UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN
Little tunnyPeak seasonBay · Massachusetts
Cape Cod Bay
42.03°N · 70.42°W · Bay · Coastal waters east of Ipswich Bay and the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 6 AM · Little tunny
- Now
- 303 PM EDT
- Best window
- 11 PM-12 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing1.5 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Cape Cod Bay scores 75+
Checked every morning against the 14-day forecast. Free by push and email.
14-day forecast
Best days to fish
24-hour conditions · rolling from now
Conditions · 3 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
48Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.3 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
32Gusts over the limit · capped at 35Wind: 17 kt NEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
36Seas over the limit · capped at 30Water temp: 62°F, coolLight: Partly cloudySolunar: Between periodsSeas: 6.0 ftSeason & habitat · Little tunny
Species seasonality
85Season: PeakHabitat: Usable structureDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: no rule on file
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
No rule for Little tunny is on file here yet, so its status is unknown, not closed. Confirm limits with MassDMF before you keep a fish.
Source: MassDMF · synced today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Little tunny is best here
Peak season for Little tunny · 4 more weeks at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- Not here
- This week
Spot profile
Cape Cod Bay
- Depth
- About 170 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Bay · Outer · ExposedBay · flat bottom
- Season
- Peak seasonLittle tunny
NOAA NCEI DEM, sampled Sep 13 on a 10 m grid. Depths are feet below NAVD 88, not chart datum (MLLW), so they can differ from a chart by a few feet. Not for navigation.
About this spot
Fishing Cape Cod Bay
Cape Cod Bay is a bay in Coastal waters east of Ipswich Bay and the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Massachusetts. Depth is about 170 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads bay, outer water and exposed.
Waterlands scores 13 species here; the best right now are Atlantic bluefin tuna, Atlantic cod and black sea bass. It is peak season now for Atlantic bluefin tuna, Atlantic cod, black sea bass and haddock, and shoulder season for tautog, summer flounder and mahi-mahi. Atlantic bluefin tuna peak from July through October. Atlantic cod peak from May through June and from September through October. Black sea bass peak from June through July and in September.
Tackle & technique
- Little tunny
- Little tunny travel fast in schools that pin bait against inlets, points, jetties and tide rips, usually within a few miles of shore and often in less than 60 feet. Stay off the school's path, wait for it to surface within range, and cast small metal or epoxy jigs with a fast retrieve. When fish stay down, troll small feathers along bait edges and color changes to find them.
- Atlantic bluefin tuna
- Bluefin tuna follow schools of herring, mackerel, sand eels and menhaden over banks, ledges and shoals, mostly in the top 150 feet. Troll spreader bars and daisy chains to find fish, then switch to live bait, chunks or stick baits once a school is located. Heavy tackle and a NOAA HMS permit are required, and size-class limits change through the season.
- Atlantic cod
- Cod hold near coarse, rocky bottom on ledges, banks and wrecks, commonly from 80 to 300 feet in the Gulf of Maine. Drift over the structure with a diamond or cod jig and a teaser fly above it, keeping the jig within a few feet of bottom, or fish clams on a high-low rig. Check the stock area and season before keeping one, because most of the year cod must be released.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Hatches Harbor42
Bay · 9.4 mi
Top: Black sea bassPeak season- Black sea bass 42
- Striped bass 41
- Bluefish 38
24 kt NEH 9:52 PM · 9.5 ftL 4:08 AM · 0.7 ft
- High Pine Ledge35
Bar · 9.5 mi
Top: Atlantic codPeak season- Atlantic cod 35
- Black sea bass 35
- Bluefish 35
17 kt NEL 4:05 PM · 1.8 ftH 9:56 PM · 9.7 ft
- Gurnet Point35
Cape · 9.6 mi
Top: Atlantic codPeak season- Atlantic cod 35
- Black sea bass 35
- Bluefish 35
17 kt NEL 4:05 PM · 1.8 ftH 9:56 PM · 9.7 ft
- Mary Ann Rocks35
Bar · 9.6 mi
Top: Atlantic codPeak season- Atlantic cod 35
- Black sea bass 35
- Bluefish 35
17 kt NEL 3:55 PM · 1.8 ftH 9:58 PM · 9.6 ft
Scores and forecasts are for planning only and can be wrong. Conditions on the water change fast; check the marine forecast before you go. Regulations change during the season, so confirm limits and closures with MassDMF before you keep a fish.