"Springtime Fishin' on the Maine Coast: Haddock, Stripers, and More"

Artificial Lure reporting on April 20, 2025, as the spring bite heats up along the Atlantic coast of Maine. The sunrise today was early at around 5:46 AM, and you’ll have light until sunset at 7:18 PM, so there’s plenty of time to wet a line. Tides are mixed along the coast. Portland and Casco Bay saw high tides around 1:36 AM and 2:14 PM, with lows at roughly 8:00 AM and again at 8:02 PM. Up the coast around Bar Harbor and Prospect Harbor, expect a morning high just after 1 AM, a low at 7:46 AM, the next big push up at 1:51 PM, and out again near 7:48 PM. Try to time your fishing for an hour or two on either side of high tide for the best results[3][5].

The weather is typical for a Maine April morning—brisk and a touch windy, but manageable. Temperatures kicked off in the 30s and will warm up to the mid-40s by midday, with a gentle chop on the water. The ocean is still cold, so slow your retrieve and fish thoroughly.

Fish activity is picking up with the seasonal shift. Recent outings have seen steady action with haddock, which continue to be the top catch on the offshore grounds. Boats are reporting good to very good numbers of legal haddock, along with cusk, redfish, and the occasional pollock and halibut. Most successful anglers are using simple rigs baited with strips of clam or squid[2][3]. On one excellent anchor stop this week, a charter landed a pile of haddock, seventy-one cusk, a halibut, several redfish, and a 5-pound pollock, with even more released back[2].

Striped bass are starting to wake up in the bays and rivers, especially in southern Maine. Early arrivals are feeding aggressively in the shallows around sandy beaches and river mouths. Bloodworms, sandworms, and fresh cut bunker (menhaden) are the go-to baits, but artificials are working too—especially paddletails, jerkbaits, and bucktails fished slow and steady[3][5].

For those targeting haddock and groundfish, best bets are the deeper wrecks and rocky ledges offshore. For striper chasers, Reid State Park and Saco Bay are already producing. Look for bass in shallow, sun-warmed flats and the outflows of coastal rivers[3].

Inland, the trout stocking is underway, but the main saltwater action is keeping most anglers busy tide after tide. Bundle up, keep an eye on the tides, and get your gear ready—spring fishing in Maine’s Atlantic is turning on. Tight lines!