Northeast Wellfleet Harbor #609

In the northeast section of Wellfleet Harbor you will find a smaller bay that is fed by a marsh above a man-made dike. In that dike is a “flapper” dam – a unique mechanism that allows water to enter the marsh in a controlled state as the tide floods and then reverses to allow the water to recede. It is during that time when the fishing can be quite good here because a strong outflow emerges from the flapper and the churned up water is usually filled with plenty of baitfish from the upper marsh. The stripers know this and will be found anywhere from the roiled water just below the flapper, all the way out into the main harbor. This is an excellent spot to wade and fish although the bottom can be a bit soft in spots so be sure to wade carefully. Target the channel and wade out toward the harbor proper as the tide recedes. Low light conditions are best. Use Hogy Skinnies, Sand Eels or Originals in the 7 and 10-inch size. In the spring this is also a herring run so anything that looks like a herring will get some attention. Fly fishermen work this area too and some fishermen prefer to drift live eels after dark just below the dam. The harbor in Wellfleet has much boat activity so fishing after dark or pre-dawn is recommended.

Location:  Off Chequessett Neck Road.

Parking: Free, along a dirt road on the north side of the bay. Note the high tide mark and do not park below it. Four-wheel drive is advisable as the sand road can be soft in spots.

Access: Easy. Wade out into the bay and follow the channel as the tide drops. At lower end of the tide, walk along the north shore for about ½ mile to a point where the bay enters the larger harbor. There is a sand bar there where stripers often linger waiting for bait to be swept over the bar.