The easy one: on a charter, you are covered
Here is the good news for anyone booking a trip: you do not need your own fishing license when you fish on a licensed charter. Captain Nick’s permits cover every angler aboard, so there is nothing for you to buy or fill out. Just show up ready to fish. The rest of this page is for when you are fishing on your own.
Saltwater fishing on your own
To fish recreationally in Massachusetts salt water from your own boat or the shore, you generally need the Massachusetts Recreational Saltwater Fishing Permit. There are age-based exemptions and details that change, so check who needs one and how to get it at the Massachusetts DMF.
Individual species carry their own size limits, bag limits and seasons. Striped bass in particular are tightly managed with a slot limit, a one-fish bag limit, and a requirement to use inline circle hooks when fishing with bait. Black sea bass, scup, fluke, tautog and others each have defined open seasons and limits. Because these numbers move, always confirm the current striped bass and groundfish rules with Massachusetts DMF before you keep anything.
Freshwater fishing on your own
Fishing fresh water in Massachusetts requires a MassWildlife freshwater fishing license (with age-based exemptions). Trout, bass and other species have their own creel and size limits, and some waters, like catch-and-release trout sections and public water supplies such as Quabbin and Wachusett, have special regulations and access rules. Get your license and check the rules at MassWildlife.
Offshore: tuna, sharks and HMS
To fish for Atlantic highly migratory species, tuna, sharks and billfish, you need the federal HMS Angling permit, and there are size and retention rules that change through the season. Shark fishing carries extra requirements (a shark identification and safe-handling course, circle hooks, and rules for releasing prohibited species), and shore-based shark fishing has its own Massachusetts restrictions. Confirm everything with NOAA Fisheries HMS.
Protected species: know what you cannot keep
Some species are fully protected or cannot be kept. White sharks are fully protected (no targeting, chumming or attracting), retention of shortfin mako is prohibited in the Atlantic, and several other sharks and species are release-only. Learn to identify what you catch, and release protected species quickly and in the water. When in doubt, let it go.
Bottom line
Regulations exist to keep these fisheries healthy for the long run, and they are worth getting right. Use this page as a starting point, then verify the current rules with the official sources for the water and species you are fishing:
- Massachusetts DMF (saltwater)
- MassWildlife (freshwater)
- NOAA Fisheries HMS (tuna, sharks, billfish)