UTERAtlantic mackerel fishing in Rhode Island and Cape Cod
In Rhode Island and Cape Cod, Atlantic mackerel peak May and are around April–October, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. May: Mackerel into the Cape Cod Canal and Narragansett Bay — sabikis for striper bait.
No note for October — see the months around it.
Atlantic mackerel in Rhode Island and Cape Cod, month by month
- JanuaryNot here
- FebruaryNot here
- MarchNot here
- AprilArrivingSpring tog opens April 1; first schoolies late. Crabs on the shallow breakwaters and rocks for tog; chum and sandworms for winter flounder in the harbors; schoolie stripers in the salt ponds and rivers at month's end.
- MayPeakMackerel into the Cape Cod Canal and Narragansett Bay — sabikis for striper bait.
- JuneAround
- JulyAround
- AugustAround
- SeptemberAround
- OctoberLeaving
- NovemberNot here
- DecemberNot here
Where to fish Atlantic mackerel near Point Judith, Newport, Block Island
Rhode Island's rocky south coast and salt ponds, Narragansett Bay, Block Island, Buzzards Bay and the Elizabeth Islands, Vineyard and Nantucket Sounds with their shoals and rips, the Cape Cod Canal, Cape Cod Bay's sand flats, and the Monomoy rips and outer Cape beaches; offshore Coxes Ledge and the southern New England canyons (Block, Atlantis, Veatch).
What to use for Atlantic mackerel
- Leader20–40 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook#1–4/0
- Jig head1/8–1/2 oz
- Braid10–30 lb
Feeds in 44–68°F water, best at 48–62°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch Atlantic mackerel in Rhode Island and Cape Cod?
Peak season is May. Atlantic mackerel are in Rhode Island and Cape Cod April–October. May: Mackerel into the Cape Cod Canal and Narragansett Bay — sabikis for striper bait.
Where do Atlantic mackerel hold in Rhode Island and Cape Cod?
Look on fishing pier, ledge / hard bottom, pass / inlet, channel edge — around Point Judith, Newport, Block Island, Westport, Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard.
What is the best bait for Atlantic mackerel in Rhode Island and Cape Cod?
Tackle: leader 20–40 lb fluorocarbon, hook #1–4/0, jig head 1/8–1/2 oz, braid 10–30 lb.
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