Massachusetts
saltwater rules

Q: Do I need a license to fish saltwater in Massachusetts?

A Massachusetts recreational saltwater fishing permit is required for anyone 16 and older. Anglers 60 and over pay nothing but still need the permit; passengers on permitted charter and head boats are exempt.

Q: How far out do Massachusetts state waters go?

3 nautical miles from shore. Inside that line the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries sets the rules on this page. Beyond it, NOAA's Greater Atlantic region sets the federal rules, and where Massachusetts has no rule of its own this page shows the federal one, labelled.

Q: What if a fish is not listed for Massachusetts?

Massachusetts sets no specific rule for it. Size: No limit. Bag: No bag limit. Season: Open year-round. Species not listed in MA DMF recreational tables have no state size, season, or bag limits; MA recreational saltwater permit required. Tunas, billfish, and swordfish are managed federally by NOAA HMS.

Q: Which federal catches must be reported to NOAA?

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, Swordfish, Blue Marlin, White Marlin, Sailfish. HMS Angling and Charter/Headboat permit holders must report every bluefin tuna landing or dead discard, and every swordfish, marlin, or sailfish landing, within 24 hours of returning — online at hmspermits.noaa.gov, in the Catch Reporting app, or by phone.

Q: How current are these Massachusetts rules?

Every row shows its source and the day it was last checked; the latest is Sep 16, 2026. A watchman re-reads the agency pages nightly and the date advances when they are unchanged. Rules change mid-season by proclamation, so the official rulebook is the final word.

The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries sets the rules inside Massachusetts’s state waters, out to 3 nautical miles from shore. Beyond that, NOAA's Greater Atlantic region writes the federal rules.

Nearby waters: New Hampshire · Rhode Island

72 species with a rule on file, checked Sep 16, 2026. 14 of them carry a federal-waters rule because Massachusetts lists none of its own; those rows say so. Every row names its source and the day it was last checked; the official rulebook is the final word.

Albacore

Longfin, Longfin tuna Thunnus alalunga

Federal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species). Massachusetts lists none of its own.

Size
No size limit

Bag
No bag limit

Season
Open year-round

Open

No recreational limits, unlike yellowfin's 3-fish/27-inch rule — but the boat still needs an HMS Angling permit.
NOAA HMS 2025 · checked 2026-09-16
Alewife

River herring, Buckie Alosa pseudoharengus

Size
—

Bag
Possession prohibited

Season
Prohibited

Put it back

River herring possession is banned in Massachusetts and most Atlantic states — release immediately.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
American Eel

Yellow eel, Silver eel Anguilla rostrata

Size
9" min

Bag
25 fish (50 on for-hire vessels)

Season
Open year-round

Open

Municipal regulations may also apply.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
American Plaice

Dab, Canadian plaice, Sand dab Hippoglossoides platessoides

Size
14" min

Bag
No bag limit

Season
Year-round

Open

MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
American Shad

Alosa sapidissima

Size
N/A

Bag
No harvest in marine waters (catch and release)

Season
Catch and release only in marine waters

Put it back

Harvest allowed only in the Merrimack and Connecticut rivers (3 per day); all other MA waters are catch-and-release.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna

Thunnus thynnus

Federal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species). Massachusetts lists none of its own.

Size
27" curved FL min; keepable slot 27–<73"

Bag
Private vessels: 2 per vessel per day (only 1 of 47–<73"); trophy 73"+ closed for 2026

Season
Open under in-season limits

Open

HMS Angling permit required. Retention limits are adjusted in-season by NOAA — verify the current limit before keeping a fish.
NOAA HMS 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Atlantic Bonito

Bonito Sarda sarda

Size
16" min (curved fork length)

Bag
5 fish combined with false albacore

Season
Open year-round

Open

Curved-fork-length measure; applies in state waters only.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Atlantic Cod

Codfish Gadus morhua

Federal rule (Gulf of Maine federal waters). Massachusetts lists none of its own.

Size
23 in total length

Bag
1 per day

Season
Sept 1 – Oct 31 (2026)

Open

Georges Bank runs the same 1-fish fall season; south and west of Cape Cod, cod is fully closed.
NOAA GARFO 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Atlantic Halibut

Hippoglossus hippoglossus

Federal rule (New England federal waters). Massachusetts lists none of its own.

Size
41 in total length

Bag
1 per vessel per trip

Season
Open year-round

Open

One fish per BOAT per trip, not per angler.
NOAA GARFO 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Atlantic Herring

Sea herring Clupea harengus

Size
No size limit

Bag
No bag limit

Season
Open year-round

Open

No hook-and-line limits; netting for bait needs permits.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07 · likely
Atlantic Mackerel

Boston mackerel, Tinker (small) Scomber scombrus

Size
No size limit

Bag
25 per day

Season
Open year-round

Open

New for 2026: 25 fish from shore or private boats, 50 aboard for-hire vessels.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Atlantic Salmon

Sea-run salmon Salmo salar

Size
—

Bag
All take prohibited

Season
Prohibited

Put it back

Sea-run Atlantic salmon are federally endangered — all fishing for and possession of them is banned in US waters.
NOAA Fisheries / MA DMF · checked 2026-09-07
Atlantic Sharpnose Shark

Rhizoprionodon terraenovae

Size
No size limit

Bag
1 in shark aggregate plus 1 additional per trip

Season
Open year-round

Open

Circle hooks required when targeting sharks with bait.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Atlantic Sturgeon

Acipenser oxyrinchus

Size
N/A

Bag
No possession

Season
Closed year-round

Put it back

Landing or possession unlawful (322 CMR 6.16); state and federally endangered - release immediately.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07 · likely
Atlantic Tomcod

Frostfish Microgadus tomcod

Size
No size limit

Bag
No bag limit

Season
Open year-round

Open

MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07 · likely
Atlantic Wolffish

Ocean catfish Anarhichas lupus

Federal rule (New England federal waters). Massachusetts lists none of its own.

Size
—

Bag
No harvest or possession

Season
Prohibited

Put it back

Protected in federal and Massachusetts waters — release immediately.
NOAA GARFO 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Black Sea Bass

Sea bass Centropristis striata

Size
16" min

Bag
4 fish (May 16-Aug 31), 2 fish (Sep 1-Oct 14)

Season
May 16 - Oct 14 (bag drops Sep 1)

Open

Measured excluding tail filament; may be filleted but not skinned at sea, max two fillets per fish.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Blacknose Shark

Carcharhinus acronotus

Size
No size limit

Bag
1 shark per trip (aggregate)

Season
Open year-round

Open

Counts within the one-shark trip limit.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Blacktip Shark

Carcharhinus limbatus

Size
54" min

Bag
1 shark per trip (aggregate)

Season
Open year-round

Open

Circle hooks required when targeting sharks with bait.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Blue Marlin

Makaira nigricans

Federal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species). Massachusetts lists none of its own.

Size
99" LJFL min

Bag
No federal bag limit; annual US 250-marlin landings cap (blue + white combined)

Season
Year-round

Open

HMS permit required.
NOAA HMS 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Blue Shark

Blue dog Prionace glauca

Size
54" min

Bag
1 shark per trip (aggregate)

Season
Open year-round

Open

Circle hooks required when targeting sharks with bait.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Blueback Herring

River herring Alosa aestivalis

Size
—

Bag
Possession prohibited

Season
Prohibited

Put it back

River herring possession is banned in Massachusetts and most Atlantic states — release immediately.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Bluefish

Chopper, Snapper blue Pomatomus saltatrix

Size
No size limit

Bag
5 fish (7 on for-hire vessels)

Season
Open year-round

Open

MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Bluntnose Sixgill Shark

Sixgill shark, Cow shark Hexanchus griseus

Size
N/A

Bag
No possession

Season
Closed year-round

Put it back

Federally prohibited shark (bluntnose sixgill) — release in the water with minimal injury.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Bonnethead

Sphyrna tiburo

Size
No size limit

Bag
1 in shark aggregate plus 1 additional per trip

Season
Open year-round

Open

Circle hooks required when targeting sharks with bait.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Bull Shark

Carcharhinus leucas

Size
54" min

Bag
1 shark per trip (aggregate)

Season
Open year-round

Open

Circle hooks required when targeting sharks with bait.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Caribbean Reef Shark

Carcharhinus perezii

Size
N/A

Bag
No possession

Season
Closed year-round

Put it back

MA prohibited shark species; release immediately to maximize survival.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Common Thresher

Thresher, Whiptail Alopias vulpinus

Size
54" min

Bag
1 shark per trip (aggregate)

Season
Open year-round

Open

Circle hooks required when targeting sharks with bait.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Cunner

Bergall, Chogset Tautogolabrus adspersus

Size
No size limit

Bag
No bag limit

Season
Open year-round

Open

MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07 · likely
Cusk

Brosme brosme

Size
No size limit

Bag
No bag limit

Season
Open year-round

Open

No limits, but cusk is a NOAA species of concern — consider releasing them.
NOAA GARFO 2026 · checked 2026-09-07 · likely
Dusky Shark

Carcharhinus obscurus

Size
N/A

Bag
No possession

Season
Closed year-round

Put it back

MA prohibited shark species; release immediately to maximize survival.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
False Albacore

Albie, Little tunny, Fat Albert Euthynnus alletteratus

Size
16" min (curved fork length)

Bag
5 fish combined with Atlantic bonito

Season
Open year-round

Open

Curved-fork-length measure; applies in state waters only.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Finetooth Shark

Carcharhinus isodon

Size
No size limit

Bag
1 shark per trip (aggregate)

Season
Open year-round

Open

Counts within the one-shark trip limit.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Galapagos Shark

Carcharhinus galapagensis

Size
N/A

Bag
No possession

Season
Closed year-round

Put it back

Federally prohibited shark (Galapagos) — release in the water with minimal injury.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Great Hammerhead

Sphyrna mokarran

Size
78" min

Bag
1 shark per trip (aggregate)

Season
Open year-round

Open

Cannot be possessed if tunas, billfish, or swordfish are aboard.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Great White Shark

White shark Carcharodon carcharias

Size
N/A

Bag
No possession

Season
Closed year-round

Put it back

Prohibited; intentional targeting unlawful, and shore-based heavy-gear restrictions apply on Cape Cod Bay, the Outer Cape, and Nantucket.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Haddock

Melanogrammus aeglefinus

Federal rule (Gulf of Maine federal waters). Massachusetts lists none of its own.

Size
18 in total length

Bag
15 per day

Season
Apr 1 – Feb 28 (closed March)

Open

MA state waters dropped to 17 in for 2026; outside the Gulf of Maine there's no bag limit.
NOAA GARFO / MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Lemon Shark

Negaprion brevirostris

Size
54" min

Bag
1 shark per trip (aggregate)

Season
Open year-round

Open

Circle hooks required when targeting sharks with bait.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Longhorn Sculpin

Hacklehead Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus

Size
No size limit

Bag
No bag limit

Season
Open year-round

Open

MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07 · likely
Monkfish

Goosefish, Anglerfish Lophius americanus

Size
No size limit

Bag
No bag limit

Season
Open year-round

Open

MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Nurse Shark

Ginglymostoma cirratum

Size
54" min

Bag
1 shark per trip (aggregate)

Season
Open year-round

Open

Circle hooks required when targeting sharks with bait.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Ocean Pout

Zoarces americanus

Federal rule (New England federal waters). Massachusetts lists none of its own.

Size
—

Bag
No retention

Season
Prohibited

Put it back

No retention in federal or Massachusetts waters — release immediately.
NOAA GARFO 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Oceanic Whitetip Shark

Whitetip shark Carcharhinus longimanus

Size
N/A

Bag
No possession

Season
Closed year-round

Put it back

Federally prohibited shark (oceanic whitetip) — release in the water with minimal injury. Listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Pollock

Boston bluefish Pollachius virens

Federal rule (Gulf of Maine federal waters). Massachusetts lists none of its own.

Size
19 in total length

Bag
No bag limit

Season
Open year-round

Open

The 19-inch minimum is federal; Massachusetts state waters have no limits.
NOAA GARFO 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Porbeagle

Lamna nasus

Size
54" min

Bag
1 shark per trip (aggregate)

Season
Open year-round

Open

Must be released alive if tunas, billfish, or swordfish are retained on the trip.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Rainbow Smelt

Smelt Osmerus mordax

Size
No size limit

Bag
50 per day

Season
Jun 16 – Mar 14

Open

Closed each spring (Mar 15 – Jun 15) to protect the spawning run.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Sailfish

Istiophorus platypterus

Federal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species). Massachusetts lists none of its own.

Size
63" LJFL min

Bag
No federal bag limit

Season
Year-round

Open

HMS permit required.
NOAA HMS 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Sand Tiger

Carcharias taurus

Size
N/A

Bag
No possession

Season
Closed year-round

Put it back

MA prohibited shark species; release immediately to maximize survival.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Sandbar Shark

Carcharhinus plumbeus

Size
N/A

Bag
No possession

Season
Closed year-round

Put it back

MA prohibited shark species; release immediately to maximize survival.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Scalloped Hammerhead

Sphyrna lewini

Size
78" min

Bag
1 shark per trip (aggregate)

Season
Open year-round

Open

Cannot be possessed if tunas, billfish, or swordfish are aboard.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Scup

Stenotomus chrysops

Size
11" vessel / 9.5" shore

Bag
30 fish (for-hire 40 May 1-Jun 30)

Season
May 1 - Dec 31

Open

Shore minimum 9.5 in; 150-fish vessel cap when 5+ anglers aboard; fillet-not-skin rule at sea.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Sea Raven

Hemitripterus americanus

Size
No size limit

Bag
No bag limit

Season
Open year-round

Open

MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07 · likely
Shortfin Mako

Isurus oxyrinchus

Size
N/A

Bag
No possession

Season
Closed year-round

Put it back

MA prohibited shark species; release immediately to maximize survival.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Shorthorn Sculpin

Daddy sculpin Myoxocephalus scorpius

Size
No size limit

Bag
No bag limit

Season
Open year-round

Open

MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07 · likely
Silky Shark

Ridgeback shark Carcharhinus falciformis

Size
N/A

Bag
No possession

Season
Closed year-round

Put it back

Federally prohibited shark (silky) — release in the water with minimal injury.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Skipjack Tuna

Skippy, Oceanic bonito Katsuwonus pelamis

Federal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species). Massachusetts lists none of its own.

Size
No size limit

Bag
No bag limit

Season
Open year-round

Open

The boat needs an HMS Angling permit to fish for Atlantic tunas.
NOAA HMS 2025 · checked 2026-09-16
Smooth Dogfish

Mustelus canis

Size
No size limit

Bag
1 in shark aggregate plus 1 additional per trip

Season
Open year-round

Open

Circle hooks required when targeting sharks with bait.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Smooth Hammerhead

Sphyrna zygaena

Size
78" min

Bag
1 shark per trip (aggregate)

Season
Open year-round

Open

Cannot be possessed if tunas, billfish, or swordfish are aboard.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Spinner Shark

Carcharhinus brevipinna

Size
54" min

Bag
1 shark per trip (aggregate)

Season
Open year-round

Open

Circle hooks required when targeting sharks with bait.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Spiny Dogfish

Squalus acanthias

Size
No limit

Bag
No bag limit

Season
Open year-round

Open

MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Striped Bass

Striper, Rockfish Morone saxatilis

Size
28" to less than 31" slot

Bag
1 fish

Season
Open year-round

Open

Inline circle hooks required with natural bait; gaffing and high-grading prohibited; measured with tail squeezed.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Striped Searobin

Prionotus evolans

Size
No size limit

Bag
No bag limit

Season
Open year-round

Open

MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07 · likely
Summer Flounder

Fluke Paralichthys dentatus

Size
17.5" vessel / 16.5" shore

Bag
5 fish

Season
May 24 - Sep 23

Open

Minimum size is 16.5 in when fishing from shore.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Swordfish

Xiphias gladius

Federal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species). Massachusetts lists none of its own.

Size
47" LJFL min

Bag
1 per person, up to 4 per vessel per trip (private); higher for-hire vessel caps

Season
Year-round

Open

May not be retained if a hammerhead or oceanic whitetip shark is aboard.
NOAA HMS 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Tautog

Tautoga onitis

Size
16" min; only one fish over 21"

Bag
3 (Apr 1-May 31), 1 (Jun 1-Jul 31), 3 (Aug 1-Oct 14), 5 (Oct 15-Dec 31)

Season
Apr 1 - Dec 31, seasonal bag changes

Open

10-fish private-vessel maximum; one trophy fish over 21 in per angler per day.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Tiger Shark

Galeocerdo cuvier

Size
54" min

Bag
1 shark per trip (aggregate)

Season
Open year-round

Open

Circle hooks required when targeting sharks with bait.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Weakfish

Gray trout, Squeteague Cynoscion regalis

Size
16" min

Bag
1 fish

Season
Open year-round

Open

MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
White Marlin

Kajikia albida

Federal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species). Massachusetts lists none of its own.

Size
66" LJFL min

Bag
No federal bag limit; annual US 250-marlin landings cap (blue + white combined)

Season
Year-round

Open

HMS permit required.
NOAA HMS 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
White Perch

Perch Morone americana

Size
8" min

Bag
25 per day

Season
Year-round

Open

MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Windowpane Flounder

Sand dab Scophthalmus aquosus

Federal rule (New England federal waters). Massachusetts lists none of its own.

Size
—

Bag
No retention

Season
Prohibited

Put it back

No retention in federal or Massachusetts waters — release immediately.
NOAA GARFO 2026 · checked 2026-09-16
Winter Flounder

Blackback, Lemon sole (big ones) Pseudopleuronectes americanus

Size
12 in total length

Bag
8 per day

Season
Open year-round

Open

North of Cape Cod; south and west of the Cape it's 2 fish, Mar 1 – Dec 31.
MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07
Winter Skate

Leucoraja ocellata

Size
No size limit

Bag
No bag limit

Season
Open year-round

Open

MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07 · likely

Every other species

Species not listed in MA DMF recreational tables have no state size, season, or bag limits; MA recreational saltwater permit required. Tunas, billfish, and swordfish are managed federally by NOAA HMS.

Size: No limit
Bag: No bag limit
Season: Open year-round

MA DMF 2026 · checked 2026-09-07

Report to NOAA within 24 hours

HMS Angling and Charter/Headboat permit holders must report every bluefin tuna landing or dead discard, and every swordfish, marlin, or sailfish landing, within 24 hours of returning — online at hmspermits.noaa.gov, in the Catch Reporting app, or by phone.

Species: Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, Swordfish, Blue Marlin, White Marlin, Sailfish.

How to report · NOAA HMS · checked 2026-09-04

Licences and the fine print

A Massachusetts recreational saltwater fishing permit is required for anyone 16 and older. Anglers 60 and over pay nothing but still need the permit; passengers on permitted charter and head boats are exempt.

Get a Massachusetts saltwater permit

Nearby waters: New Hampshire · Rhode Island · all 19 rulebooks

Questions anglers ask about Massachusetts

Do I need a license to fish saltwater in Massachusetts?