7) Scup: Fish may be filleted but not skinned while at-sea. No more than two fillets per allowed fish may be possessed. If 5 or more anglers are onboard a private vessel, there is a vessel limit of 150-fish.
8) Striped Bass: Fish are measured from the tip of the snout or jaw with the mouth closed to the farthest extremity of the tail with the tail squeezed. The discard of dead legal sized striped bass is unlawful. The practice of high-grading, whereby legal sized striped bass are released in favor of larger fish caught subsequently is unlawful. Accordingly, it is also unlawful to keep a striped bass alive in water by attaching a line or chain to the fish (stringer), or placing it in a live well or holding car. Striped bass must be kept whole except for gutting, bleeding, and scaling until on shore and all gear is stowed, at which time fish may be filleted. Only two fillets may be in possession of an individual angler and each fillet must have two-square inches of skin intact. An exception is granted for striped bass being prepared for immediate consumption at sea provided all gear is stowed. For-hire operators or crew may fillet striped bass for their patrons at any time during the for-hire trip prior to the patrons departing the vessel, provided: (1) the racks are retained in a manner that does not interfere with species identification or total length measurement until such time as the vessel has docked and all customers from that trip have departed the vessel and the racks may subsequently be disposed of in any legal manner; (2) at least two square inches of skin is left intact and no more than two fillets, representing the equivalent of one fish, may be possessed by each customer. All recreational anglers are required to use inline circle hooks when fishing for striped bass with whole or cut natural baits, except when fishing with a natural bait attached to an artificial lure (e.g., tube and worm).The use non-lethal devices to remove striped bass from the water is required; gaffing striped bass is prohibited.
9) Tautog: When the tautog fishery is open, private anglers are subject to 10-fish maximum tautog limit for the vessel. The most restrictive limit of the per angler bag limit or per vessel maximum limit applies. During any open season an angler may retain, possess, and land one trophy fish exceeding the 21" maximum size per calendar day.
Additional Resources
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Open PDF file, 1.03 MB, MA Recreational Groundfish Management Areas (English, PDF 1.03 MB)
Recreational shark regulations
| Species | Minimum Size | Possession Limit |
|---|---|---|
| All permitted sharks (exceptions listed below) | 54 in | 1 total per trip |
| Atlantic sharpnose shark | no minimum size | included in total shark bag limit +1 additional |
| Bonnethead shark | no minimum size | included in total shark bag limit +1 additional |
| Smooth dogfish | no minimum size | included in total shark bag limit +1 additional |
| Blacknose shark | no minimum size | included in total shark bag limit |
| Finetooth shark | no minimum size | included in total shark bag limit |
| Hammerhead shark | 78 in | included in total shark bag limit |
Federal regulations may differ. Please consult NOAA's Highly Migratory Species Office.
Permitted Species
The following species are allowed to be harvested: smooth dogfish, Atlantic sharpnose, bonnethead, finetooth, blacknose, tiger, blacktip, spinner, bull, lemon, Nurse, scalloped hammerhead, great hammerhead, smooth hammerhead, porbeagle, common thresher, and blue.
Prohibited Species
The following species are prohibited from harvest and if incidentally caught, must be immediately returned to the water in such a manner as to ensure maximum probability of survival: silky, sandbar, sand tiger, bigeye sand tiger, whale, basking, white, dusky, bignose, Galapagos, Night, Caribbean reef, Narrowtooth, Caribbean sharpnose, smalltail, Atlantic angel, longfin mako, shortfin mako, bigeye thresher, sharpnose sevengill, bluntnose sixgill, bigeye sixgill and oceanic whitetip.
Restrictions on Shore-Based Shark Fishing
Shore based anglers may not fish baited hooks with an inside gap exceeding 5/8-inch when measured straight across from barb to shank coupled with a wire or metal leader that measures greater than 18-inches when fishing from the northernmost point of Plymouth Beach following the shoreline of Cape Cod Bay and the Outer Cape (including all of Monomoy Island and Chatham Harbor). Shore-based chumming is prohibited from sunrise to sunset throughout the Commonwealth when fishing with baited hooks with an inside gap exceeding 5/8-inch when measured straight across from barb to shank coupled with a wire or metal leader that measures greater than 18-inches. Shore based includes all fishing from the shoreline, wade fishing, or any structure affixed to the shore (e.g., dock, pier, jetty). When shore fishing baited hooks cannot be deployed by the use of mechanized, propulsion, or remote controlled devices, which include drones, rc-boats, and bait cannons.
Circle Hook Requirement
Recreational fishermen shall use circle hooks as the terminal tackle except when fishing with flies or artificial lures. Circle hooks are required for any line that is targeting sharks by the angler on a line-to-line basis. Unless caught using flies or artificial lures, any shark caught on any hook other than a circle hook shall be released.
Restrictions on Certain Shark Species When Possessing Tunas, Billfish or Swordfish
Recreational fishermen shall not possess oceanic whitetip sharks, great hammerhead sharks, scalloped hammerhead sharks or smooth hammerhead sharks if in possession of tunas, billfish or swordfish. Porbeagle sharks caught alive shall be released by recreational fishermen if tunas, billfish or swordfish are to be retained, possessed or landed.
Recreational lobster regulations
Management Area Specific Rules
| Management Area | Minimum Carapace Size | Maximum Carapace Size | Escape Vent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gulf of Maine Management Area | 3 1/4" | 5" | One rectangular vent 1 15/16 in × 5 3/4 in or two circular vents of 2 7/16 in in diameter |
| Outer Cape Cod Management Area | 3 3/8" | N/A | One rectangular vent 2 in. × 5 3/4 in or two circular vents of 2 5/8 in in diameter |
| Southern New England Management Area | 3 3/8" | 5 1/4" | One rectangular vent 2 in × 5 3/4 in or two circular vents of 2 5/8 in in diameter |
Other General Regulations:
- V-Notched Female Lobsters: Illegal to retain, possess, or land any female lobster that bears a v-notch or indentation located at the base of the tail flipper immediately to the right of the center tail flipper as viewed from the rear of the lobster with the undersized facing down that is at least as deep as 1/8" with or without setal hairs.
- Egg Bearing Female Lobsters: Illegal to retain, possess, or land any lobster that is egg bearing, from which eggs have been forcibly removed, or that has come into contact with any substance capable of removing eggs.
- Trap Limit: With trap endorsement, a maximum of 10-traps.
- Buoy Line Rules: Buoy lines may not be positively buoyant except in bottom 1/3 of buoy line; may not exceed 5/16" diameter; and are to be marked with a 4" red mark midway up the line.
- Bag Limit: 15 lobsters per day. Lobsters may be stored and retrieved in excess of this limit, providing fishing activity is not occuring.
- Night Closure: Hauling trap gear or taking lobsters is prohibited from 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise.
- Closed Season: All buoyed trap gear must be removed from the water by November 1 and may not be reset until May 16. Closure may be lifted after April 30 or extended past May 15 based on the observed presence or absence of right whales.
Additional Resources
Recreational crab regulations
| Species | Minimum size | Other regulations |
|---|---|---|
| Blue crab* | 5 in shell width (spine to spine) | Limit of 25 crabs/day. Egg-bearers cannot be taken. Crabs must be landed whole. No permit required unless using SCUBA. Unlawful to fish for blue crabs by trap or to retain blue crabs taken in a trap. |
| Cancer crab (Rock and Jonah) | none | 50 crabs total per day in aggregate (Rock and Jonah crabs combined). Egg bearing crabs cannot be taken. Crabs must be landed whole. Permit required if fishing traps or SCUBA. All traps must conform to lobster trap regulations. All buoyed trap gear must be removed from the water by November 1 and may not be reset until May 16. Closure may be lifted after April 30 or extended past May 16 based on presence or absence of right whales. No trap fishing 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sun rise. |
| Invasive crabs | N/A | In order to harvest green crabs, you must obtain a Letter of Authorization (LOA) from the Division. An application can be found here. Please contact George Davis for a LOA or more information (978-491-6256 or george.davis@mass.gov). Closed season on harvest is January 01–April 30, inclusive. Closed season on trap gear is November 1–May 15, inclusive. |
* Prohibition: Using traps to fish for blue crabs and retaining blue crabs taken by trap gear is prohibited. Only actively fished gear may be fished for blue crabs. This includes trot lines, dip nets, and collapsible traps.
Any traps set for the taking of crabs must adhere to the recreational lobster trap limits and gear requirements specified in the above recreational lobster regulations section.
Recreational shellfish regulations
| Species | Minimum Size | Other Restrictions |
|---|---|---|
| Bay scallops | well defined growth ring | Closed Apr 01 - Oct 01, consult town regulations |
| Conch | N/A | 15 mixed whelk limit; consult town regulations |
| Oyster | 3 in shell diameter | consult town regulations |
| Quahog | 1 in shell thickness | consult town regulations |
| Sea Scallop | 3 1/2 in shell diameter | daily limit of 1 bushel in shell, or 4 quarts of shucked meats |
| Softshell clam | 2 in shell diameter | consult town regulations |
| Surf clam | 5 in shell diameter | consult town regulations |
Additional Resources
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Open PDF file, 207.25 KB, How to measure shellfish (English, PDF 207.25 KB)
Spearfishing
Spearfishing is the taking of fish by use of a speargun. When spearfishing, you must comply with all recreational fishing regulations regarding size, seasons and bag limits on the species. You are not allowed to catch striped bass or lobster by spearfishing. For federally regulated species, please visit NOAA Fisheries. Popular spearfishing species in Massachusetts waters include tautog and black sea bass.
Contact environmental law enforcement
Dispatch: 800-632-80075