Can I Keep?Massachusetts Saltwater Fishing Regulations (2026)
Recreational size limits, bag limits and seasons for 89 saltwater species in Massachusetts, from the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries. Last checked November 7, 2026. Where a species has several rules (by area or water), the table shows the first; open the species for all of them.
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Official Massachusetts regulations · Saltwater fishing license
Inshore
| Species | Size limit | Bag limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| American eel | Min: 9" | 25 fish | Year Round |
| American Shad (2 rules) | No Limit | 3 fish | Year Round |
| Red Drum | — | — | — |
| Smelt | No Limit | 50 fish (Jan 1 - Mar 14); 50 fish (Jun 16 - Dec 31) | Jan 1 - Mar 14; Jun 16 - Dec 31 |
| Striped Bass (2 rules) | 28" to less than 31" | 1 fish | Year Round |
| Weakfish (2 rules) | Min: 16" | 1 fish | Year Round |
| White Perch | Min: 8" | 25 fish | Year Round |
Reef fish
| Species | Size limit | Bag limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Sea Bass | Min: 16" | 4 fish (May 16 - Aug 31); 2 fish (Sept 1 - Oct 14) | May 16 - Aug 31; Sept 1 - Oct 14 |
| Scup (3 rules) | Min: 11" | 30 fish | May 1 - Dec 31 |
| Tautog (2 rules) | Min: 16" Only one fish may exceed 21" | 3 fish (Apr 1 - May 31); 1 fish (Jun 1 - Jul 31); 3 fish (Aug 1 - Oct… | Apr 1 - May 31; Jun 1 - Jul 31; Aug 1 - Oct 14; Oct 15 - Dec 31 |
Offshore & pelagic
| Species | Size limit | Bag limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic angel shark | — | Prohibited | Prohibited from harvest |
| Atlantic bonito & false albacore | Min: 16" | 5 fish both species combined | Year Round |
| Atlantic Herring | None | Unlimited | All year |
| Atlantic Mackerel | None | 20 fish per person | All year |
| Atlantic sharpnose shark | no minimum size | included in total shark bag limit +1 additional | — |
| Basking shark | — | Prohibited | Prohibited from harvest |
| Bigeye sand tiger shark | — | Prohibited | Prohibited from harvest |
| Bigeye sixgill shark | — | Prohibited | Prohibited from harvest |
| Bigeye thresher shark | — | Prohibited | Prohibited from harvest |
| Bignose shark | — | Prohibited | Prohibited from harvest |
| Blacknose shark | no minimum size | included in total shark bag limit | — |
| Bluefish (3 rules) | No Limit | 5 fish | Year Round |
| Bluntnose sixgill shark | — | Prohibited | Prohibited from harvest |
| Bonnethead shark | no minimum size | included in total shark bag limit +1 additional | — |
| Butterfish | None | Unlimited | All year |
| Caribbean reef shark | — | Prohibited | Prohibited from harvest |
| Caribbean sharpnose shark | — | Prohibited | Prohibited from harvest |
| Dusky shark | — | Prohibited | Prohibited from harvest |
| Finetooth shark | no minimum size | included in total shark bag limit | — |
| Galapagos shark | — | Prohibited | Prohibited from harvest |
| Hammerhead shark | 78 in | included in total shark bag limit | — |
| Longfin mako shark | — | Prohibited | Prohibited from harvest |
| Mackerel (2 rules) | No Limit | 25 fish | Year Round |
| Mola Mola | None | Unlimited | All year |
| Narrowtooth shark | — | Prohibited | Prohibited from harvest |
| Night shark | — | Prohibited | Prohibited from harvest |
| Oceanic whitetip shark | — | Prohibited | Prohibited from harvest |
| River Herring | — | Prohibited | Closed |
| Sand tiger shark | — | Prohibited | Prohibited from harvest |
| Sandbar shark | — | Prohibited | Prohibited from harvest |
| Sharks (all permitted species) | 54 in | 1 total per trip | — |
| Sharpnose sevengill shark | — | Prohibited | Prohibited from harvest |
| Shortfin mako shark | — | Prohibited | Prohibited from harvest |
| Silky shark | — | Prohibited | Prohibited from harvest |
| Smalltail shark | — | Prohibited | Prohibited from harvest |
| Smooth dogfish | no minimum size | included in total shark bag limit +1 additional | — |
| Spiny Dogfish (2 rules) | No Limit | No Limit | Year Round |
| Whale shark | — | Prohibited | Prohibited from harvest |
| White shark | — | Prohibited | Prohibited from harvest |
Groundfish & flatfish
| Species | Size limit | Bag limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Plaice | 14 inches | Unlimited | All year |
| Atlantic Cod (2 rules) | 23 inches | Private Anglers: 1 fish per day Party/Charter Anglers: 1 fish per day | September 1 - October 31 |
| Cod (2 rules) | Min: 23" | 1 fish | Sept 1 - Oct 31 |
| Cusk | None | Unlimited | All year |
| Dab (plaice) | Min: 14" | No Limit | Year Round |
| Grey Sole | Min: 14" | No Limit | Year Round |
| Haddock (4 rules) | Min: 17" | 15 fish | Apr 1 - Feb 28 |
| Hake/Whiting | None | Unlimited | All year |
| Halibut (2 rules) | Min: 41" | 1 fish | Year Round |
| Monkfish (2 rules) | No Limit | No Limit | Year Round |
| Ocean Pout (2 rules) | — | Prohibited | Closed |
| Pollock (2 rules) | No Limit | No Limit | Year Round |
| Redfish (2 rules) | No Limit | No Limit | Year Round |
| Summer Flounder (2 rules) | Min: 17.5" | 5 fish | May 24 - Sep 23 |
| Tilefish: Blueline | None | 3 fish per person on private vessels 5 fish per person on uninspected… | May 15-Nov 14 |
| Tilefish: Golden | None | 8 per person | All year |
| Windowpane Flounder (2 rules) | — | Prohibited | Closed |
| Winter Flounder (3 rules) | Min: 12" | 8 fish | Year Round |
| Witch Flounder | 14 inches | Unlimited | All year |
| Wolffish (2 rules) | — | Prohibited | Closed |
| Yellowtail Flounder (2 rules) | Min: 13" | No Limit | Year Round |
Salmon & trout
| Species | Size limit | Bag limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Salmon | — | — | — |
Crabs, lobster & shrimp
| Species | Size limit | Bag limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| American lobster (4 rules) | Minimum carapace 3 1/4"; maximum carapace 5" | 15 per person | Closed Season: All buoyed trap gear must be removed from the water by… |
| Blue crab | 5 in shell width (spine to spine) | 25 per person | — |
| Cancer crab (Rock and Jonah) | — | 50 per person | — |
| Invasive crabs | — | — | Closed season on harvest is January 01–April 30 |
Clams, oysters & scallops
| Species | Size limit | Bag limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Sea Scallop | — | — | — |
| Atlantic Surf Clam | None | 2 bushels | All year |
| Bay scallops | well defined growth ring | — | Closed Apr 01 - Oct 01 |
| Conch | — | 15 mixed whelk limit; consult town regulations | — |
| Ocean Quahog | None | 2 bushels | All year |
| Oyster | 3 in shell diameter | — | — |
| Quahog | 1 in shell thickness | — | — |
| Sea Scallop | 3 1/2 in shell diameter | daily limit of 1 bushel in shell, or 4 quarts of shucked meats | — |
| Softshell clam | 2 in shell diameter | — | — |
| Surf clam | 5 in shell diameter | — | — |
Other species
| Species | Size limit | Bag limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skate: Barndoor, Smooth, Thorny | — | — | — |
| Skate: Clearnose, Little, Rosette, Winter | None | Unlimited | All year |
| Squid: Longfin and Shortfin | None | Unlimited | All year |
| Sturgeon: Atlantic and Shortnose | — | — | — |