Fish guide
Striped Bass
Morone saxatilis. Also called Striper, Bass, Linesider, Rockfish, Schoolie, Cow.
Showing the fish for Massachusetts North Shore and Boston Harbor, MA.
Season in North Shore MA
Peak months: May, Jun, Sep.
MA DMF: found in Massachusetts from May to November, a few stay through winter. OTW May 2026: arriving in increasing numbers, quality bass in South Shore herring runs. OTW Sept 2025: late September into October is prime around Boston; October is the last gasp of the fall run, and some stay into November and December in some years. (Our inference)
Season by region
| Long Island | JFMAMJJASOND |
|---|---|
| Maine | JFMAMJJASOND |
| New Hampshire | JFMAMJJASOND |
| North Shore MA | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Cape Cod | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Rhode Island | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Connecticut | JFMAMJJASOND |
| North Jersey | JFMAMJJASOND |
| South Jersey | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Delmarva | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Virginia Beach | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Outer Banks | JFMAMJJASOND |
Where to find them
Herring-run rivers in May (South River, North River, Eel River, Merrimack); Boston spots like Lynn Harbor, Winthrop, Quincy Bay, Hingham Harbor and the Deer Island rips; South Shore beaches (Sand Hills, Nantasket); river mouths and estuaries in October (MA DMF: shore fishing is best where currents occur).
From the wash out past the bar; spring and fall blitzes on bunker, sand eels and small bait.
What to look for
Bunker schools being pushed, birds over sand eels or rainbait, rips and drop-offs where waves make turbulence, inlet current at night.
What to throw
Bait
Live eels, Live bunker (menhaden), Live mackerel, Bunker or mackerel chunks, Cut squid, herring, crabs, Live spot (summer, North Shore). Fish-finder with a pyramid sinker and a long leader, with a float near the hook to keep the bait off the bottom away from crabs and skates. Use a circle hook with bait..
Leader
NY Sea Grant: light (6 to 12 lb) to medium (20 lb) line on a spinning rod; heavier surf outfits for big fish around rocks.
Common mistakes
- Leaving bait on the bottom for crabs and skates (NY Sea Grant floats it up)
- Using a J hook with bait instead of a circle hook
- Fishing mid-day flat calm when the fish feed after dark and at dawn
Landing
Let a wave carry it up the beach; release fish should stay in the water.
Handling
- Sharp dorsal spines
- Sharp gill cover edges
Keep released fish in the water, support the belly, and use a circle hook with bait. ASMFC estimates about 9 percent of released stripers die, so handle quickly.
Keep or release
MA DMF: shore anglers use plugs and live eels; circle hooks are required with natural bait. Keep only within the slot in the regulations file and release the rest quickly.
Typical: Schoolies to 30 in. Large: Near 40 in in South Shore rivers in May (2026); MA DMF: fish over 50 lb are rare. Massachusetts record 73 lb, Nauset Beach, 1981 (MA DMF).
Limits
FishOS has not checked the MA limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries before you keep a fish.
Sources
- MA DMF: Learn about striped bass (Official source)
- On The Water: Massachusetts Fishing Report, May 7 2026 (Angler knowledge)
- On The Water: What's Biting in September in Massachusetts? (2025) (Angler knowledge)
- On The Water: Massachusetts Fishing Report, Oct 15 2026 (Fore River Fishing Tackle, Tomo's Tackle, Fishing FINatics) (Angler knowledge)
- The Fisherman: Too Warm, Or Too Cold? Species' Preferred Temperature Ranges (Aguiar, 2023) (Angler knowledge)
- On The Water: Spring Fly Fishing for Striped Bass (Barrett, 2022) (Angler knowledge)
- US FWS species profile FWS/OBS-82/11.8: striped bass, Mid-Atlantic (Fay, Neves and Pardue, 1983), mirror copy (Official source)
- New York Sea Grant fish profile: Striped Bass (Cornell, 2001) (Official source)
- On The Water: Long Island and NYC Fishing Report, March 21, 2024 (Angler knowledge)
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