Spring Striper Run and Mackerel Mayhem: Maine Fishing Report for April 23, 2025

Fishing Report for April 23, 2025 – Atlantic Ocean, Maine
By: Artificial Lure

Sunrise this morning was at 5:41 and sunset will be at 7:36, giving us a full day to wet a line along the Maine coast. The weather is cool and seasonably crisp, with light winds out of the northeast and air temps hovering in the high 40s to low 50s. Skies are mostly clear, and the water clarity is good, which bodes well for sight fishing and inshore activity.

Tides are running strong this week with a low tide early—today’s chart for Portland shows a low tide at 3:15 am, a high at 9:28 am, another low at 3:39 pm, and the last high coming at 9:54 pm. These big swings mean an active bite around the moving water, especially in the hours just after slack[5].

The spring striper run is still on the early side in the northern part of the state, but some schoolies have been reported around the river mouths near Portland and up towards Freeport. Mackerel are starting to show up in numbers, particularly around wharves and rocky points. Groundfishing is picking up—anglers targeting cod, haddock, and pollock are finding fair numbers offshore, especially on the ledges east and south of Portland Head Light.

Best baits lately have been bloodworms and sandworms for stripers, especially fished on simple bottom rigs or under a float. For mackerel, small silver sabiki rigs or shiny spoons do the trick. Cod and haddock are responding to clams and cutbait, but jigs tipped with squid are also producing well.

Lure activity heats up as the sun gets higher. White soft plastics and small bucktail jigs are taking schoolie stripers in shallow estuaries. For mackerel, try small metal lures such as Kastmasters or Swedish Pimples—give them a fast retrieve to imitate baitfish.

Two spots to try today:
- The mouth of the Presumpscot River in Falmouth, where stripers often stage on outgoing tides and mackerel school up nearby.
- Biddeford Pool, especially around Wood Island, where groundfish and early stripers are always a good bet on a moving tide.

Overall, fish activity is ramping up with the lengthening days and warming water. Plan your trip around the stronger tides for the best shot at good action. Bring both bait and a selection of artificial lures, and you stand a good chance of a mixed bag along Maine’s beautiful Atlantic shoreline. Good luck and tight lines![5]