Fishing Report June 1, 2026
Stripers, flounder, and salmon made up the bulk of this week’s reporting, with a bit of bass fishing mixed in. Everyone is reporting lots of big stripers around, despite recent storms over the last weekend. Reports of flounder, tautog, and big stripers in and around Boston Harbor dominated reports. Plum Island and the Merrimack River are still producing big stripers, but freshwater in the river has slowed some areas and techniques down a bit. Salmon fishing on Sebago, Winnipesaukee, and Winnipesaukee is still firing on all cylinders. Bass are up spawning and will provide easy opportunities for another few weeks at least.
Maine:
Greg Cutting at Jordan’s Store in Sebago told us that the past week of salmon fishing on Sebago has been insane. “The fishing has been good, but a bit odd. One day they bite like a son of a gun. The next day, you go to the same place, and you can see the fish there, but they don't bite. We fished the western shore, down from the Northwest River, all the way down to the Camel's Pasture. We marked some fish in the deep hole in the middle and some bait, but it wasn't doing much. We came back up through, and we saw some bait in front of Ward's Cove and we got into some salmon there. It was like a little inner shoal in front of Ward's Cove.
It comes up in the 40s, some feet of water, there's some bait on the end of it. And as soon as we got back, it was 9 a.m., they started hitting right there. I was using a variant of a blue smelt. My buddy had a variant that he hand-tied with a temple body on a single hook and they love that freaking thing. Water temperature was around 54 degrees where we were fishing the other day and I think it's perfect. The fish are still on top. Some guys went up to Hancock and caught some bass recently. They went fishing primarily for browns. They picked a couple and then they started bass fishing,” he said.
Tim Tower of Bunny Clark’s Deep Sea Fishing in Ogunquit posted the following report on his website: “The fishing, catching and landings (anglers included) were excellent today. I don't think you could catch more haddock unless you waited for a double before you reeled in. Most legal fish landed today were haddock by far. We attained the bag limit two hours before it was time to leave to go back to Perkins Cove. So, I went looking for pollock to no avail. Legal landings also included 42 cusk, 8 pollock, three redfish and 17 mackerel. Released fish included 51 legal haddock, 6 sub-legal haddock, four cod over 23 inches, 17 small cod, 3 small pollock and a couple of mackerel. We drift fished and anchored. We did best on anchor. Bait worked, by far, the best.”
“I couldn't tell you who was high hook. We had so many excellent anglers, I would have had to count fillets. And we don't count fillets. Jonathan "Griff" Griffin (MA) won the boat pool for the largest fish with the largest fish, a 10-pound cod. This is a tie for Bunny Clark's third-largest cod of the fishing season to date. Griff also caught two haddock that weighed 6.5 pounds each. I believe that these were his two largest haddock. Adam Kendall (VT) won the boat pool for the second largest fish with the second largest fish, a 9.5-pound cod, Bunny Clark's fifth largest cod of the 2026 fishing season so far. The third largest fish was a 9-pound Maine state trophy haddock caught by Mark Girard (NH). This is the largest haddock that Mark has ever caught. His largest haddock before this was 8.5 pounds, caught with me the year before last on a spring marathon trip. Mark caught a lot of haddock today.”
“Other Angler Highlights: Victor Tirrito (VT) caught the first Maine state trophy haddock today. It weighed 7.25 pounds. I took a picture of Vic holding his haddock. This digital image appears on the left. The first fish he caught this morning was a 6-pound haddock. His son, Mike Tirrito, who has been fishing with me since he was twelve years old (many moons ago), was one of the anglers whom I was considering for high hook with the most legal fish. He caught quite a few haddock over 6 pounds that I didn't need to weigh for the boat pool. Karl Day (ME) caught today's third Maine state trophy haddock, also a 7.25-pounder. Karl had caught a 6.5-pound haddock much earlier in the trip. Jeff Corey (MA) had a slower start. But once we got on the anchor, it was one after another. I didn't weigh any haddock for him, but I'm sure he caught one of 6 pounds or better. I did weigh a 6-pound cusk for him. Roger Gavin (MA) caught a 6.75-pound haddock, a quarter of a pound shy of a Maine state trophy. I had weighed a 5.5-pound haddock for him earlier. Dan Pipes (VT) boated a 6.5-pound cusk, his biggest fish. He also caught a 6-pound haddock, one of his biggest haddock.”
“Tod Benjamin (VT) caught the largest cusk of the day at 7 pounds. Jack Decormier (NH) caught a 6.25-pound haddock and two others that were probably the same size. Dana Decormier (NH) caught a haddock that I didn't weigh, which was over 6 pounds but was not big enough to be a Maine state trophy. Don Johnson (MA) caught more than his share of haddock today. He was surprised at how well he did, despite the fact that I wasn't! Darlene Chin (NH) had a string of good luck continue from the first trip she took with me in 2025. May this thread of luck continue. She, again, told me that it was the best haddock day that she has had. I think that she just can't help herself, saying this, when she has such an enjoyable day on the ocean with the fishing and the weather. But, maybe, that's just me!”
New Hampshire:
Tim from Tim Moore Outdoors/Lake Winnipesaukee Fishing Guide Service reported a bit slower fishing last week, mostly due to the weather. “The fishing is decent. The weather has kept a lot of people off the lake. We are still picking away at salmon and lots of lake trout. Rainbows have been few and far between for a week or so, but that’s how they go. Either we find them or they find us, and it’s on again. Governor Aiken and orange with black dot BB Guns were my top spoons. The AJ’s fire smelt streamer was the top fly. We are getting salmon down around 20 feet. Lake trout are down around 35 feet. Most of the lake trout are coming on spoons, and salmon are coming on a mix of spoons and flies.
Alan Nute at Winnisquam Country Store in Tilton told us that he is hearing decent salmon and rainbow trout reports from both Winnisquam and Winnipesaukee. “I have been hearing of people still catching those big salmon on Winnisquam. People are doing well with salmon fishing on Winnipesaukee, too. Lots of purple from what I am hearing. Governor Aiken has been a good color. Most of the salmon are still up. People are catching them down 20 feet or less. They’re getting lakers down around 35 feet still. A lot of people are doing well in bass fishing. I had a guy do really well for hornpout on Winnisquam last week. Not many people do that anymore and it’s good fishing,” he said.
Massachusetts:
Martha at Sufland Bait and Tackle on Plum Island told us that despite the weekend storm, the fishing is still good in and around the Merrimack River. “The fishing has still been excellent. Low tide down the mouth of the river the past few mornings. Some mornings have been good, some mornings have not been so good. A lot of lures are catching fish. Paddletails, all the usual stuff. The ocean front has been pretty much unfishable with all the seaweed from the wind. I have had some good Sandy Point reports during the blow. Clams have still been the hot bait. We are starting to hear of some tube and worm activity. It’s not hot and heavy yet, but it’s starting,” she said.
Pete Santini at Fishing Finatics in Everett was excited about the number of tautog in Boston Harbor this year. “There are tautog everywhere. It seems like every pier and rock pile are loaded with them. They’re catching them up to 12 pounds. A lot of flounder fishermen fishing Zobo Rigs with worms are even getting them. They’re everywhere. The striped bass are thick at the river mouths. I’ve seen some pogies that were bitten in half, so I think we got some bluefish around. Mackerel are at the BG Buoy, Graves Light, and off Flip Rock. Troll them out between Graves Light and B Buoy and down at Hull Gut. Santini Tubes are fishing well over near Deer Island. Flounder are still strong over at Hospital Shoals, Peddocks, Deer Island, and Lynn Harbor,” he said.