The Cape Cod Bay, MA marine forecast covers live wind speed and gusts, tide predictions, wave conditions, and major and minor solunar feeding times, updated continuously from NOAA and Open-Meteo. The strongest fishing windows usually line up with the moving tide and the solunar periods shown below — check current conditions before you head out.
By Steve Wilson, lifelong angler & founder of My Marine Forecast
Last updated: Aug 25, 2026, 8:00 AM
On Tuesday, August 25, Cape Cod Bay, MA sees high tide at 10:29 AM (8.5 ft) and 10:35 PM (9.8 ft), low tide at 4:35 AM (1.2 ft) and 4:37 PM (1.8 ft). Winds 4–16 mph from the SE gusting to 23 mph. Air temperatures 67–70°F. The strongest fishing windows line up with the moving water around each tide change, roughly an hour on either side.
Today's Tides · Station 8447335
| Low tide | 4:35 AM | 1.2 ft |
| High tide | 10:29 AM | 8.5 ft |
| Low tide | 4:37 PM | 1.8 ft |
| High tide | 10:35 PM | 9.8 ft |
Wind
4–16 mph SE
Gusts
23 mph
Air Temp
67–70°F
Tides from NOAA Station 8447335 · wind & temperature from Open-Meteo. Open the live forecast for hourly charts and the 7-day outlook.
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Tide data sourced from NOAA Station 8447335
Cape Cod Bay is the broad, shallow basin cradled inside the hook of Cape Cod, bounded by Plymouth and the canal to the west, the Sandwich to Wellfleet shoreline to the south and east, and open water toward Provincetown and Stellwagen Bank at the north. It is protected from southerly weather by the arm of the Cape but wide open to the north and northwest, which shapes almost everything about fishing and boating here.
The bay warms earlier than the open Atlantic side, so striped bass typically show inside before they appear on the backside beaches. Enormous tidal flats at Brewster and Barnstable drain and flood over great distances, creating some of the best sight fishing in the Northeast for anglers willing to work the timing. The Cape Cod Canal at the southwest corner runs its own schedule entirely, driven by the current tables rather than local high and low water.
Weather changes the character of this bay fast. A northwest wind puts a hard chop across the entire fetch from Provincetown down to the canal, and fog is common in early summer when warm air moves over still cold water. Whale traffic near the Stellwagen edge adds another reason to know the visibility forecast before running north.
Spring: Striped bass typically reach the bay before the backside beaches because the shallow basin warms earlier, with the first schoolies inside the canal and along the warmer south shoreline in May. Mackerel arrive and bring bigger bass behind them. Water is often still cold enough for dense fog when the first mild southwest air moves through.
Summer: Sight fishing the Brewster and Barnstable flats on a flooding tide is the signature summer fishery, and it rewards anglers who plan around the enormous tidal swing rather than the hour. The canal runs its own current schedule and draws a crowd on the breaking tides. Bluefish spread through the bay, and the Stellwagen edge to the north holds whales and bait through the season.
Fall: Bass stage and feed before leaving, and in recent years bluefin tuna have pushed well inside the bay and stayed into the fall. Bait leaves in waves and the fishing follows it toward Provincetown and the mouth. Northwest winds start arriving with real force in October, which shortens the number of usable days quickly.
Winter: The bay effectively closes down. Water temperature bottoms out, the marshes at Barnstable and Wellfleet ice at the edges, and the recreational fleet is hauled. Occasional cod trips run from the north side when a rare calm window opens. Most of the activity is planning for spring and watching for the first mackerel reports.
The Cape Cod Canal at the southwest corner is the best known and most heavily fished water in the bay, run entirely by the current tables. Barnstable Harbor and Sandy Neck give access to the big flats system. The Brewster flats drain for what feels like a mile and are the classic sight fishing ground. Billingsgate Shoal off Wellfleet, Scusset Beach at the canal's east end, and Race Point at the very tip round out the bay's structure.