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Fishing regulations at Scituate Harbor, MA
Disclaimer: Always check local fishing regulations, water access rights and land ownership before fishing, regardless of any catches logged in that area by the Fishbrain community. Fishbrain has mapped millions of acres of government-owned land across the USA to help you identify potential fishing access, but you are responsible for ensuring compliance with all legal requirements.
Fishing regulations in Massachusetts can change throughout the year. Make sure to check this page before fishing for the most up to date rules and regulations for the current season. Local regulations govern when you can fish, the max size of the fish you can keep, how many fish you can keep, and more.
Regulations for top species
Striped bass
The maximum number of individual fish legally harvested per harvester per day. Bag limits are only for properly licensed anglers actively harvesting the species. People who are not actively harvesting or are not properly licensed (if a license is required) may NOT be counted for the purpose of bag limits.
No person shall harvest any individual fish less than the minimum size limit.
No person shall harvest any individual fish greater than the maximum size except as permitted.
In waters where minimum-length or slot-size limits apply, game fish may not be filleted, nor their head or tail fin removed until the angler has completed fishing for the day.
Total length means the straight line distance from the most forward point of the head with the mouth closed, to the farthest tip of the tail with the tail compressed or squeezed, while the fish is lying on its side.
Spears
Harvest of this species by "spearing" is prohibited. Spearing includes the catching or taking of a fish by bow hunting, gigging, spearfishing, or by any device used to capture a fish by piercing the body.
Keep Intact
In waters where minimum-length or slot-size limits apply, game fish may not be filleted, nor their head or tail fin removed until the angler has completed fishing for the day.
No closed season.
Striped bass are measured from the tip of the snout or jaw (mouth closed) to the farthest extremity of the tail. The discard of dead legal sized striped bass is unlawful. The practice of high-grading, whereby legal sized striped bass are released in favor of larger fish caught subsequently is unlawful. Accordingly, it is also unlawful to keep a striped bass alive in water by attaching a line or chain to the fish (stringer), or placing it in a live well or holding car.
Striped bass must be kept whole, meaning the head, tail, and body remain intact. Only evisceration is allowed. Permitted for-hire vessels may fillet striped bass for their customers.
The use non-lethal devices to remove striped bass from the water is required; gaffing striped bass is prohibited. Revised Circle Hook Requirement: All recreational anglers—including those fishing onboard for-hire vessels—who are fishing for striped bass with bait are required to use inline (non-offset) circle hooks. This shall not apply to any artificial lure with bait attached. Bait is defined as any marine or aquatic organism, live or dead, whole or parts thereof. Striped bass caught on an unapproved method of take (while targeting other finfish species)—such as a baited J hook or treble hook—must be returned to the water immediately without unnecessary injury.
Please note that this requirement applies to all recreational anglers, whether fishing from shore, a private vessel, or a for-hire charter or party boat.
The hook of an artificial lure does not need to be an inline circle hook to have bait attached. This allowance provides for the continued use of tackle such as a tube-and-worm rig, a bucktail jig tipped with a pork rind, and an eel skin plug. Conversely, a rigged eel (a whole dead eel with hooks threaded through its body) cannot be used unless the hooks are inline circle hooks, and a menhaden snagged on a treble hook cannot be used as bait until transferred onto an inline circle hook.
An inline circle hook is defined as a fishing hook designed and manufactured so that the point of the hook is not offset from the plane of the shank and bend and is turned perpendicularly back towards the shank to form a circular or oval shape.
While it's understandable that striped bass may be inadvertently caught on an unapproved rig when other species are being targeted, such fish must be returned to the water as quickly and gently as possible.
Atlantic bluefin tuna
No person shall harvest any individual fish less than the minimum size limit.
HMS Tuna
Anglers with an HMS Angling permit may harvest Bigeye, Albacore, Yellowfin, Skipjack using handline, rod and reel, or speargun. Bluefin tuna may only be harvested using handline or rod and reel (no speargun).
Curved fork length means the length of a tuna taken in a line tracing the contour of the body from the tip of the upper jaw to the fork of the tail. The measuring tape must pass over (and touch) the pectoral fin and the caudal keel.
Gigging
Harvest by gigging prohibited.
Snagging
Harvest of this species by snagging (snatch hooking) is prohibited.
Spears
Harvest of this species by "spearing" is prohibited. Spearing includes the catching or taking of a fish by bow hunting, gigging, spearfishing, or by any device used to capture a fish by piercing the body.
The Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) daily retention limit applies to vessels permitted in the Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling category when fishing recreationally for bluefin tuna. Retention limits for HMS Angling category-permitted vessels are as follows:
Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT):
- < 27" curved fork length: bag limit = 0
- 27" to <73" curved fork length: bag limit = 1 per vessel per day or trip
- > 73" curved fork length: bag limit = 1 per vessel per year provided the "trophy" category subquota in the respective region is available at the time of harvest (see below).
- Gulf of Maine: open
- Southern New England: open
- Trophy South: closed
- Gulf of America: open
For additional regulations and bag limits, see the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Recreational Bag Limits webpage .
Bluefin tuna retention limits may change throughout the season. To confirm current limits, call 1-888-872-8862 or 1-978-281-9260.
Anglers must report all recreational bluefin tuna landings. Report all non-tournament recreational Atlantic bluefin tuna landings to NMFS within 24 hours by calling 1-888-872-8862 or hmspermits.noaa.gov.
You must report recreational landings of bluefin tuna in North Carolina by calling 1-800-338-7804.
You must report recreational landings of bluefin tuna in Maryland by calling 1-410-213-1531.
Fishing for highly migratory species recreationally requires an HMS Angling or Charter/Headboat vessel permit from NOAA Fisheries. Permits are available by calling 1-888-872-8862, or by visiting hmspermits.noaa.gov. No sale permitted for HMS species caught under an HMS Angling Permit.
For complete HMS regulations contact NOAA Fisheries HMS Management Division at 1-301-427-8503 or visit www.fisheries.noaa.gov
Atlantic cod
The maximum number of individual fish legally harvested per harvester per day. Bag limits are only for properly licensed anglers actively harvesting the species. People who are not actively harvesting or are not properly licensed (if a license is required) may NOT be counted for the purpose of bag limits.
No person shall harvest any individual fish less than the minimum size limit.
Total length means the straight line distance from the most forward point of the head with the mouth closed, to the farthest tip of the tail with the tail compressed or squeezed, while the fish is lying on its side.
It is unlawful to fish with hook and line gear in the Winter Cod Conservation Closure from November 15 through January 31. It is unlawful to take cod from the Spring Cod Conservation Closure from April 16 through July 21. See maps in 322 CMR 8.07 for more details. Western Gulf of Maine refers to all state waters north of Cape Cod and those waters down the backside of Cape Cod and east of Nantucket west of the 70th meridian. Southern New England refers to all state waters south and west of Cape Cod that are west of the 70th meridian. State-waters within the Southern New England Cod Management Area are closed to the retention of cod. Vessels fishing lawfully in federal waters may possess and land fish in accordance with federal rules - consult NOAA Fisheries for regulations.
FAQ about Scituate Harbor fishing
- Striped bass - 65 members reported to have caught this fish
- Atlantic bluefin tuna - 6 members reported to have caught this fish
- Atlantic cod - 3 members reported to have caught this fish
- @SaltwaterTuna reported a nice Atlantic mackerel.
- @SaltwaterTuna reported a nice Atlantic mackerel.
- @SaltwaterTuna reported a nice Atlantic mackerel.
- @SaltwaterTuna reported a nice Atlantic mackerel.
- @SaltwaterTuna reported a nice Atlantic mackerel.
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