Waterlands

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Atlantic codPeak season

Bar · Maine

Bill Wallace Ground

43.69°N · 69.84°W · Bar · Casco Bay

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Best score today · 5 PM · Bluefish

77/100Great
Now
694 PM EDT
Best window
5-7 PMFlood tide
Tide now
Flooding3.7 ft ▲

Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine

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24-hour conditions

Thursday, Oct 1 · 6 PM

Time6P
Score77Great
Tide5.5 ft ▼Ebbing
CurrentEbb1.0 kn · toward SSE
Wind4 kn WSWgusts 13 · steady
Air temp62°Mild
WeatherPartly cloudy33% cloud
Water57°FPersisted

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

IN EFFECT NOW

No rule for Atlantic cod is on file here yet, so its status is unknown, not closed. Confirm limits with Maine DMR before you keep a fish.

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Atlantic cod is best here

Peak season for Atlantic cod · 5 more weeks at peak

Atlantic cod season by week of the year. Peak season for Atlantic cod · 5 more weeks at peak.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

Atlantic cod in Maine

Spot profile

Bill Wallace Ground

Depth
40-70 ftSlope
Structure
Bar · Outer · ExposedBar · slope
Season
Peak seasonAtlantic cod

NOAA NCEI DEM, sampled Sep 13 on a 3.4 m grid. Depths are feet below NAVD 88, not chart datum (MLLW), so they can differ from a chart by a few feet. Not for navigation.

About this spot

Fishing Bill Wallace Ground

Bill Wallace Ground is a bar in Casco Bay, Maine. Depth is 40-70 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads bar, outer water and exposed.

Waterlands scores 10 species here; the best right now are Atlantic cod, haddock and little tunny. It is peak season now for Atlantic cod, haddock, little tunny and scup, and shoulder season for tautog and summer flounder. Atlantic cod peak from May through June and from September through October. Haddock peak from May through September. Little tunny peak from September through October.

Tackle & technique

Atlantic cod
Cod hold near coarse, rocky bottom on ledges, banks and wrecks, commonly from 80 to 300 feet in the Gulf of Maine. Drift over the structure with a diamond or cod jig and a teaser fly above it, keeping the jig within a few feet of bottom, or fish clams on a high-low rig. Check the stock area and season before keeping one, because most of the year cod must be released.
Haddock
Haddock feed on gravel, sand and clay bottom along the edges of banks and ledges, mostly in 120 to 400 feet. They have small, soft mouths, so fish clam or squid on small hooks on a high-low rig, or a light jig with teasers, right on the bottom. Set the hook gently and keep steady pressure on the way up.
Little tunny
Little tunny travel fast in schools that pin bait against inlets, points, jetties and tide rips, usually within a few miles of shore and often in less than 60 feet. Stay off the school's path, wait for it to surface within range, and cast small metal or epoxy jigs with a fast retrieve. When fish stay down, troll small feathers along bait edges and color changes to find them.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Bald Head Ledge

    Bar · 0.6 mi

    76
    Top: ScupPeak season
    • Scup 76
    • Black sea bass 74
    • Atlantic cod 72

    7 kt NH 8:11 PM · 8.1 ftL 2:33 AM · 1.2 ft

  • Buttonmold Ledges

    Bar · 0.3 mi

    75
    Top: ScupPeak season
    • Scup 75
    • Black sea bass 73
    • Atlantic cod 72

    7 kt NH 8:11 PM · 8.1 ftL 2:33 AM · 1.2 ft

  • Small Point

    Cape · 0.5 mi

    75
    Top: ScupPeak season
    • Scup 75
    • Black sea bass 73
    • Atlantic cod 72

    7 kt NH 8:11 PM · 8.1 ftL 2:33 AM · 1.2 ft

  • Bald Head Cove

    Bay · 0.7 mi

    73
    Top: ScupPeak season
    • Scup 73
    • Striped bass 68
    • Black sea bass 66

    7 kt NH 8:11 PM · 8.1 ftL 2:33 AM · 1.2 ft

Scores and forecasts are for planning only and can be wrong. Conditions on the water change fast; check the marine forecast before you go. Regulations change during the season, so confirm limits and closures with Maine DMR before you keep a fish.