Wintertime Fishing in Maine: Tides, Tautog, and Ice-Bound Treasures

For January 10, 2025, if you're heading out to fish in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Maine, here's what you can expect:

First, let's look at the tides. Today, the high tide is at 3:54 AM with a height of 4.41 feet, followed by a low tide at 10:34 AM with a height of -0.05 feet. The next high tide will be at 4:11 PM with a height of 2.8 feet, and the final low tide of the day will be at 10:09 PM with a height of -0.48 feet[2].

The weather is expected to be cold, with freezing temperatures predicted in the coming weeks, which is typical for this time of year. Sunrise is at 7:14 AM, and sunset will be at 5:14 PM.

Fish activity has been decent despite the cold. Holdover stripers remain active in the rivers, and some anglers have reported catching them. For saltwater fishing, blackfish are a good option right now, as the sea bass and striper seasons have wrapped up. Tautog are also biting, taking white leggers and hermit crabs along the southern reefs. Bluefin tuna are still present, although they are slowly moving south[1].

For freshwater anglers, the ponds and lakes are starting to freeze up, making them suitable for ice fishing. Trout, crappie, and largemouth bass are common catches in these areas. In the rivers, white perch fishing is good, and you might also catch brown trout, rainbows, and steelhead using beads[1].

When it comes to lures and bait, for holdover stripers, using smaller bait and slowing down your retrieve is advisable due to the cold water. For tautog, white leggers and hermit crabs are effective. If you're ice fishing, small bait for brook trout works well, as they prefer small prey items[1][4].

Some hot spots to consider include the tidal tributaries for chain pickerel, yellow perch, and blue catfish. Messalonskee Stream in central Maine is open to year-round fishing and is well-stocked with brook trout, splake, and brown trout. For ice fishing, West Musquash Lake in the interior part of the Downeast Region has been producing reasonable catch rates of lake trout and salmon[1][4].

Overall, it's a good time to get out there and enjoy the winter fishing scene in Maine, whether you're on the ice or in the rivers and coastal waters.

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI