Rules & Regulations
Cast net laws in Massachusetts
Legal with restrictionsInformational only — this is not legal advice
Fishing regulations change, sometimes with little notice, and can vary further by county, water body, or season within a state. This page is a starting point for research, not a substitute for the law. Always verify current rules directly with your state's fish & wildlife agency or TakeMeFishing.org before you fish. BasicGear is not responsible for citations, fines, or gear seizures resulting from reliance on this page.
Last verified: 2026-07-08 — regulations are re-checked periodically; see the date above before assuming this is current.
Summary
Bait-fish-only cast-netting is legal, with separate marine (DMF) and freshwater (MassWildlife) rules. Marine use has no numeric size cap; inland freshwater use is capped much smaller.
Size, mesh & licensing
- Max size
- Marine: not specified. Freshwater: 6 ft diameter (3 ft radius)
- Mesh
- Not specified in either rule
- Water type
- Both, under separate rules
- License
- No special marine permit for bait-taking; standard MA fishing license for freshwater
Recommended BasicGear net
Cast Net — Basic Series — Marine bait use has no confirmed size cap. For freshwater, choose the smallest Basic Series size (3 ft radius) to stay under the 6 ft diameter limit.
Official source
Mass.gov — 322 CMR 4.15 (marine) / 321 CMR 4.01(8) (freshwater)↗
Medium confidenceMarine text was verified directly; the 6 ft freshwater figure was confirmed only via a secondary mirror of the CMR text.
Last verified: 2026-07-08
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