Fishing guides › New Hampshire & Maine
FISHING GUIDE · PORTLAND, MAINE
Portland & Casco Bay, Maine Fishing Guide
Casco Bay's islands, ledges and rivers give shore and boat anglers good striped bass fishing from late May into early fall. Mackerel fill Portland Harbor in summer and fall and make good bass bait, and bluefish show up some years. Offshore ledges hold haddock, pollock and cod, and bluefin tuna and sharks are found farther out under federal rules.
📍 Portland, Maine, and Casco Bay, from Cape Elizabeth and South Portland north to Harpswell and Phippsburg. Public ramps include South Portland (by Bug Light), Portland's Eastern Promenade, Falmouth, Yarmouth, Freeport's Winslow Park and Mere Point in Brunswick.
Map: spots, ramps and marinas
★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)
Open the full New Hampshire & Maine map →
Quick facts
- Casco Bay has an estimated 785 islands, islets and exposed ledges, and its watershed covers 985 square miles.
- The Presumpscot, Royal and Stroudwater are the three main rivers flowing into the bay.
- Maine forbids fishing for or keeping striped bass in federal waters, more than 3 miles from shore.
- Maine's saltwater registry costs $1 online; under-16s and passengers on licensed charter boats are exempt.
- Portland's Public Pier on the historic waterfront is a popular shore spot, especially when mackerel are in.
What you can catch
- Striped bass
Mid to late May in the Fore, Presumpscot and Royal rivers, then island channels and ledges; leave from late September. Keep 1 fish 28 to 31 inches. - Atlantic mackerel
Portland Harbor summer through fall; small silver spoons around the docks. 25 per day. - Bluefish
Some years; when they show, mackerel scatter. 5 per day, circle hooks with bait. - Haddock
Offshore ledges such as Tanners and Trinidad; 17 inches, 15 fish, closed in March. - Atlantic cod
Ledges like West Cod Ledge outside Portland Harbor; 1 fish at 23 inches, short season only. - Pollock
No limit in Maine waters; 19-inch minimum in federal waters. - Sharks
Blue, porbeagle and thresher in federal waters with an HMS permit; coastal sharks, including mako, may not be taken in Maine waters. - Bluefin tuna
Close to Casco Bay in some years; HMS permit needed.
Month by month
| January | Quiet season. Haddock open. Kennebec-watershed striped bass closure in effect (east of Casco Bay). |
|---|---|
| February | Haddock open; groundfish trips weather-dependent. |
| March | Haddock possession closed Mar 1 - 31. |
| April | Haddock reopens Apr 1. Water still cold; bass not yet in. |
| May | Striped bass run starts mid to late May in the rivers. Halibut open in state waters from May 18. |
| June | Bass in the rivers, then island channels by late June. Halibut closes Jun 13. Federal bluefin limits start Jun 1. |
| July | Bass around Portland Harbor, Bug Light and the islands; mackerel in the harbor. Kennebec-area bass reopens Jul 1. |
| August | Bass move to cooler outer islands. Mackerel in the harbor. Gulf of Maine trophy bluefin closed from Aug 4, 2026. |
| September | Maine's 2026 rule sheet lists cod Sep 1 - Oct 31 (check current rules). Bass start south in late September. |
| October | Mackerel still around; last of the bass. Cod season ends Oct 31 per Maine's sheet. |
| November | Quiet. Kennebec-watershed bass season ends Nov 30. |
| December | Quiet. Kennebec-watershed bass fishing closed from Dec 1. |
Tips
- Register with the Maine Saltwater Recreational Fishing Registry ($1 online) and carry proof while fishing, unless exempt.
- When fishing bait for striped bass in Maine, use a non-offset circle hook; no bait on treble hooks and no gaffing.
- Do not cross into the Kennebec watershed (inside Cape Small to Cape Newagen) for bass from Dec 1 - Jun 30; May-June there is catch-and-release with single-hook lures only.
- Cast small silver spoons for mackerel around Portland's piers and docks, then use them live for bass.
- Several ramps in Falmouth, Yarmouth, Freeport and Harpswell cannot be used at low tide; Mere Point in Brunswick has all-tide access.
Rules and license
Maine Department of Marine Resources; NOAA Fisheries / New England Fishery Management Council (groundfish); NOAA HMS (tuna and sharks) · Official rules page ↗
- Maine Saltwater Recreational Fishing Registry required ($1 online, $2 at agents); exempt if under 16, on a licensed charter boat, or licensed in another state or the National Registry.
- Striped bass 2026: 1 fish per day, 28 to 31 inches total length, open all year statewide; circle hooks with bait; no fishing in federal waters.
- Kennebec, Sheepscot and Androscoggin area: bass closed Dec 1 - Jun 30 except catch-and-release with single-hook lures May 1 - Jun 30.
- Haddock: 17 in., 15 fish, closed Mar 1 - 31. Cod: 1 fish, 23 in.; Maine's 2026 sheet lists Sep 1 - Oct 31 but federal rules were changing, so check current rules.
- Pollock: no limits in state waters, 19 in. in federal waters. Mackerel 25 per day. Bluefish 5 per day. Atlantic wolffish may not be kept.
- Atlantic halibut (state waters): May 18 - Jun 13 only, no fishing Wednesdays and Thursdays; no federal-waters season.
- Sharks: coastal sharks, including shortfin mako, prohibited in Maine waters; blue, porbeagle and thresher in federal waters need an HMS permit.
- Bluefin tuna (federal, Jun 1 - Dec 31, 2026): HMS Angling permit; private boats 2 fish 27 to under 73 inches per day, charter 3, headboat 6; only 1 may be 47 to under 73 inches. Report each fish within 24 hours. Stay 500 yards from North Atlantic right whales (federal law); NOAA asks 100 yards for other whales and 50 yards for seals.
Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.
Boat ramps and marinas
The map above shows 40 boat ramps and 7 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.
- Bethel Point Town Landing
- Boat ramp near Bennett Cove
- Boat ramp near Card Cove
- Boat ramp near Great Ledge Cove
- Boat ramp near Hadlock Cove
- Boat ramp near Johnson Cove
- Boat ramp near Long Cove
- Boat ramp near Maxwell Cove
- Boat ramp near Simonton Cove
- Boat ramp near Spring Cove
- Brewer Marine South Freeport
- Centennial Street Ramp
- Chebeague Island Boat Ramp
- City of Portland Boat Ramp
- East End Boat Launch
- Fore Points Marina
- Garrison Cove Town Landing
- Hildreth Road Landing
- Lincoln Street Boat Ramp
- Mackerel Cove
- Maine Yacht Center
- Mere Point Boat Launch
- Nonesuch River Public Boat Access
- Potts Point Town Landing
- Public
- Royal River Boat
- Spring Point Marina
- Stovers Cove Boat Launch
- Town Landing
- Winslow Park Boat Ramp
- Yankee Marina
- Yarmouth Boat Yard
- Yarmouth Town Landing
Sources
- https://www.maine.gov/dmr/sites/maine.gov.dmr/files/inline-files/2026_striped_bass_regs%20-%20ADA%20compliant.docx
- https://www.maine.gov/dmr/sites/maine.gov.dmr/files/inline-files/2026_sportfish_regs_Gabrielle%20Page_0.pdf
- https://www.maine.gov/dmr/fisheries/recreational/fishing-regulations-tips
- https://www.maine.gov/dmr/fisheries/recreational/licenses-registry/saltwater-recreational-fishing-registry-license
- https://www.maine.gov/dmr/fisheries/recreational/fishing-regulations-tips/tuna-shark-and-other-large-species-information
- https://www.maine.gov/dmr/fisheries/recreational/anglers-guide/south-portland-to-blue-hill
- https://www.cascobayestuary.org/casco-bay/
- https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/retention-limit-adjustment-atlantic-bluefin-tuna-angling-category-fishery-2
- https://onthewater.com/noaa-closes-gulf-of-maine-trophy-bluefin-tuna-fishery-through-end-of-2026
- https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/marine-life-viewing-guidelines/guidelines-and-distances
- https://newenglandboating.com/?p=21250
- https://maineboats.com/node/4744
Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.