Offshore

Great Rip

Offshore · Massachusetts · Nantucket Great Rip / Nantucket Shoals approaches

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Great Rip

Offshore · Massachusetts

Information Only

StrikeTracks does not currently provide an Offshore fishing-condition rating. Marine Conditions are observations and forecasts for trip planning. They are not an Excellent, Good, Fair, or Poor fishing score.

Marine Conditions

Planning context — not a fishing rating.

Marine Alerts

  • Small Craft Advisory · Minor — Small Craft Advisory issued September 5 at 2:14AM EDT until September 6 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Boston/Norton MA

Nearby coastal destinations

Fishery Profile

Fishery Overview

Great Rip offshore fishery

Great Rip is a named rip / shoal destination in MA. NEW_OFFSHORE_SIBLING of nantucket-harbor. Broad Nantucket Shoals remains rejected. This pin is the bounded named rip, not the harbor. Great South Channel Habitat Management Area (50 CFR 648.370) commercial mobile-bottom-tending-gear rules may apply by longitude. Recreational angling is not the closed activity. Not a no-fishing identity. StrikeTracks does not offer a live ordinal coastal rating here.

Fishery type
  • Named rip shoal
Fishing modes
  • Offshore boat
Habitat and structure
Named rip · Shoal approaches

Static seasonal guidance · Last reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Not a live bite forecast.

Fishery Targets

Exact Fish Season is 0. Bluefish and scup are qualitative. Striped bass, summer flounder, and black sea bass are legal-variable. Atlantic bluefin tuna is occurrence-only. Atlantic cod is legal-timing-only and is not listed as a Fish Season target.

This reflects typical biological/fishery timing, not a legal open season. Check current regulations before fishing.

Species images are AI-generated illustrations for visual reference and may simplify natural variation. Fishery records are based on the cited agency and editorial sources. About fish illustrations

  • Striped bass illustration

    Striped bass

    PrimaryRegulations vary annually

    Morone saxatilis

    Typical seasonal opportunity: SPRING — FALL

  • Bluefish illustration

    Bluefish

    Primary

    Pomatomus saltatrix

    Typical seasonal opportunity: SUMMER

  • Summer flounder illustration

    Summer flounder

    PrimaryRegulations vary annually

    Paralichthys dentatus

    Typical seasonal opportunity: SUMMER

  • Black sea bass illustration

    Black sea bass

    SecondaryRegulations vary annually

    Centropristis striata

    Typical seasonal opportunity: SUMMER

  • Scup illustration

    Scup

    Secondary

    Stenotomus chrysops

    Typical seasonal opportunity: SUMMER

  • Atlantic bluefin tuna illustration

    Atlantic bluefin tuna

    Secondary

    Thunnus thynnus

    Also called Bluefin tuna

    No seasonal pulse known

    Occurrence is supported. Destination month timing is not encoded and is not a Jan–Dec card.

Typical Seasonal Targets

  • Striped bass — SPRING — FALL
  • Bluefish — SUMMER
  • Summer flounder — SUMMER
  • Black sea bass — SUMMER
  • Scup — SUMMER

Seasonal presence is general guidance and does not indicate current fish activity.

Access, Safety and Regulations

Access

Offshore boat from Nantucket. About 13 nm ESE of Sankaty Head. No shore access on the rip.

Primary hazards

Breaking rips, shifting shoals, and open Atlantic. Do not treat harbor tides as rip-local.

Fishery considerations

  • Do not use tide 8449130 or buoy 44020 as Great Rip-local.
  • Regional NWS marine.

Regulations

Size limits, seasons, and possession rules change. Verify the current official regulations before fishing.

View current recreational saltwater regulations (opens in a new tab)

Location and Access

Cataloged offshore fishing destination

Offshore · Massachusetts

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The map marker represents the cataloged waterbody or monitoring location and may not indicate legal parking or public access. Confirm access through the official information before visiting.