Maine Coast fishing report for the week of September 24, 2026. I’ve fished the southern Maine coast from Kittery up through midcoast for years, and I always feel a bit sad this time of year. The fall striper migration is underway, and the fish are starting to head south. But that also means some of the best fishing of the year, as the bass feed hard to fatten up for their long trip.
What’s Hitting
What’s hitting this week is striped bass. The fish are feeding hard on herring, mackerel, and pogies in the rivers and along the coast before heading south. There are still some bluefish around. Mackerel are starting to thin out, but you can still catch them from the docks and piers. Offshore, groundfish like haddock and pollock are on the ledges, and bluefin tuna are still around for the permitted boats.
Where to Find Them
Stripers are in the mouths of the rivers, including the Kennebec, the Saco, and the Piscataqua, and along the rocky shorelines. Look for birds and bait. Mackerel are around the docks and piers in the harbors. Groundfish are on the offshore ledges like Jeffreys Ledge.
Tides & Conditions
With the full moon on Saturday, the tides are big, and the current in the rivers is strong. The striper bite has been best on the dropping tide at the river mouths. Water temperatures are in the upper 50s to low 60s and falling fast.
Tackle & Tactics
For stripers, cast soft plastics, swimming plugs, or topwater lures along the rocky shorelines and at the river mouths. Live mackerel or pogies are also great bait. For mackerel, a small jig or a string of Sabiki rigs. For groundfish, a heavy jig or a bait rig on the bottom.
Looking ahead, the first real cold snap will send the last of the schoolies out of the rivers quickly, so treat every good tide this week as a bonus. Dawn and dusk on the dropping tide at the Kennebec and Saco mouths remain the best bets, and a slow-swimming soft plastic in the white or bone colors that match the herring has been out-fishing everything else on the calm mornings.
Local Intel This Week
Popular access points include Popham Beach State Park at the mouth of the Kennebec, the Saco River jetties at Camp Ellis, and Fort Foster in Kittery at the mouth of the Piscataqua. Public boat ramps are available in many coastal towns. Fish are concentrating at the river mouths. Maine requires a free saltwater registry for recreational anglers, so check current Maine Department of Marine Resources regulations and seasons before keeping fish.
This Week’s Tip
As the water cools, the stripers will be more active during the day. Don’t be afraid to fish in the middle of the day, especially on an overcast day.
More Maine Coast Resources
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