Waterlands

UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN

Atlantic codPeak season

Bay · Maine

Clay Cove

44.08°N · 69.80°W · Bay · Casco Bay

LOADING MAP

Best score today · 8 AM · Atlantic cod

74/100Great
Now
6110 AM EDT
Best window
7 PM-12 AMFlood tide
Tide now
Flooding4.1 ft ▲

Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + ECMWF · Waterlands engine

Notify me when Clay Cove scores 75+

Checked every morning against the 14-day forecast. Free by push and email.

Sign in to set an alert

24-hour conditions

Monday, Sep 28 · 8 AM

Time8A
Score66Great
Tide1.3 ft ▼Ebbing
CurrentEbb1.3 kn · toward SSW
Wind9 kn NEgusts 20 · steady
Air temp56°Mild
WeatherOvercast100% cloud

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.

Source: Maine DMR · synced yesterday

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

Clay Cove

Depth
7-20 ftSlope
Structure
Bay · Inner · ProtectedBay · 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 Clay Cove

Clay Cove is a bay in Casco Bay, Maine. Depth is 7-20 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads bay, inner water and protected.

Waterlands scores 10 species here; the best right now are scup, little tunny and striped bass. It is peak season now for scup, little tunny, striped bass and Atlantic cod, and shoulder season for tautog and summer flounder. Scup peak from June through September. Little tunny peak from September through October. Striped bass peak from May through June and 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.
Scup
Scup school over hard and mixed bottom, rock piles, mussel beds, piers and jetties, usually in 10 to 60 feet of water. Fish a high-low rig with small hooks and squid or clam strips on the bottom, and chum with clam to hold a school under the boat. If nothing bites within 15 minutes, move to the next piece of structure.
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

  • Wade Cove

    Bay · 1.2 mi

    70
    Top: ScupPeak season
    • Scup 70
    • Little tunny 66
    • Striped bass 63

    6 kt NNEH 11:13 AM · 4.5 ftL 5:36 PM · 1.0 ft

  • Shipyard Point

    Cape · 2.0 mi

    70
    Top: Striped bassPeak season
    • Striped bass 70
    • Scup 69
    • Little tunny 66

    6 kt NNEH 11:13 AM · 4.5 ftL 5:36 PM · 1.0 ft

  • Southard Point

    Cape · 0.4 mi

    69
    Top: Little tunnyPeak season
    • Little tunny 69
    • Striped bass 66
    • Scup 65

    6 kt NNEH 11:13 AM · 4.5 ftL 5:36 PM · 1.0 ft

  • Hatch Point

    Cape · 0.7 mi

    69
    Top: Little tunnyPeak season
    • Little tunny 69
    • Striped bass 66
    • Scup 65

    6 kt NNEH 11:13 AM · 4.5 ftL 5:36 PM · 1.0 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.