Commercial and Recreational Fishing

by Thomas H. Clarke, Jr. 

Chatham Massachusetts is a premier Cape Cod hub for commercial and recreational fishing, offering a mix of active working piers, co-ops, and offshore charters.

Chatham sits at the elbow of Cape Cod, giving anglers direct access to the Atlantic Ocean, Nantucket Sound, Pleasant Bay, and more than two dozen freshwater ponds. The town supports saltwater fishing, freshwater fishing, sport fishing charters, shell fishing, and Fish Pier viewing.
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Fishing in Chatham MA draws visitors from across the country because the variety of species and access points is difficult to match on the East Coast. Striped bass run strong from late spring through fall, bluefin tuna hold in offshore waters, freshwater ponds produce trout and bass all season, and the working waterfront at the Fish Pier gives non-anglers a front-row seat to the commercial catch.