2026 regulation year
Massachusetts Fishing Regulations 2026 — License Fees, Seasons, Bag Limits
Last updated
Massachusetts splits its licence system between two distinct agencies: the Division of Fisheries & Wildlife (MassWildlife / DFW) runs the freshwater licence under the Department of Fish & Game, and the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) runs the Saltwater Fishing Permit ($10 / year resident + non-resident — one of the few East-Coast states still charging a fee instead of running a free ASMFC registry). Quabbin Reservoir (24,500 acres on the Swift River — the largest inland water body in MA, created in 1939 by flooding the 4 Swift River Valley towns of Greenwich, Dana, Enfield, and Prescott) is the state's flagship coldwater lake — self-sustaining lake trout + stocked landlocked Atlantic salmon + brown + rainbow + brook trout — accessible only via MassWildlife Quabbin Boat Permit, shore fishing free year-round at designated gates. Wachusett Reservoir (4,135 acres on the South Branch of the Nashua River, Clinton + West Boylston — the Boston metro water supply under DCR/MWRA) supports a second self-sustaining lake trout fishery + trophy smallmouth bass + brown trout, shore-only access on most reaches via DCR permit. The Swift River below Winsor Dam at Quabbin is one of New England's premier wild brown trout tailwaters with a catch-and-release fly-fishing-only special-regulation reach. Cape Cod Canal (7-mile sea-level canal connecting Buzzards Bay to Cape Cod Bay) hosts a famous May – June + September – October striped bass blitz. Cape Cod Bay + Buzzards Bay + Nantucket Sound + Vineyard Sound + Boston Harbor + Plum Island + the Merrimack River mouth carry the saltwater striper + summer flounder + tautog + scup + bluefish + bonito + false albacore tier under DMF. The Connecticut River (Hatfield + Sunderland + Northfield reaches) is the western-MA smallmouth + walleye + American shad mainstem; the Merrimack River runs north-coast smallmouth + striper + shad. Walden Pond (Concord — Henry David Thoreau's pond, now a state reservation) carries restrictive shore + boat regulations.
Get change alerts
Watch Massachusetts fishing regulations and we'll email you when a season, bag limit, slot, or closure changes. Free while in beta.
License fees
| Licence | Price (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Resident annual freshwater fishing | $27.50 | |
| Resident 3-day freshwater | $11.50 | |
| Resident senior (65+) | $5.00 | |
| Resident minor (15–17) | $5.00 | |
| Resident Saltwater Fishing Permit (annual) | $10.00 | DMF-issued; required for ages 16+; free for 60+ or disabled |
| Resident Quabbin / Wachusett Boat Permit (add-on) | $35.00 | MassWildlife Quabbin Boat Permit — boat-launch access only on Quabbin Reservoir |
| Resident under 15 | Free | Not required under age 15 |
| Resident disabled / blind / paraplegic | Free | Free Sportsman license; eligibility required |
| Licence | Price (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Non-resident annual freshwater fishing | $35.00 | |
| Non-resident 3-day freshwater | $26.50 | |
| Non-resident minor (15–17) | $7.50 | |
| Non-resident Saltwater Fishing Permit (annual) | $10.00 | DMF-issued; required for ages 16+; reciprocal exemptions for CT + NY + NH + RI saltwater permit holders |
| Non-resident Saltwater Fishing Permit (3-day) | $6.50 | DMF-issued; short-trip option |
| Non-resident under 15 | Free | Not required under age 15 |
Buy directly from Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife (freshwater) + MA Division of Marine Fisheries (saltwater). Fees may include processing surcharges at point of sale.
Top species — season, bag, size
| Species | Season | Daily bag | Size / slot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Striped bass (rockfish)Compare across states → | Atlantic coast typically May 1 – Dec 15 (ASMFC harmonized); commercial separate season per DMF notice | 1 / day per angler (ASMFC harmonized recreational) | 28–31 in protected slot (ASMFC Addendum II harmonized); MA commercial minimum 35 in (separate fishery) |
| Largemouth bassCompare across states → | Year-round; statewide harvest open year-round on all public waters | 5 / day combined black bass (largemouth + smallmouth) | 12 in min statewide; no closed season |
| Trout (rainbow + brown + brook)Compare across states → | Year-round on most waters; designated Trout Management Areas + Catch-and-Release reaches have special rules | 8 / day combined trout statewide (3 / day on Trout Management Areas) | No statewide minimum; 12 in min + 1 / day on listed Catch-and-Keep Trophy reaches |
| Smallmouth bassCompare across states → | Year-round; statewide harvest open year-round on all public waters | 5 / day combined black bass (largemouth + smallmouth) | 12 in min statewide; trophy reservoirs Quabbin + Wachusett produce 5+ lb fish |
| Summer flounder (fluke)Compare across states → | Per annual DMF notice (typical May 22 – Oct 9 ocean + bays) | 5 / day per angler (recreational) | 17.5 in min ocean + bays (typical) — confirm current-year DMF notice |
| Lake trout (togue)Compare across states → | Open year-round (MA regulation); reservoir-access seasons apply — Quabbin ~3rd Sat Apr – 3rd Sat Oct (boat), Wachusett 1st Sat Apr – Nov 30 | Water-specific: Quabbin 2 / day; Wachusett 3 / day | Quabbin 18 in min; Wachusett no minimum size |
| Landlocked Atlantic salmon | Open year-round (MA regulation); stocked in Quabbin + Wachusett — reservoir-access seasons apply | 2 / day (Quabbin + Wachusett) | 15 in min |
| Tautog (blackfish) | Apr 1 – Dec 31 (DMF); date-stepped bag | 3 / day (Apr–May) · 1 / day (Jun–Jul) · 3 / day (Aug 1 – Oct 14) · 5 / day (Oct 15 – Dec 31); 10 / vessel max | 16 in min; only 1 fish / day may exceed 21 in |
Notable water-body special regulations
24,500-acre flagship MA coldwater reservoir — largest inland water body in MA; created 1939 by flooding 4 Swift River Valley towns (Greenwich, Dana, Enfield, Prescott); self-sustaining lake trout + stocked landlocked Atlantic salmon + brown + rainbow + brook trout + smallmouth bass + white perch + chain pickerel; MassWildlife Quabbin Boat Permit required for boat launch; shore fishing free year-round at designated gates; closed-watershed unfiltered Boston/MWRA water supply; 18 in min lake trout, 2 / day; landlocked salmon 15 in min, 2 / day
4,135-acre Boston metro water supply (DCR/MWRA); self-sustaining lake trout + trophy smallmouth bass + brown + rainbow trout; shore-only access on most reaches via DCR Wachusett shoreline rules (no swimming, no boating except DCR-permitted), restricted boat fishing season; lake trout NO minimum size + 3 / day; landlocked salmon 15 in min + 2 / day; 12 in min smallmouth + 5 / day combined; closed-watershed unfiltered water supply
Year-round wild brown trout tailwater below Quabbin's Winsor Dam — one of New England's premier coldwater fisheries; catch-and-release fly-fishing-only special-regulation reach from Route 9 to Cady Lane; standard regs on remaining stretches with Trout Stamp not required (MA does not issue a separate trout stamp); Pacific Mills + Bondsville reaches catch-and-keep
Western-MA mainstem river; smallmouth bass + walleye + channel catfish + American shad spring spawning run (April – June); CT River boundary reciprocal with CT + NH on listed reaches; northern pike + tiger muskellunge in Holyoke + Turners Falls pools; 12 in min smallmouth + 5 / day combined; 28 in min walleye, 3 / day
62-acre Walden Pond State Reservation — Henry David Thoreau's pond; restrictive shore + boat regulations; artificial-lures + flies only on shore reaches; stocked rainbow + brown + brook trout + smallmouth + largemouth; 12 in min largemouth + smallmouth + 5 / day combined; no live bait restriction varies by season — confirm DCR posting
625-acre tri-pond chain (North + Middle + South Cochituate) Cochituate State Park; smallmouth bass + largemouth + chain pickerel + crappie + yellow perch; 12 in min largemouth + smallmouth + 5 / day combined; small-craft only, no gas motors
480-acre Berkshire County reservoir; smallmouth bass + largemouth + walleye + trout + lake trout (stocked); 12 in min largemouth + smallmouth + 5 / day combined; 28 in min walleye, 3 / day
617-acre Berkshire County lake adjacent to Pontoosuc; smallmouth + largemouth + trout + walleye + lake trout (stocked + carry-over); 12 in min largemouth + smallmouth + 5 / day combined
Squannacook River (Worcester County)
Major north-central MA wild trout stream + heavily stocked tributary of the Nashua River; wild brown + brook trout; standard MA trout regs; popular Trout Management Area reaches
Premier western-MA tailwater trout river below Fife Brook Dam (Florida MA); wild + stocked rainbow + brown trout; catch-and-release Pulpit Rock + Wild + Native sections; whitewater rafting + tailwater fly-fishing destination
Wild Scenic Westfield River system — wild brook + brown trout headwaters + stocked main stem; Catch-and-Release artificial-only sections on listed reaches; designated Cold Water Fisheries Resource by MassDEP
North-coast major river; smallmouth bass + striped bass (tidal lower reach) + American shad spring spawn + Atlantic sturgeon protected; 12 in min smallmouth + 5 / day combined; tidal reach below Haverhill requires MA Saltwater Permit for striper
7-mile sea-level canal connecting Buzzards Bay to Cape Cod Bay (US Army Corps of Engineers managed); famous May – June + September – October striped bass blitz with shore-pounders working the rip; tautog + scup + bluefish + summer flounder seasonally; MA Saltwater Permit required
Major southern-coast embayment; striped bass + summer flounder + tautog + scup + bluefish + winter flounder + cod offshore; DMF rules apply; MA Saltwater Permit required for ages 16+
Buzzards Bay (Bristol / Plymouth Counties)
Major southwestern-coast bay between Cape Cod + RI border; summer flounder + scup + tautog + striped bass + bluefish + bonito + false albacore (late summer); DMF rules apply; Westport River + Slocum River tributaries
Nantucket Sound (Barnstable / Dukes Counties)
Sound between Cape Cod + Nantucket + Martha's Vineyard; summer flounder + scup + striped bass + bluefish + bonito + false albacore (August – October blitz); DMF rules apply
Sound between Martha's Vineyard + Elizabeth Islands; striped bass + bluefish + bonito + false albacore + scup + tautog; major surf-fishing destination — Wasque + Squibnocket + Lobsterville; DMF rules apply
Boston Harbor (Suffolk County)
Boston Harbor + Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area; striped bass + tautog + scup + bluefish + winter flounder + cunner; DMF rules apply; 28–31 in striped bass slot, 1 / day per ASMFC
Plum Island Sound + Merrimack River mouth
Major north-coast surf-fishing destination; striped bass spring + fall migration; bluefish + striped bass blitz at Newburyport jetty + Plum Island beach; DMF rules apply; MA Saltwater Permit required
Westport River (Bristol County)
Buzzards Bay tributary; East + West Branch estuarine system; striped bass + tautog + scup + summer flounder; DMF rules apply
1,721-acre Lakeville pond — one of the larger SE MA ponds; smallmouth + largemouth + trout (stocked) + chain pickerel + yellow perch + white perch; 12 in min largemouth + smallmouth + 5 / day combined
Frequently asked questions
- Do you need a fishing license to fish in Massachusetts?
- Yes. Massachusetts requires residents and non-residents alike to hold a valid fishing license, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. Buy directly from Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife (freshwater) + MA Division of Marine Fisheries (saltwater); resident and non-resident fees are listed in the tables above.
- How much is a fishing license in Massachusetts?
- Resident fees range from $5.00 (resident senior (65+)) to $35.00 (resident quabbin / wachusett boat permit (add-on)); Non-resident fees range from $6.50 (non-resident saltwater fishing permit (3-day)) to $35.00 (non-resident annual freshwater fishing). The full breakdown — annual, multi-day, senior, and lifetime options — is in the license-fee tables above, and you can compare Massachusetts against every other state on the license-fee comparator.
- What fish can you catch in Massachusetts?
- Massachusetts anglers most commonly target Striped bass (rockfish), Largemouth bass, Trout (rainbow + brown + brook), Smallmouth bass, Summer flounder (fluke), Lake trout (togue), and others. Each species sets its own season, daily bag, and size or slot limit — compare them in the species table above, or open a species page for the full 2026 rule.
- When does fishing season open in Massachusetts?
- It depends on the species — Massachusetts sets a separate season for each. Warmwater fish like bass, catfish, and panfish are open year-round in most of the state, while trout, walleye, salmon, and other cold-water or migratory species have dated seasons. The season column in the table above shows each one, and Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife (freshwater) + MA Division of Marine Fisheries (saltwater) can shift dates by emergency order.
- Are there special fishing rules on specific Massachusetts waters?
- Yes. 21 named Massachusetts waters carry regulations that differ from the statewide rule, including Quabbin Reservoir, Wachusett Reservoir, Swift River, and 18 more. See the notable water-body special regulations above for the exact rule on each.
Official source
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife (freshwater) + MA Division of Marine Fisheries (saltwater) is the authoritative source for Massachusetts fishing regulations. Always verify rules before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override published booklets.
Visit official Massachusetts fishing regulations →
Emergency-order channel
In-season closures, slot-limit changes, and run-count-driven harvest pauses are posted to Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife's emergency-order feed — check it before any Massachusetts trip during the active season.