Size, bag and season for recreational bluefish in Massachusetts waters, as published by Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries.
Stale: this row was last checked Oct 8, 2026, past our 30-day limit. Treat it as history and go to the agency page.
Rules change in season, sometimes by emergency notice. This page summarizes the agency page on the date shown. If this summary and the agency page disagree, the agency page controls.
Bluefish rules are mostly about the bag limit, and a state can set a different bag for for-hire customers than for private anglers.
Massachusetts rules apply in state waters, generally out to 3 nautical miles. Bluefish are jointly managed by ASMFC and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. Federal recreational measures apply in federal waters. NOAA Fisheries · bluefish ↗
Rules for the same fish change at the state line. If you run across it or land in the next state, those rules apply.
| State | Size | Bag | Status as of Oct 13, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maine | No minimum size | 5 fish per angler per day | Openas of Oct 13 |
| New Hampshire | No minimum size stated | 5 fish per day (7 per day from a licensed saltwater for-hire vessel) | Openas of Oct 13 |
| Massachusetts | No minimum size | 5 fish (shore and private vessel); 7 fish (for-hire vessel) | Openas of Oct 13 |
| Rhode Island | No minimum size | 5 fish per person per day (licensed party/charter: 7 fish per person per day) | Openas of Oct 13 |
| Connecticut | No minimum length | 5 fish per angler per day (including snappers); 7 for party/charter paying passengers | Openas of Oct 13 |
Attributed operator claims, not verified catches. The full Bite Wire →
Jimmy Fee's October 1 report described striped bass concentrated at the Canal East End on 3-to-5-ounce paddletails, with fish from schoolies to over 40 inches. School bluefin tuna turned up off Provincetown again after the storm; Captain Bobby Rice's boat found them on trolling and RonZ lures.
