Maine Fishing Report: Stripers, Bluefish, and Haddock Bite Strong

Artificial Lure here with your daily fishing report for Wednesday, June 11th, 2025, checking in from the coast of Maine along the mighty Atlantic.

First things first—let’s talk about the tides. According to Tide-Forecast for York Harbor, we’re looking at an early morning low right around 6:18 AM at just 0.35 feet, and then a strong afternoon high tide at about 4:05 PM climbing to 10.4 feet. That means your prime fishing window is shaping up for late afternoon into early evening, with moving water putting fish right on the feed. Sunrise rolled in bright and early at 5:05 AM, and you can fish all the way through sunset at 8:26 PM, so there’s loads of daylight to wet a line.

Weather's classic Maine June—cool in the mornings, warming to the upper 50s by afternoon, and just a touch of breeze. Conditions are comfortable, and as the On The Water Angler’s Guide notes, rising water temps are kicking fish activity into high gear.

Now, let’s get to what folks are catching. According to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, this is the heart of the action for smallmouth bass in the inlets and salt ponds, but out in the salt, stripers are the talk of the town. The latest from On The Water reports that striped bass are slamming surface baits off the beaches, especially with mackerel moving in closer to shore. Bluefish—ranging from “cocktail” size up to true gators—are chowing down on metal spoons and can be found right alongside the stripers.

Offshore on the party boats, the Bunny Clark Deep Sea Fishing reports that haddock have been coming over the rails in impressive numbers, with a steady pick of cusk, plus the occasional halibut and redfish. Bait has been outperforming artificial lures for bottom fish—think fresh clams, cut mackerel, and squid strips.

Best baits and lures for today:
- For stripers and blues: Topwater plugs, SP Minnows, and metal jigs are the locals’ go-to, but don’t sleep on live or fresh-cut mackerel.
- For bottom fish like haddock and cusk: Drop a simple bait rig with clam or cut mackerel right down to the bottom and hang on tight.
- June is a great month for panfish action, especially at dusk. A chunk of nightcrawler under a float is almost guaranteed to hook a white perch if you’re looking for a little variety.

Hot spots? Try the beaches and inlets around Cape Elizabeth and Pine Point for stripers on a moving tide, and offshore ledges near Jeffrey’s Ledge and Old Orchard for that haddock and cusk bite. If you want easy access, Biddeford Pool and the Saco River mouth are producing as well.

That’s the scene for today! Thank you for tuning in—don’t forget to subscribe for daily updates. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.