Saltwater flats
9′ rod, 8 weight, sealed-drag reel, tropical floating line · Bonefish, redfish, permit and other flats species
Open checklist
Cape Cod
Cape Cod bends 65 miles into the Atlantic from the canal to Provincetown.
- Massachusetts · East
- 6 waters
- 94 guides nearby
- 13 shops nearby
- HYA airport · 17 mi
Photo credit
Lighthouse Beach, Chatham, on Cape Cod. Photo: Stephen Senter, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
More about Cape Cod
Cape Cod bends 65 miles into the Atlantic from the canal to Provincetown; Chatham sits at the elbow beside the Monomoy flats, with Nantucket Sound to the south, Cape Cod Bay to the north and the outer beaches facing east.
Waters around Chatham
About this
Tap a water for its live flow, access map, regulations and hatches.
Saltwater flatsPhoto credit
South Monomoy Island from the top of Monomoy Lighthouse, Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge. Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Northeast Region, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Saltwater flatsPhoto credit
Lewis Bay, Hyannis, opening onto Nantucket Sound. Photo: EgorovaSvetlana, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Nantucket Sound
Massachusetts · 28 mi from Chatham
Saltwater flatsPhoto credit
Sunset over the Brewster flats on Cape Cod Bay. Photo: PapaDunes, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Saltwater flatsPhoto credit
Tidal marsh near Muddy Creek on Pleasant Bay, Cape Cod. Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Northeast Region, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Pleasant Bay
Massachusetts · 4 mi from Chatham
Surf and shore
Surf and shoreOuter Cape beaches
Massachusetts · 11 mi from Chatham
Distances and official pages
The rivers, lakes or flats this hub is organised around, each with its straight-line distance from Chatham. Within 40 miles a water's own page names this hub as near; a farther one shows its distance instead. Where a nearby guide names a water on its own website, we say how many do. Access, seasons and special regulations differ by reach: check the agency pages under license and rules.
- Monomoy flats10 mi from Chatham in a straight line
- Nantucket Sound28 mi from Chatham in a straight line · named on 14 guide websites nearby
- Cape Cod Bay34 mi from Chatham in a straight line · named on 20 guide websites nearby
- Pleasant Bay4 mi from Chatham in a straight line
- Cape Cod Canal32 mi from Chatham in a straight line · named on 4 guide websites nearby
- Outer Cape beaches11 mi from Chatham in a straight line · named on 9 guide websites nearby
All gauge readings
The first USGS gauge on each water: the latest reading, how it compares with that gauge's record for today's date, the 24-hour trend and the NWS flood stage; NOAA tides for the flats and beaches. Open a water for what the level means.
Reading the gauges around Chatham…
Meet local guides
About this
94 guide listings within 60 miles (7 fly-focused), fly-focused first. Unclaimed listings say so on their page: confirm licensing, rates and dates with the outfitter.
Blue Mind Outfitter
Barnstable, MA · 18 mi
Saltwater & ocean charters · Beginners & lessons · Cape Cod Bay
- Unclaimed
Fly shops nearby
About this
13 shop listings in the towns around Chatham, fly shops first. Confirm hours with the shop before you go.
Fish around Chatham
About this
Species the state agency lists on the waters here. A species listed for one water is not a promise for every water.
Striped bass
Listed on 3 waters here
Photo credit
Striped bass (Morone saxatilis), illustration by Duane Raver for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Photo: Duane Raver, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Agency species and seasons (7 waters)
Taken from the state agency pages of 7 waters around Chatham, each on its own water page with the agency link. Seasons are quoted word for word and apply to the water named.
- Striped bass3 waters
- Black sea bass1 water
- Bluefish1 water
- Flounder1 water
- Haddock1 water
- Scup1 water
- Tautog1 water
“Surf fishing is permitted year-round in designated areas.”
Monomoy flats · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge), read 2026-10-14
“Fishing is authorized from designated swimming beaches throughout the year except from 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM from June 15 – Labor Day.”
Outer Cape beaches · National Park Service (Cape Cod National Seashore), read 2026-10-14
Species guides mention (84)
Counted from the species each guide lists on its own site. This is what guides advertise, not an agency species list or a promise of what you will catch.
- Striped bass79
- Tuna67
- Rockfish & lingcod6
- Halibut2
- Bonefish1
- Brown trout1
- Catfish1
- Largemouth bass1
Things to know
Fishing license: Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (saltwater fishing permit)
Fees on the agency page.
Not verified by us
Getting there
HYA Cape Cod Gateway Airport · 17 mi
Regulations and access
Seasons, limits and access: agency pages.
Official license and rules pages
Buy the license from the agency and read its current regulations before you go. These links are the authoritative pages; nothing on this page grants or implies access to any water, and fees are only shown when read from the agency page on a stated date.
Nothing here grants or implies access to any water.
Veteran-owned and veteran programs
About this
Near Cape Cod. Each fact comes from the business's own website, an official register or an approved claim; the listing page links the source.
- Cape Cod Offshore ChartersGuide · East Dennis · 11 miMilitary discount · from their website
- Bucktail ChartersGuide · Mashpee · 29 miVeterans on the team · from their website
- Plymouth ChartersGuide · Plymouth · 41 miVeterans on the team · from their website
- Smokin Reels Fishing CharterGuide · East Freetown · 54 miMilitary discount · from their website
The Cape Cod area
About this
The circle is the 60-mile area this page covers, around Chatham. Tap a water for its page. Shops and guides appear where they publish a street address on their own website; all of them are listed above.
Map of the Cape Cod area: its waters, shops and guides
Map of Cape Cod: the 60-mile area this page covers, its waters, and shops and guides with an exact address.
Guide season: May to November
About this
Read from the websites of 15 guides within 60 miles that state a season. It is when they run trips, not a hatch chart or a conditions report; closures and seasons are set by the agency pages.
- Jan1
- Feb0
- Mar0
- Apr4
- May10
- Jun13
- Jul15
- Aug15
- Sep15
- Oct14
- Nov8
- Dec5
Restrooms near Cape Cod
Restrooms near Cape Cod
Restrooms within 5 miles of the centre of Cape Cod in a straight line, nearest first, with what anglers found when they went. The map says a restroom is there, not whether it is clean or open today.
Map of 8 restrooms near Cape Cod
Skip the map; every place is in the list belowMap of 8 restrooms near Cape Cod, numbered as in the list, with the town centre marked.
Restroom
under 0.1 mi away in a straight lineNot rated yet — be the first to tell other anglers if it's clean.
We don't know yet: is it clean? · flush or vault? · free? · open to everyone? · step-free? — tell other anglers: show the questions
- Is it clean?
- Flush or vault?
- Free?
- Open to everyone?
- Step-free?
Mapped on OpenStreetMap · see or fix it on the map
Restroom
0.1 mi away in a straight lineRun by Town of Chatham (as mapped)
- Wheelchair accessible (mapped)
Not rated yet — be the first to tell other anglers if it's clean.
We don't know yet: is it clean? · flush or vault? · free? · open to everyone? — tell other anglers: show the questions
- Is it clean?
- Flush or vault?
- Free?
- Open to everyone?
Mapped on OpenStreetMap · see or fix it on the map
Restroom
0.2 mi away in a straight lineNot rated yet — be the first to tell other anglers if it's clean.
We don't know yet: is it clean? · flush or vault? · free? · open to everyone? · step-free? — tell other anglers: show the questions
- Is it clean?
- Flush or vault?
- Free?
- Open to everyone?
- Step-free?
Mapped on OpenStreetMap · see or fix it on the map
Restroom
0.2 mi away in a straight line- Flush toilet (mapped)
- Public (mapped)
- Free (mapped)
- Limited wheelchair access (mapped)
- Changing table (mapped)
Not rated yet — be the first to tell other anglers if it's clean.
We don't know yet: is it clean? — tell other anglers: show the questions
- Is it clean?
Mapped on OpenStreetMap · see or fix it on the map
Restroom
0.6 mi away in a straight line- Public (mapped)
- Limited wheelchair access (mapped)
Not rated yet — be the first to tell other anglers if it's clean.
We don't know yet: is it clean? · flush or vault? · free? — tell other anglers: show the questions
- Is it clean?
- Flush or vault?
- Free?
Mapped on OpenStreetMap · see or fix it on the map
Restroom
0.9 mi away in a straight lineRun by Town of Chatham (as mapped)
Not rated yet — be the first to tell other anglers if it's clean.
We don't know yet: is it clean? · flush or vault? · free? · open to everyone? · step-free? — tell other anglers: show the questions
- Is it clean?
- Flush or vault?
- Free?
- Open to everyone?
- Step-free?
Mapped on OpenStreetMap · see or fix it on the map
Restroom
1.7 mi away in a straight line- Portable toilet (mapped)
Not rated yet — be the first to tell other anglers if it's clean.
We don't know yet: is it clean? · free? · open to everyone? · step-free? — tell other anglers: show the questions
- Is it clean?
- Free?
- Open to everyone?
- Step-free?
Mapped on OpenStreetMap · see or fix it on the map
Restroom
2.2 mi away in a straight lineNot rated yet — be the first to tell other anglers if it's clean.
We don't know yet: is it clean? · flush or vault? · free? · open to everyone? · step-free? — tell other anglers: show the questions
- Is it clean?
- Flush or vault?
- Free?
- Open to everyone?
- Step-free?
Mapped on OpenStreetMap · see or fix it on the map
Restroom locations and map details: © OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database License, read Oct 24, 2026. Ratings, answers and photos are members' own; who shared them is never shown, and every photo is reviewed before it appears. Visits older than 18 months no longer count. Distances are straight-line miles, not driving. Nothing here grants access to private land. Community guidelines.
Base yourself nearby
About this
Chatham, Orleans and Harwich are the towns nearest the Monomoy flats; Hyannis and Falmouth have the most lodging and the ferries. We do not list or price properties. The search opens an outside site.
Nearest airports
About this
Distances are straight-line from the town centre, computed from OurAirports open data; distances by road are longer. Fares are never estimated here.
- HYA Cape Cod Gateway AirportHyannis, MA · 17 mi · regionalSearch flights
- ACK Nantucket Memorial AirportNantucket, MA · 30 mi · regionalSearch flights
- EWB New Bedford Regional AirportNew Bedford, MA · 51 mi · regionalSearch flights
- BOS Boston Logan International AirportBoston, MA · 71 mi · major hubSearch flights
Rough out the trip
About this
Set nights, anglers and guided days. Each line says where its figure comes from, and anything we cannot source honestly (guide rates, fares, license fees not read from the agency page) stays a link rather than a number.
Estimates, not quotes
- Fishing licenseSee sourceAgency page
Source
One per angler (2 anglers). Fees are set by Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (saltwater fishing permit); see the agency page.
Source: Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (saltwater fishing permit) - Guided days50 rates pagesZen ChartersBlue Mind OutfitterThe Local TideMonomoy Sportfishing
Source
1 guided day for 2 anglers. We do not copy guide rates: 50 guides near here publish a rates page on their own website.
Source: Guide websites (rates pages linked, never copied) - Find lodgingSee sourceSearch lodging
Source
Search places to stay near the destination. We do not list or price properties.
Source: Lodging search link - FlightsSee sourceSearch flights
Source
Fares are not estimated here. Search flights to HYA (Cape Cod Gateway Airport).
Source: Flight search link (no fares quoted)
No priced itemsUse the links for real figures.
How we estimate
Estimates, not quotes. Nothing here is a price from a guide, a property or an airline; confirm every cost with the provider before you book. No placeholder lodging range is configured for this region, and licenses, guided days and flights are never priced here.
Parks, forests and visitor offices
About this
For the non-fishing days, or the people traveling with you. Official sources only; what to do there is for their pages to say.
Gear checklist
About this
A saltwater flats fly-fishing checklist: a 9 ft 8 weight rod, sealed-drag reel, tropical line, fluorocarbon leaders and shrimp/crab flies, plus sun protection and flats booties, with estimated prices and where to buy.
Watch: flats fishing basics
About this
Sight casting, the strip set and sun on the water.
Public YouTube videos from established channels, chosen by us to support this page. Not sponsored; the creators are not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear.
FLY FISHING FOR REDFISH BASICS 101 INTRODUCTION FOR BEGINNERSEmbedded from YouTube · Huge Fly Fisherman · not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear. Watch on YouTube How To Set Up For A Bonefish TripEmbedded from YouTube · The New Fly Fisher · not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear. Watch on YouTube
Not sponsored All videos on saltwater flats
Stories from Massachusetts
About this
Trip stories anglers chose to share publicly, tagged with a water in Massachusetts.
No Massachusetts stories yet.
Sources for this page
All 8 sources
Guide and shop listings come from the Legendary directories (open map records checked against each business’s own website). Everything else links to the publisher below; this page copies none of their text. A destination hub organises discovery; it does not assert public access, current fish presence, guide availability or fishing conditions.
- Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (saltwater fishing permit): fishing licensesMassachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (saltwater fishing permit)
- Massachusetts recreational saltwater fishing regulationsMassachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries · not verified by us (the site blocks automated checks): check the agency’s site
- Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge (access rules)U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- Cape Cod National SeashoreNational Park Service
- Visit MassachusettsMassachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism
- Cape Cod Chamber of CommerceCape Cod Chamber of Commerce (regional tourism office)
- OurAirports open data (airport locations)OurAirports, public domain
- Overture Maps places (guide and shop map records)Overture Maps Foundation, CDLA-Permissive 2.0
Links checked 13 Oct 2026. Not a claim of access or conditions.