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Casco Bay Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 11, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Portland’s bay of islands: Casco Bay holds striped bass, mackerel and groundfish.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Next tide
Low 5:56 PM
Air / High
59 / 76 F
Wind
NW 6 mph

Sources: NOAA tides 8418150, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
11
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Casco Bay sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. Today brings clear skies, wind NW around 6 mph, falling pressure near 1012 hPa and a high of 76. Tides: high 11:51 AM, low 5:38 AM and 5:56 PM: the moving water either side of each change is when this place feeds. Water sits around 72 F for the season (estimated). With the new moon, the solunar majors run 11:32 PM-1:32 AM and 11:32 AM-1:32 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Striped bassExcellent

Surface action windows at dawn; otherwise free-lines and planer boards over long points and humps.

BluefishExcellent

Follow the bunker and mullet schools: blitzes can erupt anywhere on the beach. Wire or heavy leader always.

Tomorrow: Cooler at 70 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 12, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Before you go

Maine requires a fishing licence from age 16, from $25.00 for residents. What a Maine licence costs and where to buy it →

Chasing striped bass here? Check the size and bag limits with MDIFW before you keep anything.

Water and weather

Live readings.

Tides

NOAA station 8418150 (Portland, ME). Fish the moving water either side of each change.

Fri
LOW5:38 AM-0.7 ft
HIGH11:51 AM10.2 ft
LOW5:56 PM-0.4 ft
Sat
HIGH12:11 AM10.6 ft
LOW6:22 AM-0.5 ft
HIGH12:35 PM10.3 ft
LOW6:44 PM-0.5 ft

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp59 F
High / Low76 / 56 F
WindNW 6-15 mph
Pressure1011.9 hPa, falling
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset06:15 / 18:58
MoonNew Moon, 0%
Water temp (seasonal)~72 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 11 · Clear, 76/56 F, wind 11 mph, rain 0%

Fair or better. A 11 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Casco Bay: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Striped bass illustration

Striped bass

Best: spring and fall

The reservoir heavyweight. Follows shad and herring schools in open water year-round. Surface action windows at dawn; otherwise free-lines and planer boards over long points and humps.

Bluefish illustration

Bluefish

Best: Sep-Oct blitzes

The ocean's most honest fish: when blues blitz bait on the beach, everything with hooks gets bit. Follow the bunker and mullet schools: blitzes can erupt anywhere on the beach. Wire or heavy leader always.

When to come: the Casco Bay calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Striped bass
Bluefish
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 72 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~72 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Casco Bay today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 10

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Bluefish led the card at excellent. High of 85 F, wind to 17 mph.

Wed, Sep 9

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Striped bass led the card at excellent. High of 67 F, wind to 14 mph.

Tue, Sep 8

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Striped bass led the card at excellent. High of 79 F, wind to 11 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Maine requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Maine saltwater registry. Striped bass and groundfish are size- and season-regulated, with strict federal rules on some species: check current DMR guidance.

Access

Launches and charters at Portland, South Portland, Falmouth and Freeport; island ferries from Portland.

About this water

A bay of islands and ledges from Cape Elizabeth to Cape Small, Cumberland County, Maine.

Fishing Casco Bay: the full guide

A bay of hundreds of islands

Casco Bay stretches from Cape Elizabeth to Cape Small along the Maine coast, with Portland at its heart and a scatter of islands, ledges and channels that locals call the Calendar Islands. It holds striped bass, bluefish, mackerel, pollock, mackerel-chasing tuna offshore, and groundfish over the deeper structure, with a season that runs late spring into fall.

Striped bass in the islands

Striped bass arrive in late spring and work the island shorelines, the ledges, the rips and the river mouths through the summer, taken on plugs, soft plastics, flies and live mackerel. The Presumpscot and Royal river mouths and the back coves hold fish on the tide. Kayak fishing among the islands is genuinely excellent here.

Mackerel, pollock and bottom fish

Mackerel arrive in summer in enormous schools and provide easy fast fishing for anyone with a light rod and a string of tube lures: they are also the best striper bait available. Pollock hold the ledges and the deeper structure. Groundfishing is regulated tightly: check current rules before targeting or keeping anything.

Cumberland County logistics

Portland provides launches, charters, tackle and every service, with additional access at South Portland, Falmouth and Freeport. Ferries serve the islands. Maine water stays cold: dress for it, and note that fog can close in fast on this coast, so carry navigation you can trust.

Common questions

When do stripers arrive?

Late spring, and they work the islands, ledges and river mouths through the summer into fall.

Why fish for mackerel?

They arrive in huge schools for fast easy fishing, and they are the best striper bait available here.

Is fog a risk?

Yes: it closes in fast on this coast. Carry navigation you can trust before running among the islands.

Is fishing good at Casco Bay right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Sebago Lake21 miOssipee Lake45 miMerrymeeting Lake47 miDamariscotta Lake49 miSaco River50 miGreat Bay51 mi
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