For the most current classification and closure information, harvesters should contact your local town shellfish constable.
DMF updates shellfish closure hotline for North Shore biotoxin closures and Conditionally Restricted area rainfall closures at (978) 282-0308, select option 3.
Growing area classification maps are for informational purposes only and do not reflect the current open or closed status of an area.
Shellfish classification
Growing area classifications are assigned based on the results of sanitary surveys. The classification determines whether or not shellfish in the area can be harvested for human consumption. In Massachusetts, there are five classifications:
APPROVED: Open to shellfish harvesting for direct human consumption subject to local rules and regulations. Closed only during major coast-wide events (e.g., hurricane, oil spill, red tide event).
CONDITIONALLY APPROVED: Closed some of the time due to rainfall or seasonally poor water quality or other predictable events. When open, it is treated as an Approved area.
RESTRICTED: Contains a limited degree of contamination at all times. When open, shellfish can be relayed to a less contaminated area or harvested for depuration.
CONDITIONALLY RESTRICTED: Contains a limited degree of contamination at all times. Subject to intermittent pollution events and may close due poor water quality from rainfall events or season. When open, only commercial harvesting of soft shell clams for depuration is allowed.
PROHIBITED: Closed to the harvest of shellfish under all conditions, except the gathering of seeds for municipal propagation programs under a DMF permit.
Buzzards Bay
Cape Cod Bay
Code | Growing Area Name | |
CCB1 | Herring Cove/Long Point | CCB1 - Herring Cove/Long Point |
CCB2 | Hatches Harbor | CCB2 - Hatches Harbor |
CCB3 | Provincetown Outer Harbor | CCB3 - Provincetown Outer Harbor |
CCB4 | Provincetown Inner Harbor | CCB4 - Provincetown Inner Harbor |
CCB5 | The Breakwater | CCB5 - The Breakwater |
CCB6 | Truro West Coastal | CCB6 - Truro West Coastal |
CCB7 | Pamet River | CCB7 - Pamet River |
CCB8 | Wellfleet West Coastal | CCB8 - Wellfleet West Coastal |
CCB9 | Eastham West Coastal | CCB9 - Eastham West Coastal |
CCB10 | Hatches Creek | CCB10 - Hatches Creek |
CCB11 | Wellfleet Harbor | CCB11 - Wellfleet Harbor |
CCB12 | Herring River | CCB12 - Herring River |
CCB13 | Wellfleet Inner Harbor | CCB13 - Wellfleet Inner Harbor |
CCB14 | Loagy Bay | CCB14 - Loagy Bay |
CCB15 | Herring River | CCB15 - Herring River |
CCB16 | Boat Meadow River | CCB16 - Boat Meadow River |
CCB17 | Orleans North Coastal | CCB17 - Orleans North Coastal |
CCB18 | Rock Harbor | CCB18 - Rock Harbor |
CCB19 | Little Namskaket Creek | CCB19 - Little Namskaket Creek |
CCB20 | Brewster North Coastal | CCB20 - Brewster North Coastal |
CCB21 | Namskaket Creek | CCB21 - Namskaket Creek |
CCB22 | Stony Brook | CCB22 - Stony Brook |
CCB23 | Dennis North Coastal | CCB23 - Dennis North Coastal |
CCB24 | Quivett Creek | CCB24 - Quivett Creek |
CCB25 | Sesuit Harbor | CCB25 - Sesuit Harbor |
CCB26 | Yarmouth North Coastal | CCB26 - Yarmouth North Coastal |
CCB27 | Chase Garden Creek | CCB27 - Chase Garden Creek |
CCB28 | Bass Creek & Lone Tree Creek | CCB28 - Bass Creek |
CCB29 | Mill Creek & Short Wharf Creek | CCB29 - Mill Creek |
CCB30 | Barnstable North Coastal | CCB30 - Barnstable North Coastal |
CCB31 | Barnstable Harbor | CCB31 - Barnstable Harbor |
CCB32 | Barnstable Inner Harbor | CCB32 - Barnstable Inner Harbor |
CCB33 | Barnstable Marshes | CCB33 - Barnstable Marshes |
CCB34 | Scorton Creek | CCB34 - Scorton Creek |
CCB35 | Sandwich North Coastal | CCB35 - Sandwich North Coastal |
CCB36 | Scorton Harbor | CCB36 - Scorton Harbor |
CCB37 | Sandwich Harbor | CCB37 - Sandwich Harbor |
CCB38 | Bourne North Coastal | CCB38 - Bourne North Coastal |
CCB39 | Plymouth South Coastal | CCB39 - Plymouth South Coastal |
CCB40 | Ellisville Harbor | CCB40 - Ellisville Harbor |
CCB41 | Plymouth North Coastal | CCB41 - Plymouth North Coastal |
CCB42 | Plymouth Harbor | CCB42 - Plymouth Harbor |
CCB43 | Kingston Bay | CCB43 - Kingston Bay |
CCB44 | Jones River | CCB44 - Jones River |
CCB45 | Duxbury Bay | CCB45 - Duxbury Bay |
CCB46 | Bluefish River | CCB46 - Bluefish River |
CCB47 | Back River | CCB47 - Back River |
CCB48 | Cape Cod Bay | CCB48 - Cape Cod Bay |
Elizabethan Islands
Code | Growing Area Name | |
---|---|---|
E1 | Naushon Island West Coastal | E1 - Naushon Island West Coastal |
E2 | Hadleys Harbor | E2 - Hadleys Harbor |
E3 | Northwest Gutter | E3 - Northwest Gutter |
E4 | Gosnold West Coastal | E4 - Gosnold West Coastal |
E5 | Robinsons Hole | E5 - Robinsons Hole |
E6 | Quicks Hole | E6 - Quicks Hole |
E7 | Quicks Hole Pond | E7 - Quicks Hole Pond |
E8 | Cuttyhunk Harbor | E8 - Cuttyhunk Harbor |
E9 | Cuttyhunk Pond | E9 - Cuttyhunk Pond |
E10 | Westend Pond | E10 - Westend Pond |
E11 | Gosnold East Coastal | E11 - Gosnold East Coastal |
E12 | Naushon East Coastal | E12 - Naushon East Coastal |
E13 | Tarpaulin Cove | E13 - Tarpaulin Cove |
E14 | Lackeys Bay | E14 - Lackeys Bay |
Greater Boston Harbor
Code | Growing Area Name | |
---|---|---|
GBH1 | Outer Hull Bay | GBH1 - Outer Hull Bay |
GBH2 | Quincy Bay | GBH2 - Quincy Bay |
GBH3 | Neponset River & Dorchester Bay | GBH3 - Neponset River |
GBH4 | Boston Inner Harbor | GBH4 - Boston Inner Harbor |
GBH5 | North Boston Harbor | GBH5 - North Boston Harbor |
GBH6 | Boston Outer Harbor | GBH6 - Boston Outer Harbor |
GBH7 | Weir River and Hingham Harbor | GBH7 - Weir River and Hingham Harbor |
GBH8 | Weymouth Back River | GBH8 - Weymouth Back River |
GBH9 | Weymouth Fore River | GBH9 - Weymouth Fore River |
Massachusetts Bay
Code | Growing Area Name | |
---|---|---|
MB1 | Duxbury Beach | MB1 - Duxbury Beach |
MB2 | Marshfield East Coastal | MB2 - Marshfield East Coastal |
MB3 | Green Harbor | MB3 - Green Harbor |
MB4 | Scituate South Coastal | MB4 - Scituate South Coastal |
MB5 | North River | MB5 - North River |
MB6 | South River | MB6 - South River |
MB7 | Scituate Harbor | MB7 - Scituate Harbor |
MB8 | Scituate North Coastal | MB8 - Scituate North Coastal |
MB9 | Cohasset North Coastal | MB9 - Cohasset North Coastal |
MB10 | Cohasset Harbor | MB10 - Cohasset Harbor |
MB11 | Little Harbor | MB11 - Little Harbor |
MB12 | Nantasket Beach | MB12 - Nantasket Beach |
MB13 | Outer Boston Harbor Islands | MB13 - Outer Boston Harbor Islands |
MB14 | Massachusetts Bay | MB14 - Massachusetts Bay |
Mount Hope Bay
Code | Growing Area Name | |
---|---|---|
MHB1 | Mount Hope Bay | MHB1 - Mount Hope Bay |
MHB2 | Taunton River | MHB2 - Taunton River |
MHB3 | Lee River | MHB3 - Lee River |
MHB4 | Cole River | MHB4 - Cole River |
MHB5 | Palmer River | MHB5 - Palmer River |
North Shore
Code | Growing Area Name | |
---|---|---|
N1 | Salisbury Beach | N1 - Salisbury Beach |
N2 | Merrimack River | N2 - Merrimack River |
N3 | Plum Island | N3 - Plum Island |
N4 | Plum Island Sound | N4 - Plum Island Sound |
N5 | Ipswich River | N5 - Ipswich River |
N6 | Cranes Beach | N6 - Cranes Beach |
N7 | Essex Bay | N7 - Essex Bay |
N8 | Coffins Beach | N8 - Coffins Beach |
N9 | Annisquam River Gloucester Harbor | N9 - Annisquam River Gloucester Harbor |
N10 | Outer North Gloucester | N10 - Outer North Gloucester |
N11 | Rockport | N11 - Rockport |
N12 | Good Harbor Beach | N12 - Good Harbor Beach |
N13 | Eastern Point | N13 - Eastern Point |
N14 | Magnolia | N14 - Magnolia |
N15 | Manchester | N15 - Manchester |
N16 | Beverly | N16 - Beverly |
N17 | Danvers River | N17 - Danvers River |
N18 | Salem Harbor | N18 - Salem Harbor |
N19 | Folger/Peaches Point | N19 - Folger/Peaches Point |
N20 | Marblehead Harbor | N20 - Marblehead Harbor |
N21 | Marblehead | N21 - Marblehead |
N22 | Swampscott | N22 - Swampscott |
N23 | Lynn | N23 - Lynn |
N24 | Nahant Bay | N24 - Nahant Bay |
N25 | Nahant Harbor | N25 - Nahant Harbor |
N26 | Lynn Hbr and Saugus/Pines Rivers | N26 - Lynn Hbr and Saugus/Pines Rivers |
N27 | Winthrop Beach | N27 - Winthrop Beach |
N28 | Deer Island | N28 - Deer Island |
Nantucket Sound
Code | Growing Area Name | |
---|---|---|
NS1 | Nantucket Sound | NS1 - Nantucket Sound |
Nantucket
Code | Growing Area Name | |
---|---|---|
NT1 | Nantucket Northeast Coastal | NT1 - Nantucket Northeast Coastal |
NT2 | Nantucket Harbor West | NT2 - Nantucket Harbor West |
NT3 | Nantucket Harbor East | NT3 - Nantucket Harbor East |
NT4 | Polpis Harbor | NT4 - Polpis Harbor |
NT5 | Head Of The Harbor | NT5 - Head Of The Harbor |
NT6 | Coskata Pond | NT6 - Coskata Pond |
NT7 | Nantucket East Coastal | NT7 - Nantucket East Coastal |
NT8 | Nantucket Southeast Coastal | NT8 - Nantucket Southeast Coastal |
NT9 | Sesachacha Pond | NT9 - Sesachacha Pond |
NT10 | Nantucket Southwest Coastal | NT10 - Nantucket Southwest Coastal |
NT11 | Madaket Harbor | NT11 - Madaket Harbor |
NT12 | Nantucket Northwest Coastal | NT12 - Nantucket Northwest Coastal |
NT13 | Tuckernuck Island | NT13 - Tuckernuck Island |
NT14 | Muskeget Island | NT14 - Muskeget Island |
Outer Cape Cod
Code | Growing Area Name | |
---|---|---|
OC1 | Nauset Beach South Coastal | OC1 - Nauset Beach South Coastal |
OC2 | Nauset Harbor | OC2 - Nauset Harbor |
OC3 | Mill Pond | OC3 - Mill Pond |
OC4 | Town Cove | OC4 - Town Cove |
OC5 | Nauset Marsh | OC5 - Nauset Marsh |
OC6 | Salt Pond | OC6 - Salt Pond |
OC9 | Truro East Coastal | OC9 - Truro East Coastal |
OC10 | Provincetown North Coastal | OC10 - Provincetown North Coastal |
South Cape Cod
Code | Growing Area Name | |
---|---|---|
SC1 | Woods Hole West Coastal | SC1 - Woods Hole West Coastal |
SC2 | Great Harbor | SC2 - Great Harbor |
SC3 | Woods Hole Outer Harbor | SC3 - Woods Hole Outer Harbor |
SC4 | Little Harbor | SC4 - Little Harbor |
SC5 | South Falmouth Coastal | SC5 - South Falmouth Coastal |
SC6 | Oyster Pond | SC6 - Oyster Pond |
SC7 | Salt Pond | SC7 - Salt Pond |
SC8 | East Falmouth Coastal | SC8 - East Falmouth Coastal |
SC9 | Falmouth Inner Harbor | SC9 - Falmouth Inner Harbor |
SC10 | Little Pond | SC10 - Little Pond |
SC11 | Great Pond | SC11 - Great Pond |
SC12 | Green Pond | SC12 - Green Pond |
SC13 | Bournes Pond | SC13 - Bournes Pond |
SC14 | Eel Pond | SC14 - Eel Pond |
SC15 | Waquoit Bay | SC15 - Waquoit Bay |
SC16 | Little and Great Rivers Complex | SC16 - Little and Great Rivers Complex |
SC17 | Mashpee South Coastal | SC17 - Mashpee South Coastal |
SC18 | Barnstable South Coastal | SC18 - Barnstable South Coastal |
SC19 | Popponesset Bay | SC19 - Popponesset Bay |
SC20 | Mashpee River and Shoestring Bay | SC20 - Mashpee River and Shoestring Bay |
SC21 | Cotuit Bay | SC21 - Cotuit Bay |
SC22 | West Bay | SC22 - West Bay |
SC23 | North Bay | SC23 - North Bay |
SC24 | East Bay and Centerville River | SC24 - East Bay and Centerville River |
SC25 | Bumps River | SC25 - Bumps River |
SC26 | Squaw Island | SC26 - Squaw Island |
SC27 | Hyannis Harbor | SC27 - Hyannis Harbor |
SC28 | Lewis Bay | SC28 - Lewis Bay |
SC29 | Yarmouth South Coastal | SC29 - Yarmouth South Coastal |
SC30 | Parkers River & Seine Pond | SC30 - Parkers River |
SC31 | Lewis Pond | SC31 - Lewis Pond |
SC32 | Dennis South Coastal | SC32 - Dennis South Coastal |
SC33 | Bass River South | SC33 - Bass River South |
SC34 | Bass River Center | SC34 - Bass River Center |
SC35 | Bass River North | SC35 - Bass River North |
SC36 | Swan Pond | SC36 - Swan Pond |
SC37 | Harwich South Coastal | SC37 - Harwich South Coastal |
SC38 | Herring River | SC38 - Herring River |
SC39 | Allens Harbor | SC39 - Allens Harbor |
SC40 | Wychmere Harbor | SC40 - Wychmere Harbor |
SC41 | Saquatucket Harbor | SC41 - Saquatucket Harbor |
SC42 | Chatham South Coastal | SC42 - Chatham South Coastal |
SC43 | Red River | SC43 - Red River |
SC44 | Mill Creek | SC44 - Mill Creek |
SC45 | Taylors Pond | SC45 - Taylors Pond |
SC46 | Bucks & Cockle Cove Creek | SC46 - Bucks |
SC47 | Monomoy Island | SC47 - Monomoy Island |
SC48 | Stage Harbor | SC48 - Stage Harbor |
SC49 | Oyster Pond River | SC49 - Oyster Pond River |
SC50 | Oyster Pond | SC50 - Oyster Pond |
SC51 | Mitchell River and Mill Ponds | SC51 - Mitchell River and Mill Ponds |
SC52 | Chatham Harbor | SC52 - Chatham Harbor |
SC53 | Pleasant Bay | SC53 - Pleasant Bay |
SC54 | Bassing Harbor | SC54 - Bassing Harbor |
SC55 | Crows Pond | SC55 - Crows Pond |
SC56 | Ryders Cove | SC56 - Ryders Cove |
SC57 | Frostfish Cove | SC57 - Frostfish Cove |
SC58 | Muddy Creek | SC58 - Muddy Creek |
SC59 | Round Cove | SC59 - Round Cove |
SC60 | Quanset Pond | SC60 - Quanset Pond |
SC61 | Little Pleasant Bay | SC61 - Little Pleasant Bay |
SC62 | Pochet Creek | SC62 - Pochet Creek |
SC63 | Namequoit River | SC63 - Namequoit River |
SC64 | Paw Wah Pond | SC64 - Paw Wah Pond |