Fishing Report June 30, 2025
Changing weather brings changing fishing conditions and feeding patterns. We heard of an uptick in striped bass activity for most areas, with a few reporting inconsistent bite activity. Boston Harbor, the Piscataqua River, and Saco Bay have all reported increased striper numbers. Plum Island still has plenty of fish, but the bite has been the most inconsistent there. Lakes are producing good numbers of lake trout and salmon, and bass are beginning to move to the edges of drop offs. Flounder reports have slowed down, but offshore haddock reports are great when the weather cooperates.
Maine:
Greg Cutting at Jordan’s Store in Sebago reported excellent crappie and white perch fishing in local ponds and a little slower fishing on Sebago. “Some guys are starting to catch some nice trout, and flatfish are starting to sell faster. We weighed another salmon that was over 7-pounds. They’re not catching like they were, but they’re still catching fish. The people who fish the most are able to keep tabs on the movements of the fish. Hancock is still producing browns by trolling with live shiners and smaller ponds are on fire for crappie and white perch. I also had a lot of guys buying flies and heading to the Saco River for bass,” he said.
Jack at Saco Bay Tackle in Saco reported that the striper fishing was starting to pick up in the Saco River area. “Things are definitely starting to heat up around here. If you are fishing around Pine Point I would use mackerel, but if you’re fishing around the Saco River or in the bay, I would use clams. For lures, anything that looks like a sand eel has been great. Gravity Tackle eels and Albie Snax have been good,” he told us.
CJ Harmon of Burnt Meadow Guide Service in Brownfield furnished the following report: “Another week of hot weather has driven most fish deeper in the water column. Our cannon down riggers played a huge role in our success this week. We really had to focus on staying within 4’ off the bottom to get the lake trout to bite consistently on Sebago. Dragging flatfish using lead core or copper line was also a very beneficial set up and will most likely stay that way throughout the summer months. The brown trout and rainbows are still holding in that mid water column and slow trolling bait has still been working great for us.”
Captain Tim Tower of the Bunny Clark Deep Sea Fishing in Ogunquit posted the following report from a recent deep-sea trip: “The fishing was very good despite the tide and the few dogfish. The catching was fair. Landings were poor, but that wasn't the point of the trip. Legal landings included 3 cusk, 11 haddock and 7 whiting. Released fish included 4 haddock, 1 halibut, 19 dogfish and 2 wolffish. We drift fished, anchored and used the sea anchor. We saw our best chances on anchor. All terminal gear worked about the same, but bait caught the most fish.”
“Danny DellaMonica was high hook with the most legal fish. His best fish looked to be a 5-pound haddock. David Cote (FL) had the two, officially weighed, biggest fish of the trip. Both were 9 pounds. One was a wolffish and the other was a halibut. I took a picture of Dave with the Bunny Clark's second halibut of the season. Karl Day (ME) caught a wolffish about the same size as Dave's. I didn't weigh it as he released the fish before I had a chance to put a scale to it.”
“Other Angler Highlights: Becca Day (OR) caught a handful of haddock and a good-sized whiting. I might have hooked a halibut. It was a great strike, but it lasted all of three seconds. I was caught unprepared. I used a single jig without a fly all day. I spent a good part of my day watching for and seeing some halibut on the sounding machine!”
New Hampshire:
Tim from Tim Moore Outdoors/Lake Winnipesaukee Fishing Guide Service on Lake Winnipesaukee says that crazy weather has been a challenge, but the fishing remains mostly good. “We have had some crazy weather and temperature swings last week. We went from upper 80 degree days to 60 degrees. One day we saw a 40 degree temperature swing from one day to the next. Anyone who fishes a lot knows that the fish don’t usually respond to wide temperature swings, especially drops in temps. Regardless, we’ve caught some really nice fish over the past week trolling spoons. Hot colors have varied by the day, sometimes by the hour. We have done well with Top Gun, BB Gun, and Tommy Gun spoons in orange, pink, and smelt color which have been our highest producers. The fish have been anywhere from 15 feet down to 40 feet down. When the water temps spiked, the cool water was down 40 feet. Just prior to that, the fish were up 15 feet down. When the cool weather and rain arrived Friday, the fish were back up to 15 feet and many were feeding on the surface in the morning. I was fortunate to get out last week during the heat wave to fish for stripers on the Piscataqua River. I had the Old Town Bigwater 132 ePDL out mostly drifting and vertical jigging. That ePDL is a beast for tidal river fishing. I caught a few fish vertical jigging paddle tails just off of structure. Amazingly, all the fish I caught were in the slot.” He said.
Alan Nute at Winnisquam Country Store reported crazy weather and crazy fishing. “The bugs are hatching, so all the fish are eating those things. They could give a care about much else. There are a few fish getting taken on top early in the morning. Once the bug hatch goes by the fishing should get really good. The fish are looking good. They’re putting on some weight. I talked to a guy who landed a 6.5-pound rainbow. Most of the fish are down 30 feet except for when they’re up eating bugs. Color has been all over the place. When they are biting, they are biting anything. When they’re not biting, they’re just not biting anything. Winnisquam has started to heat up for lake trout and salmon. The fish are probably a little bit deeper there,” he said.
Lon Berry at Berry’s Bait in Alton Bay said things have been crazy with warm weather and schools out. “The ponds have been producing a lot of crappie and bass. The big lake has been producing salmon and rainbows in the 20 foot to 40 foot depth range. It depends on where you’re fishing. The live bait hasn’t been selling for trolling. It’s been mostly lures and flies. A lot of Top Gun, BB Gun, and Mooslelook Wobblers have been the best selling lures. The Top Gun in Blood and Guts color has been really hot for a few guys,” he said.
Jason Brewster at Brewster’s Bait and Tackle in Portsmouth furnished us with the following report: “Fireworks above and in the Piscataqua this week! People are loading up Sabiki rigs in front of the Navy Yard and catching 40 inch bass by the Sarah Long bridge. One stop shopping. Clams seem to have gotten the most action last week with 24/7 Lures pencils working with the bird chasers!”
Massachusetts:
Martha at Surfland Bait and Tackle says that the weekend has “been crazy here. The fishing has slowed down a bit. Every day is different. There are lots of little sand eels and sea herring around. The surf has been spotty too. One day someone might get 5 fish and the next, only 1. The heat wave heated the river water up, but the ocean cooled down. It can be tough to find that prime water temp where there is active fish. Mackerel are still tough to come by down here, but tube and worm has started to pick up here. The boat guys are still getting fish, but it isn’t as fast and furious as it was last week. Paddle tails always work, and Sebile Magic Swimmers have been good,” she said.
Pete Santini at Fishing Finatics in Everett reported still excellent striper fishing, with some improvements over the past week. “There’s a lot of big bass in the harbor, out by the piers. They’re starting to move out of the rivers. I’m talking fish up to 50 pounds. People are getting them around the pilings. There is a pile of big fish from underneath the Tobin Bridge to the Encore Casino. They are getting them with Santini Tubes, Niner Rigs, Boston Massacre Rigs, and Mystic Mojos. There is a pile of juvenile pogies over near Castle Island. Mackerel are off of Nahant and off of Graves Light. You have to chum for them though. There’s a lot of bluefin tuna and stripers out next to the federal line. Just make sure you don’t go over that line, because you can’t fish for stripers in Federal waters. Haddock are thick on Tilley’s, in about 220 feet. There are a lot of squid in the harbor and still lots of tautog in around the piers,” he told us.