Maine coast fishing report for the week of October 8, 2026. The fall run is the last great hurrah on the Maine coast. The stripers are fat, the water is cooling, and the migrating fish are moving south. A new moon this weekend means big tides for the estuaries.
What’s Hitting
Striped bass are the main target in the rivers, the estuaries and along the beaches from Kittery to Casco Bay, feeding on mackerel, herring and sand eels. Mackerel and pollock are in the harbors and on the ledges, bluefish are fading, and cod and haddock are on the offshore grounds. Smelt are starting to move into the tidal creeks.
Where to Find Them
The Kennebunk River, the Saco River and the Scarborough marsh are the places to start. Wells Harbor and Kennebunkport provide protected water. The ledges off Cape Elizabeth hold pollock and cod. The beaches at Ogunquit and Old Orchard provide surf fishing.
Tides & Conditions
The new moon this weekend brings big tides, which push the stripers into the estuaries. The tidal currents can be strong in the rivers, so be careful. The water is dropping into the fifties, and the fish are moving toward their wintering grounds.
Tackle & Tactics
Bucktails, soft plastics and live mackerel work for stripers. Small jigs and mackerel rigs catch the mackerel and pollock. Fly anglers can use a Clouser or a sand eel pattern. Use a good wading boot and a lifejacket in the tidal rivers.
Fly anglers have a strong option in the Maine estuaries. A sand eel or herring pattern fished on a sinking line on the tide change can produce fish, and the quiet water in the marsh is a good place for a first-time striper angler to learn.
Local Intel This Week
Public access includes Kennebunkport Town Landing, Wells Harbor, East End Beach in Portland and Scarborough’s Pine Point. Fish are concentrating in the estuaries and the beaches. Check current Maine Department of Marine Resources regulations and seasons before keeping any fish, as striped bass rules include slot limits.
This Week’s Tip
Fish the tide. In the Maine estuaries, the fish move with the water, so the best bite is usually the last two hours of the falling tide and the first hour of the flood.
More Maine Coast Resources
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