Fall Scalloping Season on Nantucket 2026
When October arrives on Nantucket, the island settles into a quieter rhythm. The summer crowds begin to fade, the temperatures cool, and one of Nantucket’s favorite fall traditions returns: recreational bay scalloping.
The 2026 recreational, or “family,” scalloping season begins October 1, 2026, and runs through March 31, 2027. Recreational scalloping is permitted Wednesday through Sunday, giving families, longtime scallopers, and newcomers plenty of opportunities to head out into Nantucket’s harbors.
Get Your Nantucket Shellfish Permit
Before heading out, anyone age 14 or older participating in recreational shellfishing must have a valid Town of Nantucket Recreational Shellfish Permit and display their own shellfish button.
Current permit fees are:
• Nantucket residents ages 14–59: $35
• Nantucket residents age 60+: Free
• Nonresidents, one-week permit: $50
• Nonresidents, annual permit: $125
Permits can be obtained online or in person at the Public Safety Facility, 4 Fairgrounds Road, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
What You’ll Need for Scalloping
You don’t need much equipment to get started. Local marine and tackle shops can help outfit you with the basics, which typically include:
• Belted waders or a wetsuit
• A push rake
• A clam or scallop basket attached to an inner tube or float
• Waterproof gloves
• Warm layers
• Your shellfish permit button
Checking the weather and tides before heading out is always important, especially as the water temperatures begin to drop throughout the fall.
Where to Go Scalloping on Nantucket
At low tide, scallopers head into shallow waters around the island in search of Nantucket Bay scallops. Madaket and Monomoy have traditionally been popular areas, although the best locations can change from year to year depending on the scallop population and conditions.
Recreational scallopers have the waters to themselves for the first month of the season before Nantucket’s commercial bay scallop season begins on November 1. Commercial scalloping continues through March 31, Monday through Friday.
Know Which Scallops You Can Keep
One of the most important parts of scalloping is knowing the difference between an adult scallop and seed.
Legal bay scallops must have a well-defined annual growth ring. Under Nantucket regulations, scallops with a growth line less than 10 millimeters from the hinge may still be harvested if the shell measures at least 2.5 inches in height. Seed scallops should always be returned to the water.
Recreational permit holders may harvest up to one bushel of bay scallops per week.
A Nantucket Fall Tradition
Nantucket Bay scallops are smaller and sweeter than their sea scallop cousins and are one of the island’s most sought-after seasonal delicacies. For many island families, however, scalloping is about much more than what ends up on the dinner table.
It’s a tradition passed down through generations — pulling on waders, heading to the harbor at low tide, pushing a rake through the water and bringing home a basket of scallops to shuck.
Once cleaned, Nantucket Bay scallops don’t need much. A quick sauté with butter, salt and pepper is often all it takes to let their naturally sweet flavor shine.
The Town of Nantucket continues to carefully manage the island’s shellfish resources through seasonal limits, harvest regulations, habitat protection and restrictions on taking seed scallops. Scallopers should always check current Town regulations and shellfish closures before heading out.
Whether you’ve been scalloping for decades or are heading out for the first time, the opening of family scalloping season is one of those unmistakable signs that fall has arrived on Nantucket.
Happy Scalloping Season, Nantucket!
