New England · named fishing ground

Nantucket Shoals

Shifting sand shoals SE of Nantucket where cool upwelling holds bluefish, bass and bluefin through the summer.

SST 63°F · charted 60 ft · NOAA-designated EFH here
NOAA ENC + BlueTopo seafloor relief — the same layers as pressing Fish in the app. Toggle layers above; tap the map to pan.
Open on the live nautical chart →

What's biting here — right now

Striped Bass identification illustration
Striped Bass100
In season (Jul)
SST 63°F in the prime band (54–68°F prime)
Charted 60 ft suits this species (3–66 ft ideal)
Better near structure or edges if you can find it
Live bait or plugs on rips, ledges and boulder fields; dawn/dusk moving tide.
Summer Flounder (Fluke) identification illustration
Summer Flounder (Fluke)100
In season (Jul)
SST 63°F in the prime band (59–72°F prime)
Charted 60 ft suits this species (26–131 ft ideal)
Better near structure or edges if you can find it
Bucktail + strip bait drifted over sand near channel edges and structure.
Scup (Porgy) identification illustration
Scup (Porgy)100
In season (Jul)
SST 63°F in the prime band (55–73°F prime)
Charted 60 ft suits this species (26–131 ft ideal)
Better near structure or edges if you can find it
Small hooks with squid or worms over hard bottom and mussel beds.
Atlantic Bonito identification illustration
Atlantic Bonito100
In season (Jul)
SST 63°F in the prime band (63–73°F prime)
Charted 60 ft suits this species (16–131 ft ideal)
Temperature break nearby (1.0°C across ~15 nm)
Trolled small feathers or cast metals around bait; moving water.
Black Sea Bass identification illustration
Black Sea Bass90
In season (Jul)
SST 63°F in the prime band (55–72°F prime)
Charted 60 ft suits this species (33–148 ft ideal)
No charted structure within 250 m — scored cautiously (charts don't mark all hard bottom)
Squid or clam on hi-lo rigs directly over wrecks, reefs and rockpiles.
Bluefish identification illustration
Bluefish81
In season (Jul)
SST 63°F workable (64–75°F prime)
Charted 60 ft suits this species (7–98 ft ideal)
Metal lures or poppers through bait schools and birds; wire leader.
Bluefin Tuna identification illustration
Bluefin Tuna41
In season (Jul)
SST 63°F in the prime band (59–72°F prime)
Charted 60 ft marginal for this species (82–656 ft ideal)
Temperature break nearby (1.0°C across ~15 nm)
In NOAA-designated Essential Fish Habitat
Troll, chunk or jig where bait stacks on temperature breaks and ledges.
Tautog identification illustration
Tautog27
Off-season here in Jul
SST 63°F in the prime band (50–64°F prime)
Charted 60 ft suits this species (13–66 ft ideal)
No charted structure within 250 m — scored cautiously (charts don't mark all hard bottom)
Green crabs tight to rocks, mussel beds and wreck rubble; light tide.
False Albacore identification illustration
False Albacore21
Off-season here in Jul
SST 63°F workable (64–73°F prime)
Charted 60 ft suits this species (16–131 ft ideal)
Temperature break nearby (1.0°C across ~15 nm)
Small metals or epoxy jigs cast to surface-feeding schools; fast retrieve.
Albacore identification illustration
Albacore6
In season (Jul)
SST 63°F in the prime band (59–66°F prime)
Charted 60 ft marginal for this species (328–6560 ft ideal)
Temperature break nearby (1.0°C across ~15 nm)
In NOAA-designated Essential Fish Habitat
Troll jigs at 6-8 kt on the warm side of clear blue-water breaks.
Shortfin Mako identification illustration
Shortfin Mako6
In season (Jul)
SST 63°F in the prime band (63–72°F prime)
Charted 60 ft marginal for this species (131–1640 ft ideal)
Temperature break nearby (1.0°C across ~15 nm)
Chum slick on temperature breaks near bait concentrations.
Swordfish identification illustration
Swordfish5
In season (Jul)
SST 63°F workable (64–81°F prime)
Charted 60 ft marginal for this species (1148–8200 ft ideal)
Temperature break nearby (1.0°C across ~15 nm)
Deep-drop a rigged bait 350-500 m by day along canyon walls.
Live habitat-envelope scoring at this exact cell — SST, charted depth, charted structure and seabed, NOAA-designated habitat. The same engine and cards as tapping the spot in Fish mode.

Water temperature — last 10 weeks

2026-05-13 → 2026-07-22 · 46–63°F

Best months here

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Species in season by month for New England (from the knowledge base). In season now: Striped Bass, Bluefish, Summer Flounder (Fluke), Black Sea Bass, Scup (Porgy), Atlantic Bonito, Bluefin Tuna, Albacore, Swordfish, Shortfin Mako.
Other grounds in New England
Reuse welcome with attribution. Weekly regional report: New England · Feed: RSS · all US grounds: /fishing.