Home/Blog/Bluefin Tuna Charters
Species
Bluefin Tuna Charters: Where and When, From Cape Cod to Hatteras and PEI
Bluefin tuna move with the seasons, so where you book depends on the month. Here is where captains on our site fish for them, when the fish are there on each town’s calendar, and what the trips cost.October 10, 2026 · Gone Fishing HQ
Summer and fall
New England, July to October
The northern run. Cape Cod and Portland, Maine show bluefin from July through October on their calendars, and boats in Gloucester, Portsmouth and Niantic list them too.
| Town | Bluefin on the town calendar | Captains listing bluefin |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Cod, MA | July to October · bluefin-charters.com | 8 |
| Gloucester, MA | Ask the captains | 5 |
| Portsmouth, NH | Ask the captains | 4 |
| Portland, ME | July to October · morningflightcharters.com | 1 |
| Niantic, CT | Ask the captains | 3 |
Canada
Across the border: PEI and Nova Scotia
Canada’s Atlantic bluefin fishery for visitors is catch and release, run from licensed charter boats.
- Prince Edward Island: Bluefin tuna is only open to DFO-licensed tuna/charter vessels: visitors fish on a charter where the license (and any retained fish) belongs to the captain. DFO's 2026 PEI catch-and-release bluefin season runs July 1-Oct 31 with mandatory safe-handling training, hail-out and logbooks for license holders; the separate commercial catch-and-retain fishery runs July 1-Dec 31 or until quota is caught. princeedwardisland.ca
- Nova Scotia: Atlantic bluefin tuna: individuals cannot get a recreational license; anglers fish only aboard a DFO-licensed charter (license held by a commercial bluefin license holder, covers everyone aboard), catch and release only, July 15-Dec 31 in NAFO areas 4VsWX and 5Z (DFO Maritimes). novascotia.ca
Winter
The Outer Banks, winter
When the northern fish leave, the North Carolina run starts: Hatteras and Nags Head show bluefin through the winter months on their calendars.
| Town | Bluefin on the town calendar | Captains listing bluefin |
|---|---|---|
| Hatteras, NC | December to March · hatterasrelease.com | 6 |
| Nags Head, NC | November to March · oregon-inlet.com | 1 |
Mid-Atlantic
New Jersey and Maryland
A few captains here list bluefin among their targets. Ask them which months they run tuna trips.
| Town | Bluefin on the town calendar | Captains listing bluefin |
|---|---|---|
| Cape May, NJ | Ask the captains | 2 |
| Ocean City, MD | June · naturalcharters.com | 1 |
Pacific
Pacific bluefin in California
Pacific bluefin are a different species from the Atlantic fish, fished offshore from Southern California and the Bay Area. These captains list them among their targets.
| Town | Bluefin on the town calendar | Captains listing bluefin |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego, CA | Ask the captains | 11 |
| Dana Point, CA | Ask the captains | 4 |
| San Francisco, CA | Ask the captains | 4 |
| Monterey, CA | Ask the captains | 2 |
Prices
What a bluefin trip costs
Tuna trips are long days. Among captains on these pages who publish a tuna price, private trips of 7 to 12 hours run from about $1,280 to $2,850 for the boat, and one San Francisco boat sells tuna trips by the seat at $550 per person. Before you book, ask whether the trip is catch and release or catch and keep, who holds the tuna permit, and what happens if weather cancels the day. See charter prices town by town.
Questions
Bluefin tuna questions
When is bluefin tuna season?
It depends on where you fish. On our calendars, New England runs July to October, Prince Edward Island’s catch-and-release season runs July to October, and the Outer Banks of North Carolina see bluefin through the winter.
Can you keep a bluefin tuna on a charter?
In Canada, visitors fish bluefin catch and release only, from licensed charters. In the US it depends on the permit, the size of the fish and the current limits, which change during the season. Ask the captain when you book.
How much does a bluefin tuna charter cost?
Private tuna trips published by captains on our site run from about $1,280 to $2,850 for 7 to 12 hours.
For captains and guides
Your boat, listed free. No commission, ever.
Anglers call you or book on your own website, and you keep 100% of every trip. Want more detail or the one Featured spot in your town? Enhanced is $19/month and City Spotlight $49/month.