2026 regulation year
Buzzards Bay (Bristol / Plymouth Counties) 2026 — Massachusetts Fishing Regulations
Massachusetts statewide rules apply unless overridden below.
Last updated
Buzzards Bay (Bristol / Plymouth Counties) carries 4 special-regulation overlays on top of Massachusetts's 2026 fishing rules — covering Striped bass (rockfish), Summer flounder (fluke), Tautog (blackfish). Verify the agency booklet before launching: in-season changes are not yet wired to this page.
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State-level special regulation
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
Source: Massachusetts special-water list
Per-species rules on Buzzards Bay (Bristol / Plymouth Counties)
Striped bass (rockfish) regulations →
28–31 in slot, 1 / day; ASMFC harmonized
Summer flounder (fluke) regulations →
17.5 in min, 5 / day per current DMF notice; densest MA fluke population
Tautog (blackfish) regulations →
16 in min; date-stepped bag; rocky reefs + mussel beds hold dense tog
Official source
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife (freshwater) + MA Division of Marine Fisheries (saltwater) publishes the authoritative 2026 Massachusetts fishing regulations. Special-regulation lakes and rivers are listed in the agency booklet — always verify before fishing.
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.
Other special-regulation waters in Massachusetts
Frequently asked questions
- What special fishing regulations apply at Buzzards Bay (Bristol / Plymouth Counties)?
- Buzzards Bay (Bristol / Plymouth Counties) carries 4 special-regulation overlays that override Massachusetts' statewide 2026 rules, covering Striped bass (rockfish), Summer flounder (fluke), and Tautog (blackfish). One of them reads: "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." Every overlay on this water body is listed in full above.
- Do I need a fishing license to fish Buzzards Bay (Bristol / Plymouth Counties)?
- Yes. Buzzards Bay (Bristol / Plymouth Counties) is in Massachusetts, so a valid Massachusetts fishing license is required just as it is anywhere else in the state, issued by Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife (freshwater) + MA Division of Marine Fisheries (saltwater). The special regulations on this page change the bag, size, slot, or gear rules for Buzzards Bay; they do not waive the license requirement. Free-fishing days and youth exemptions follow the statewide Massachusetts rules.
- Do Buzzards Bay (Bristol / Plymouth Counties)'s special rules replace Massachusetts' statewide limits?
- Only where they conflict. Massachusetts' statewide 2026 regulations apply on Buzzards Bay by default; the overlays above replace the matching statewide rules for the species or gear they name, while everything not specifically overridden still follows the statewide rule. When a water-body rule and the statewide rule disagree, the water-body rule wins.
- Which species have special rules on Buzzards Bay?
- Striped bass (rockfish), Summer flounder (fluke), and Tautog (blackfish) have a water-body-specific rule on Buzzards Bay (Bristol / Plymouth Counties), each linking to its full Massachusetts regulations above. Species not listed here follow the statewide Massachusetts limits.