You came to Cape Cod for fun, a four-seasons climate, plenty of beach time, and to experience the history that made our country what it is today. If you’re an angler, you probably also want to get some time in enjoying your favorite activity. If you choose a charter, select companies offer packages that include all the gear, bait, and tackle you’ll need for a productive day on the water. The locations we love on a Cape Cod fishing trip are great for anglers of all ages, from children just learning to hold a rod to seasoned anglers looking for another great fish story. Before heading out, make sure you secure the proper Massachusetts fishing license.
Day 1: Shore Fishing
Cape Cod Canal
If you’re looking to hook striped bass, bluefish, flounder, flatfish, and more, the challenge of the canal may be for you. It has a rocky bottom and shoreline, in addition to swift currents when compared to other waters in the area. Be prepared for rip currents as fast as four knots, and breaking tides when the current switches from west to east.
Cape Cod Bay
Another place for fishing in Cape Cod to hook striped bass, along with many other catches, they’re most active in the late spring and early summer months. The bay is full of sand bars, drop-offs, and other abrupt changes at the bottom where the stripers as well as bluefish will gather in the shallower water.
Brewster Flats
The perfect place for land-based shore fishing, you’ll have the opportunity to catch stripers, bluefish, fluke, and flounder. There’s an extensive tidal flat off Saints Landing Beach in Brewster. It becomes dry at low tide, and anglers can walk out onto the flat for a half mile before coming to the channel that flows out into Cape Cod Bay. Before heading out, beware of tidal changes, as the flats flood quickly at high tide – anglers in the know recommend wearing a fanny pack-style inflatable PFD in case the tide catches you off guard.
Salt Ponds
Cape Cod’s southwest corner hosts a series of salt ponds. The ponds are often filled with schools of fish, overwhelmingly so in spring. If you’re mapping your fishing journey, look for the finger-like cuts into the south side of the Cape to locate the ponds. Your best luck will be at the beginning of migration season, on nights with larger tides (new moon).
Day 2: Deep Sea Fishing
Heading out to the depths of the Atlantic can be a thrilling way to catch your next big fish story. Headboats, or “party boats” offer a variety of trips, from short, fun trips where you can catch your next meal, to longer – full day or overnight trips. Set your sights on hooking fluke, cod, haddock, mahi, swordfish, wahoo, tuna, and many others. For a different thrill to your deep-sea excursion, ask about shark fishing!
Day 3: Freshwater Fishing
Nickerson State Park
Locals will tell you the park in Brewster offers some of the best freshwater fishing in the entire state! Focus on Cliff and Little Cliff ponds, as they are stocked with hatchery trout in both spring and fall.
Long Pond
Another Brewster location, the pond is one of the largest on the Cape and one of the best places for a Cape Cod fishing trip. It offers anglers great opportunities for decently sized smallmouth and largemouth bass. Like Nickerson State Park, the pond is seasonally stocked with hatchery trout.
Black Pond
Just west of Long Pond, this small pond is somewhat hard to find on maps and often overlooked by anglers. It can also be difficult to access, meaning it isn’t fished very often – you may find you have the place to yourself. The lack of fishing activity also offers the opportunity to hook larger-than-average size largemouth bass and pickerel. Access the pond via a land bridge between Long Pond and Black Pond, or, if you must, use the more limited access from Crowells Bog Road.
Planning a Cape Cod Fishing Trip
When you stay in a vacation rental on Cape Cod provided by Pretty Picky Properties, you’ll enjoy easy access to the beach and the crashing waves of the Atlantic – and the great fishing opportunities they offer. We’re also close to many area attractions, sites, tours, shopping, dining, and activities the area has to offer. We offer two-bedroom units for you and your small group of fishing buddies all the way up to a ten-bedroom mansion for a Cape Cod fishing getaway with all your favorite fishing friends. Prepare a delicious home-cooked meal of the day’s catch, in the fully equipped kitchen. Afterward, spread out in an open living space for a movie or to recount the day’s adventures. Enjoy the view from the private balcony or patio or spend some time near the pool or outdoor firepit at select rentals.
Contact us today to start planning your Cape Cod fishing journey!