2026 regulation year
Nantucket Sound (Barnstable / Dukes Counties) 2026 — Massachusetts Fishing Regulations
Massachusetts statewide rules apply unless overridden below.
Last updated
Nantucket Sound (Barnstable / Dukes 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.
Get change alerts
Watch Nantucket Sound (Barnstable / Dukes Counties) (MA) and we'll email you when a season, bag limit, slot, or closure changes. Free while in beta.
State-level special regulation
Sound between Cape Cod + Nantucket + Martha's Vineyard; summer flounder + scup + striped bass + bluefish + bonito + false albacore (August – October blitz); DMF rules apply
Source: Massachusetts special-water list
Per-species rules on Nantucket Sound (Barnstable / Dukes Counties)
Striped bass (rockfish) regulations →
28–31 in slot, 1 / day; August – October migration
Summer flounder (fluke) regulations →
17.5 in min, 5 / day; Cape Cod side + Nantucket Shoals
Tautog (blackfish) regulations →
16 in min; date-stepped bag; wrecks + shoals
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 Nantucket Sound (Barnstable / Dukes Counties)?
- Nantucket Sound (Barnstable / Dukes 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: "Sound between Cape Cod + Nantucket + Martha's Vineyard; summer flounder + scup + striped bass + bluefish + bonito + false albacore (August – October blitz); DMF rules apply." Every overlay on this water body is listed in full above.
- Do I need a fishing license to fish Nantucket Sound (Barnstable / Dukes Counties)?
- Yes. Nantucket Sound (Barnstable / Dukes 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 Nantucket Sound; they do not waive the license requirement. Free-fishing days and youth exemptions follow the statewide Massachusetts rules.
- Do Nantucket Sound (Barnstable / Dukes Counties)'s special rules replace Massachusetts' statewide limits?
- Only where they conflict. Massachusetts' statewide 2026 regulations apply on Nantucket Sound 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 Nantucket Sound?
- Striped bass (rockfish), Summer flounder (fluke), and Tautog (blackfish) have a water-body-specific rule on Nantucket Sound (Barnstable / Dukes Counties), each linking to its full Massachusetts regulations above. Species not listed here follow the statewide Massachusetts limits.