Maine Coastal Fishing Report: Spring Stripers and Tides for April 16th, 2025

Artificial Lure here with your Wednesday, April 16th, 2025 fishing report for the Maine Atlantic coast.

We are finally into mid-April and as the sun and waters are steadily warming, the spring fishing season is setting up nicely in southern and midcoast Maine. Today’s sunrise was at 5:46 AM and sunset will be at 7:18 PM, giving you ample daylight for a full day on the water or shoreline casting[4][7][9].

Tides will play a big part in today’s bite. Around Portland and Casco Bay, high tides hit at 1:36 AM and again at 2:14 PM, with lows at 8:00 AM and 8:02 PM[7]. Up toward Bar Harbor and Prospect Harbor, you’re seeing a 1:14 AM high, low at 7:46 AM, then another high at 1:51 PM, and a low at 7:48 PM[4][9]. Aim for an hour or two before and after high tide for the best action.

Weatherwise, expect cool spring conditions with light winds and a slight chop—perfect for casting or light trolling.

The early spring striper scouts are starting to nose in, especially around estuaries and river mouths. Most of the bigger schools are still down the coast, but a few early risers have been picked up near Scarborough Marsh and the Royal River mouth. Holdover schoolie stripers are also being caught in the Kennebec and brackish backwaters.

For lures, you can’t beat a white bucktail jig tipped with a soft plastic for stripers. Surface plugs like the Rapala Skitter Walk or Rebel Jumping Minnow put on a good show if you catch a sunny, calm afternoon. Paddletail soft plastics in bunker or herring colors are working well, and classic swimmers like the Yo-Zuri Mag Darter are reliable in the current. If you’re working deeper rips, try the Shimano ColtSniper jerkbait in white or silver[6][8].

Live and fresh bait is a sure bet too. Menhaden, mackerel, seaworms, and clams are your best friends for early stripers and sometimes an early cod or pollock. If you’re fishing rocky shorelines or from a pier, chunked mackerel or clams on a fish-finder rig are solid picks[10].

As for the catch, most anglers are still reporting schoolies, maybe up to the low 20s in inches with a few outliers. Folks drifting sea worms near the Saco River mouth have seen fast action on smaller bass, and a couple of flounder and pollock showings. No word yet on mackerel in good numbers, but they’ll be hot in a few more weeks.

Today’s hot spots to check out:
- Scarborough Marsh and Pine Point for schoolie stripers, especially on an incoming afternoon tide
- Royal River mouth in Yarmouth for early stripers and possible winter flounder
- Portland’s East End and Bug Light Park for shore action as bait begins to move in

That’s your April 16th rundown. Get out there while the spring bite’s heating up. Tight lines!