Waterlands

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Little tunnyPeak season

Bay · Maine

Frenchman Bay

44.41°N · 68.19°W · Bay · Intra Coastal Waters from Schoodic Point, ME to Stonington, ME

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Best score today · 5 PM · Little tunny

77/100Great
Now
513 PM EDT
Best window
5-8 PMFlood tide
Tide now
Low1.5 ft

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

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 3 PM · now

Time3PNOW
Score51Good
Tide1.5 ftLow
Current0.2 knmodeled · toward NW
Wind5 kn NEgusts 12 · steady
Sea stateLight chop1.3 ft · 5 s
Air temp61°Mild
WeatherClear0% cloud
Water57°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

IN EFFECT NOW

No rule for Little tunny 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 Little tunny is best here

Peak season for Little tunny · 4 more weeks at peak

Little tunny season by week of the year. Peak season for Little tunny · 4 more weeks at peak.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • Not here
  • This week

Little tunny in Maine

Spot profile

Frenchman Bay

Depth
130-200 ftDrop-off
Structure
Bay · Inner · Semi-exposedBay · drop-off
Season
Peak seasonLittle tunny

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 Frenchman Bay

Frenchman Bay is a bay in Intra Coastal Waters from Schoodic Point, ME to Stonington, ME, Maine. Depth is 130-200 ft, with a drop-off. Its profile reads bay, inner water and semi-exposed.

Waterlands scores 13 species here; the best right now are Atlantic cod, Atlantic bluefin tuna and black sea bass. It is peak season now for Atlantic cod, Atlantic bluefin tuna, black sea bass and scup, and shoulder season for tautog, summer flounder and mahi-mahi. Atlantic cod peak from May through June and from September through October. Atlantic bluefin tuna peak from July through October. Black sea bass peak from June through July and in September.

Tackle & technique

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.
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.
Atlantic bluefin tuna
Bluefin tuna follow schools of herring, mackerel, sand eels and menhaden over banks, ledges and shoals, mostly in the top 150 feet. Troll spreader bars and daisy chains to find fish, then switch to live bait, chunks or stick baits once a school is located. Heavy tackle and a NOAA HMS permit are required, and size-class limits change through the season.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Bald Rock Ledge

    Bar · 1.5 mi

    66
    Top: ScupPeak season
    • Scup 66
    • Atlantic cod 62
    • Black sea bass 62

    5 kt NEH 9:18 PM · 10.6 ftL 3:38 AM · 0.7 ft

  • 66
    Top: ScupPeak season
    • Scup 66
    • Atlantic cod 62
    • Black sea bass 62

    5 kt NEH 9:18 PM · 10.6 ftL 3:38 AM · 0.7 ft

  • Bar Harbor

    Bay · 1.3 mi

    65
    Top: ScupPeak season
    • Scup 65
    • Atlantic cod 62
    • Atlantic bluefin tuna 61

    5 kt NEH 9:18 PM · 10.6 ftL 3:38 AM · 0.7 ft

  • Snows Point

    Cape · 2.2 mi

    65
    Top: ScupPeak season
    • Scup 65
    • Atlantic cod 62
    • Atlantic bluefin tuna 61

    5 kt NEH 9:18 PM · 10.6 ftL 3:38 AM · 0.7 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.