I love kayak fishing on Cape Cod, especially in scenic peaceful areas. And when the weather cooperates, it is hard to beat a day spent on the water in Wellfleet Bay.
From the end of May through October, Wellfleet Bay is alive. Everything from coyotes to stripers are active, both day and night.
The Outer Cape is also one of my favorite places to visit, especially during the "shoulder seasons" of spring and fall.
The traffic is less severe (especially on weekdays) which is when I usually choose to make my treks to this special area of the Cape.
Kayaking Wellfleet Bay
Wellfleet Bay is a favorite spot of mine. A lot of the area falls within the boundaries of Cape Cod’s National Seashore, and is thus conservation land.
Much of the shoreline is undeveloped and undisturbed, and it’s not unusual to encounter deer, coyotes and many species of birds which are harder to come by in more developed areas.
In this post, I will share with you what I have learned during the past few years of my experience fishing Wellfleet Bay.
We'll discuss some areas worth fishing, places to launch, as well as some stories and words of advice from my trips to the area.
Smalley's Bar
During June of 2017 I decided to make the long paddle to a little known sandbar inside Wellfleet Bay. Decades ago this spot was once a popular commercial striped bass fishing area, but now I rarely encounter anyone at all when I go there.
It’s a place where you’ll see more wildlife than people because it takes such an extraordinary effort to get there, especially if you are going by kayak. The wind, the current and the distance make it a challenge to reach.
The spot is called Smalley’s Bar, and it is nothing more than a sandy shoal that protrudes east into Wellfleet Bay, out from the northern reaches of Jeremy Point.
There are a few boulders in the area, but what I think attracts the fish to this spot is the abundance of small baitfish, and the swift current which runs down along the beach.
During a 2017 trip at Smalley’s Bar right at high tide, I initially did not see any life, but before I knew it I started having small fish chase and swirl behind my plug.
I figured there would be a few fish in the area, but little did I know that hundreds of bass were holding on the bar.
The water was so clear that I could soon see the fish cruising beneath my kayak.
The bass were jostling for position and moving back and forth from the shallowest part of the bar (maybe 2ft deep) to the deeper edges (maybe 8ft deep).
There were hundreds of fish, but interestingly, they were all small.
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This trip is on the list for me, Ryan. looks amazing! thanks for sharing.
No prob! LMK how it goes when you give this trip a shot. ??
I consider myself fortunate that this has been my summer “back yard” for over 40 years and have been able to enjoy its beauty and fishing . Reading your article jogged free many fishing memories from over all those years. Ryan you are correct about the current abundance of schoolie striped bass in the bay. You’re also correct about the influence adult bunker can have. Years ago adult bunker would fill the inner harbor. You would see them dimpling the surface of the water around the moored boats out in front of the pier. And large stripers and gator blues would eventually find them. One summer morning I awoke to find Mayo Beach literally covered with bunker from the feeding frenzy that happened as I slept. So much so that the highway department used their equipment to clear the beach of the carnage.
Oh man that must of been quite the blitz. It is not often they call in for highway equipment to clear the beach free of pogies!
Thanks for commenting and reading ??
In the spring the inner cove by the herring river dike can be very productive for both lite tackle and flyfishing. I have had several 70 fish days with many doubles if fishing with teasers. Best time is the outflow from the herring river which counter intuitively is 3 hours before and after LOW tide. Fish will hold just off the stronger flows waiting for small bait from the river. There is a major tidal restoration plan in progress which will likely change everything but is several years away.
Yes I heard they may reconstruct that dike to help restore natural water flow and the local herring population. It’ll be interesting to see how that develops!
Thanks for the tips and for reading ?
I was once told by a well known, but highly secretive fisherman, the first thing to know about Jeremy Point, is that there’s no such thing as Jeremy Point…. heheheheheheee!!!!!!!!!!!
lol, yes guys say that about the canal all the time. The whole “there’s no fish in the canal” phrase gets tossed around Facebook a lot.
I would think the fishing at Jeremy was probably much better in the “old days.” I paddle out there each year and have caught plenty of small fish, but no monsters. There are usually some seals slouching around the beach too.
Gorgeous spot though and if you want to photograph birds, then this would be the place to do it.
My house is right in the middle of it
That’s a great place to be ??
Thanks for all the info. Love the underwater footage! I want to explore the Wellfleet area more. We stayed on South Sunken Meadow beach for many years in the summer. That’s a beautiful area too. Of course you could see the “Target Ship” from there (as you could from any town on CCB)! Not sure of you are old enough to remember that Ryan!
Again, Thanks for the info, adding Wellfleet exploration to my bucket list.
I was born in 1985 so I might of missed out on that Leslie, but can you still see the target ship these days sometimes during a very low tide?
Hey Ryan,
The James Longstreet was a 400 foot long Liberty Ship from World War II.
German U-Boats sunk over 225 cargo ships in the first six months of 1941 alone. The Allies were running out of cargo ships for the crucial supply convoys to England. The Liberty Ship program was devised, which produced almost 3,000 ships from 1942-1945. Speed of building was essential and shipyards eventually were able to produce a Liberty Ship in less than 3 weeks. As part of the speedy construction, the ships were assembled by welding instead of with rivets. It was found that under the low temperatures of the North Atlantic these welds could break, and cracks would develop throughout the entire ship. Needless to say, Liberty Ships did not last very long, most about 5 years. They did their part when they were needed the most. The James Longstreet was in service for a year before suffering severe damage during a storm off Sandy Hook, New Jersey in late 1943. It was going to be scrapped when the Navy brought it to Cape Cod as a target ship. I can remember seeing it from the Eastham shore as a kid in the 1960’s, also seeing planes make bombing runs on the ship. I remember hearing that the “bombs” were filled with flour so the pilots could identify a hit. Also watching the silhouette get lower over the years as the hulk rusted and collapsed into the Bay. Today the bones of the ship can still be a hazard to Navigation and there is a “Danger” buoy floating over the wreck, or at least there used to be. Today only two Liberty ships remain intact, preserved as museums, the John W.Brown in Baltimore and the Jeremiah O’Brien in San Francisco.
Lieutenant Island is a very cool area. Be sure and drive an SUV or some other high clearance vehicle if you visit. The parking area is a mass of twisting ruts that can easily bottom you out as you try and find the best route through. At high tide the approaches to the bridge can be flooded. That is why you will often see shells and debris on that area of the road as it is left there by the retreating tide.
Good tips Dex! Thanks! ?