Species guide · Massachusetts
Mahi-mahi fishing in Massachusetts
Coryphaena hippurus, a pelagic species also called dolphin, dolphinfish and dorado. Listed for the New England region.
Season by month
From the Waterlands saltwater species research: when the fish are present and biting, not whether retention is open.
New England
- Jan: Not present
- Feb: Not present
- Mar: Not present
- Apr: Not present
- May: Not present
- Jun: Not present
- Jul: Off season
- Aug: Shoulder season
- Sep: Shoulder season
- Oct: Off season
- Nov: Not present
- Dec: Not present
No peak months. In season (shoulder or peak): Aug to Sep.
Research notes, New England region
Late-summer fish around canyon-edge pot buoys and warm eddies south of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Usually a bonus on tuna trips rather than the main target.
Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.
Where it's scoring now · 0
Not scored in this forecast: Boston Harbor, Buzzards Bay, Cape Cod Bay, Coastal waters east of Ipswich Bay and the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Massachusetts Bay and Ipswich Bay, Nantucket Sound, Rhode Island Sound and Vineyard Sound.
How and where it feeds
- Water temperature
- Feeds from 68°F to 86°F, best between 74°F and 82°F.
- Water depth
- 100 to 10000 ft of water.
- Structure
- Bluewater, open water, ledge, canyon and bank, in that order of preference.
- Tide and current
- Prefers moving water, with light current.Tide stage is not a factor offshore. Mahi gather on floating sargassum weedlines, debris, buoys, FADs and current edges, so floating structure and warm clean water matter far more than tide.
- Light
- Some lift around dawn and dusk.
- Pressure
- Little response to pressure changes.
- Wind and sea limits
- 20 kt of wind and 6 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.
Tackle and technique
Mahi feed near the surface along weedlines, floating debris, buoys and current edges offshore, in water from the low 70s to the low 80s. Troll ballyhoo or small skirted lures along the weed, and when a school comes up behind the boat keep one hooked fish in the water while you pitch cut bait or jigs to the rest. Look for birds working over weed and flotsam.
- Methods
- trolling, sight casting, pitching bait to schools, chumming
- Lures
- skirted ballyhoo rigs, small feathers, plastic squid, bucktail jigs, spoons
- Bait
- ballyhoo, cut squid, sardine or pilchard chunks, cut bonito
Regulations
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries. Synced with MassDMF Nov 2, 2026.
No reviewed mahi-mahi rule for Massachusetts is on file yet. Check with MassDMF before you keep one.