Fishing Library · Areas

Fishing Areas & Spots

Where to fish and how to fish it, surfcasting beaches, inshore grounds, the tuna spots (with GPS, bait and seasons), trout rivers, and the best bass and pike waters in the region.

Surfcasting Spots

Plum Island NewburyportCape Cod Canal the big ditchNauset Beach OrleansRace Point Surf ProvincetownSandy Neck BarnstableNantasket Beach HullDuxbury Beach & the Gurnet DuxburyScusset Beach east end of canalWasque & Chappaquiddick Martha's VineyardCrane Beach IpswichChatham Outer Beach South & North Beach

Inshore Spots

Boston Harbor the home waterBroad Sound Winthrop to NahantQuincy Bay south harborLynn Flats flats & channelsNahant rocky shorelineMarblehead harbor & the NeckEssex River estuary & barMerrimack River mouth & estuaryJoppa Flats NewburyportPlymouth & Duxbury Bay Bug Light, the GurnetBrewster Flats Cape Cod BayWest Side of the Canal Buzzards Bay endBuzzards Bay bass & albiesthe Elizabeth Islands Woods Hole to CuttyhunkCuttyhunk striper legendWoods Hole the passageMenemsha, Squibnocket & Devil's Bridge Martha's Vineyardthe Chatham Rips MonomoyRace Point (inshore) ProvincetownBillingsgate Shoal WellfleetHedge Fence Nantucket Soundthe Middle Ground Vineyard Sound

Tuna: Stellwagen Bank

Stellwagen Bank overview & the cornersStellwagen SW Corner southwest cornerStellwagen NW Corner northwest cornerStellwagen NE Corner northeast cornerStellwagen SE Corner southeast cornerStellwagen Middle Bank the middlethe High Ground southern Stellwagen

Tuna: North Shore & Gulf of Maine

Gloucester & the North Shore overviewJeffreys Ledge the Gulf of MaineTillies Bank east of Cape AnnIpswich Bay north of Cape Ann

Tuna: Cape Cod Bay & Race Point

Cape Cod Bay inshore bluefinRace Point the rip & beyond

Tuna: East of Chatham

East of Chatham overviewCrab Ledge bait & bluefinthe BC Buoy the shipping lanesthe Regal Sword the wreckthe BB Buoy furthest souththe Shipping Lanes off Cape Cod

Tuna: South of the Vineyard

South of the Vineyard overview & the lanesGordon's Gully early-season startthe Inside Fingers early seasonthe 31 Fathom Hole the holethe Outside Fingers jiggingthe Claw the last ditchNoman's & Gay Head the shoalsthe Dump the mud holethe Star the warm-water edgethe Hooter Wasque Shoals

Tuna: Rhode Island, Block & Montauk

South of Block Island overviewthe Acid Barge structure & baitTuna Ridge the 30-fathom curveCoxes Ledge south of Rhode Islandthe Gully the RI troughthe Butterfish Hole the yellowfin spotSouth of Montauk overviewHabs Ledge southwest of Montauk

The Canyons (Offshore Big Game)

The Northeast Canyons overviewHudson Canyon the big oneBlock Canyon off Block & MontaukAtlantis Canyon the shelf edgeVeatch Canyon south of the CapeHydrographer Canyon the Georges edgeOceanographer Canyon into Georges BankGilbert Canyon Georges BankLydonia Canyon Georges BankWelker Canyon Georges BankCorsair Canyon the far edge

Trout Rivers & Streams

the Swift River Quabbin tailwaterthe Deerfield River tailwater freestonethe Farmington River Connecticut tailwaterthe Millers River north-central MAthe Westfield River wild troutthe Ware River central MAthe Squannacook River wild brownsthe Nissitissit River small-stream gemthe Quashnet River Cape sea-run brookiesthe Green River Berkshires wild troutthe Konkapot River southwest Berkshiresthe EB Westfield catch & release

Freshwater: Bass, Pike & More

Quabbin Reservoir smallmouth & lake troutWachusett Reservoir trophy smallmouth (shore)the Connecticut River bass, pike & walleyeLake Quinsigamond bass & pikeWebster Lake ChargoggagoggLong Pond LakevilleAssawompset Pond the big natural pondOnota Lake Pittsfield, tiger muskyPontoosuc Lake Berkshires bass & pikeLake Cochituate NatickSudbury Reservoir & River pike & bassthe Charles River urban bass & pikethe Concord River the SuAsCothe Watuppa Ponds Fall RiverMashpee-Wakeby Pond Cape CodCliff Pond Nickerson State Park
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Note: fishing regulations (size limits, bag limits, seasons, permits) change often. Always confirm current rules with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (saltwater), MassWildlife (freshwater), or NOAA Fisheries (offshore/HMS) before you keep a fish.