Massachusetts fishing reports
499 reports for Massachusetts — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Cape Cod stripers hold steady as bunker push fuels the bite
Water temps sit at 64°F this morning across NOAA CO-OPS stations 8447930 and 8447386, comfortable for the fall migration building through the region. Around Falmouth, striped bass are running schoolie to slot size along the shore, in the harbors, and off the jetties, with bluefish mixed in and an occasional false albacore working within casting range, per The Fisherman — Cape Cod & Islands. Up in Barnstable Harbor and off Harding Beach, the same feed reports bass holding in a similar wind-and-bait-driven pattern. Further north on the South Shore, peanut bunker have pushed inshore and set the table for a run of around-slot stripers moving into Plymouth Harbor and Pegotty Bay, per The Fisherman — South Shore MA to ME. Small blues remain mixed into bait schools off Craigville and Dowses Beach as well.
Cape Cod Bay stripers stall, tautog bite turns on
Cape Cod Bay water sat at 62.8°F this morning per NOAA CO-OPS station 8449130, still mild for the turn toward fall. Southern New England reports read mixed for striped bass this week: Saltwater Edge Blog (RI) called the striper bite lackluster for most anglers, though the shop expects it to pick up once nights cool and northerly winds arrive. Tautog fishing is trending the other way, with the same report noting the bite picking up as bass rafts begin showing over structure.
Pike and Crappie Keep Biting as Central Mass Ponds Head Toward Fall
Freshwater action across central and northeastern Massachusetts held steady into late September. Roger Aziz Jr., a longtime Methuen-area fishing source cited by The Fisherman — New England Freshwater, reported landing five Northern Pike and several Crappie on a recent Merrimack River outing, even as water ran low across many inland rivers this month. Closer to the Blackstone Valley, Jerry's Bait and Tackle in Milford says local anglers, including school-age regulars, are keeping area ponds and Hopedale Pond busy after class and on weekends, working live bait for a lively mixed bite as afternoons cool.
Full moon meets dry-summer drawdown at Quabbin and Wachusett
Quabbin and Wachusett head into the final week of September under a full moon, timed with the seasonal squeeze many Massachusetts freshwater fisheries are showing after a dry summer. The Fisherman — New England Freshwater reports low water across ponds, lakes, and rivers throughout the Northeast Wildlife District, with Roger Aziz Jr. still finding steady action on the Merrimack River, including northern pike and crappie mixed into his catches despite the drawdown. That kind of low-water pattern is common on reservoirs statewide this time of year, and it typically pushes baitfish and gamefish toward deeper basin structure and drop-offs as the surface layer continues to cool.
Cape Cod Bay stripers hold steady as tautog bite turns on to the south
Water at NOAA's Cape Cod Bay station (8449130) read 60.1°F early this morning, still on the mild side after the weekend storm that forced organizers to cancel Falmouth's StriperFest 2026. Striped bass remain in the mix around the Cape: a hidden-compartment poaching case at the Smugglers Beach ramp in South Yarmouth this week confirmed anglers are still connecting with bass locally, even as Saltwater Edge Blog (RI) describes the striper bite one region south as lackluster for most through late September. The same report notes the tautog bite is picking up, a pattern worth watching as it works its way up the coast toward Cape Cod Bay.
Full moon tides set up a striper shift in Buzzards Bay
Water temperatures read 64°F across Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound this morning, and tonight's full moon is amplifying tidal currents through both bodies of water. Striped bass fishing has been lackluster for most anglers in the region, per Saltwater Edge Blog (RI), while tautog action is reportedly picking up as the water continues to cool.
Tautog Bite Builds in Cape Cod Bay as Stripers Wait on Cooler Winds
Cape Cod Bay water sits at 59.9°F this morning per NOAA CO-OPS station 8449130, a sign the fall cool-down is underway under this week's full moon. Regional tackle-shop reports match the trend: per Saltwater Edge Blog (RI), tautog fishing is picking up while striped bass action has been lackluster through the summer crowds but should improve with the chilly nights and northerly winds moving in. On The Water reports severe weather forced organizers to cancel Falmouth's StriperFest 2026, originally set for this Saturday on the Cape Cod waterfront — a sign the same system pushing temperatures down is bringing rough conditions to the bay this weekend.
Tautog Bite Firms Up as Buzzards Bay Stripers Stay Patchy
Water held in the low-to-mid 60s this week, 63.3°F at Woods Hole and 64.2°F to the north, as the fall transition settles in under this week's full moon. Just south along the Rhode Island coast, Saltwater Edge Blog reports the tautog bite picking up while striped bass have been lackluster for most anglers, a split that tracks with what we'd expect here in Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound as the same cooling trend moves through.
Nor'easter pushes bait, and stripers, tight to Cape Cod Bay beaches
Water at NOAA CO-OPS station 8449130 read 59.7°F this morning as a nor'easter forecast for this weekend forced organizers to cancel Falmouth's StriperFest, per On The Water. The fishing itself is holding up despite the disruption. Per The Fisherman — Cape Cod & Islands, the Goose Hummock Shop reports Cape Cod Bay stacked with pogies and plenty of stripers, while Sports Port notes pogies pushed into the beaches around Barnstable Harbor and Sandy Neck, with surf fishermen scoring stripers over 30 inches. Falmouth Bait and Tackle adds stripers holding in harbors and rivers along with some bluefish activity along the shore, and false albacore continue showing between Yarmouth and Hyannis per Black Rose Fishing Charters.
Falmouth albies and Buzzards Bay stripers turn on under full moon
Water temperature held at 64.9°F this morning across both Buzzards Bay tide stations (NOAA CO-OPS 8447930 and 8447386), still comfortably warm for the fall push now underway. Falmouth Bait & Tackle reports decent bluefish along the Falmouth shore with a few false albacore in the 10-pound class, and stripers working the harbors and rivers out toward the Elizabeth Islands. At Barnstable Harbor, Sports Port has surfcasters connecting with striped bass over 30 inches as baitfish get pushed onto the beaches, alongside steady black sea bass on bottom rigs. Goose Hummock is putting albies over 12 pounds on small jigs, with plenty of stripers still holding on the Cape Cod Bay side.
Blues and albies keep Falmouth anglers busy ahead of nor'easter
Water temps sit at 65.5–65.8°F across the two regional CO-OPS tide stations, still comfortable for the fall migration. Falmouth Bait and Tackle reports decent bluefish along the Falmouth shore this week, along with a few false albacore running in the 10-pound class. Striped bass are working the harbors and rivers, and one angler fishing around the Elizabeth Islands is finding schoolies pushing small bait to the surface. Sports Port adds false albacore along the sound shore from Falmouth through Hyannis and Chatham, with black sea bass holding steady on the bottom.
Albies and blues keep Cape Cod Bay charged as stripers hold
Water temperature sits at 60.4°F at NOAA CO-OPS station 8449130 this morning, still holding summer-adjacent numbers even as the calendar turns toward the fall run. Per Goose Hummock Shop, the Cape Cod Bay side is loaded with pogies and stripers, while bonito and albies rounded out a strong week on the Sound side. Falmouth Bait and Tackle reports blues along the Falmouth shore plus bonito and albies in the 10-pound class, and Sports Port notes stripers over 30 inches in the surf around Barnstable Harbor and Sandy Neck along with steady sea bass on the bottom.