The single most important thing to understand about fishing the Northeast is that it runs on a calendar. The fish are migratory, the bait moves, and each species has a window (or two) when it is best. Use this month-by-month guide to know what is biting and when, then plan your trip around the run you most want to fish.
| Species | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Striped bass | ||||||||||||
| Bluefish | ||||||||||||
| False albacore | ||||||||||||
| Bonito | ||||||||||||
| Bluefin tuna | ||||||||||||
| Black sea bass | ||||||||||||
| Tautog | ||||||||||||
| Trout (fresh) | ||||||||||||
| Largemouth bass |
Peak Around Off / weather-dependent
Spring: the run arrives
April
The season wakes up. The first schoolie striped bass push into the warmer back bays, estuaries and Cape rivers, following herring and worms. Freshwater is prime, trout stocking is underway (see the Swift and other rivers), and largemouth start to stir. Late in the month the mackerel show.
May
Prime time begins. Keeper-class stripers arrive in force in Boston Harbor and along the Cape, mackerel are thick for bait, and the inshore squid run fires up. Black sea bass and tautog open on the structure. Freshwater bass move shallow to spawn.
June
Arguably the best all-around striper month. Big fish are everywhere, on the flats, the rips and the harbor structure, feeding hard before the summer heat. Sea bass and smallmouth fishing peaks, and the first bluefish blitzes light up.
Summer: heat, the Canal and the first tuna
July
As the water warms, stripers go deeper and more nocturnal, and the Cape Cod Canal comes into its own for big bass on the breaking tide. Offshore, the bluefin tuna arrive on Stellwagen, and the bottom fishing (sea bass, scup, fluke) is excellent. The first bonito can show late in the month.
August
Tuna fishing hits its stride, and the funny fish begin: bonito around the Cape and Islands, with the first false albacore often showing late in the month. Night fishing for stripers is the play in the heat, and offshore sharking is on.
Fall: the run everyone waits for
September
The best month of the year. The fall run ignites: albies and bonito peak around Cape Cod and the Islands, stripers and bluefish blitz peanut bunker and bait on the surface, and the tuna bite stays strong. If you can only fish once, fish now.
October
The fall run rolls on. Albies hang into early and mid-month, striper blitzes can be epic as the fish feed up for the migration, and bluefin can be excellent. Tautog fishing peaks again, and freshwater bass go on a strong fall feed.
November
The season winds down but can still deliver. The last big striper blitzes come early in the month as fish push south, late-season bluefin tuna can be outstanding for those who chase them, and cool water turns on a solid freshwater bass and trout bite.
Winter: freshwater and planning
December through March
Inshore saltwater goes quiet, but the fishing does not stop. Chain pickerel and holdover trout bite through the cold (the Swift River tailwater fishes all winter), ice fishing takes over the ponds, and weather-window trips offshore can find cod and haddock. It is also the time to organize the boxes, learn the knots, and book the dates you want for the coming season.
Tip The fall run (September into October) books up first, and for good reason. If you have your heart set on albies, blitzing bass or a shot at tuna, reserve your dates early, those weeks fill fastest.
Ready to fish the run?
Every one of these seasons fishes better with someone who is on the water every day. See the trips and pricing, or read up on fly fishing Boston and Cape Cod fly fishing, then get in touch to lock in your dates.