Waterlands

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Atlantic bluefin tunaPeak season

Bay · Maine

Popplestone Cove

44.46°N · 67.57°W · Bay · Intra Coastal Waters from Schoodic Point, ME to Stonington, ME

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Best score today · 11 PM · Atlantic bluefin tuna

84/100Great
Now
637 AM EDT
Best window
11 PM-12 AMEbb tide
Tide now
Flooding8.2 ft ▲

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

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 7 AM · now

Time7ANOW
Score63Good
Tide8.2 ft ▲Flooding
CurrentSlack0.0 kn
Wind4 kn NNEgusts 8 · steady
Sea stateLight chop1.2 ft · 6 s
Air temp48°Cool
WeatherClear0% cloud
Water55°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

IN EFFECT NOW

No rule for Atlantic bluefin tuna 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 bluefin tuna is best here

Peak season for Atlantic bluefin tuna · 5 more weeks at peak

Atlantic bluefin tuna season by week of the year. Peak season for Atlantic bluefin tuna · 5 more weeks at peak.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • Not here
  • This week

Atlantic bluefin tuna in Maine

Spot profile

Popplestone Cove

Depth
10-50 ftDrop-off
Structure
Bay · Inner · Semi-exposedBay · drop-off
Season
Peak seasonAtlantic bluefin tuna

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 Popplestone Cove

Popplestone Cove is a bay in Intra Coastal Waters from Schoodic Point, ME to Stonington, ME, Maine. Depth is 10-50 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, scup and striped bass. It is peak season now for Atlantic cod, scup, striped bass and black sea bass, and shoulder season for tautog, summer flounder and mahi-mahi. Atlantic cod peak from May through June and from September through October. Scup peak from June through September. Striped bass peak from May through June and from September through October.

Tackle & technique

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.
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.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Cape Cove

    Bay · 0.6 mi

    74
    Top: ScupPeak season
    • Scup 74
    • Atlantic cod 73
    • Striped bass 73

    4 kt NNEH 9:05 AM · 10.6 ftL 3:08 PM · 1.8 ft

  • Black Ledges

    Bar · 1.2 mi

    74
    Top: Atlantic codPeak season
    • Atlantic cod 74
    • Scup 74
    • Striped bass 73

    4 kt NNEH 9:05 AM · 10.6 ftL 3:08 PM · 1.8 ft

  • Mud Hole Channel

    Channel · 1.3 mi

    74
    Top: Atlantic codPeak season
    • Atlantic cod 74
    • Scup 74
    • Striped bass 73

    4 kt NNEH 9:05 AM · 10.6 ftL 3:08 PM · 1.8 ft

  • Three Falls Harbor

    Bay · 1.2 mi

    73
    Top: ScupPeak season
    • Scup 73
    • Striped bass 73
    • Black sea bass 71

    4 kt NNEH 9:05 AM · 10.6 ftL 3:08 PM · 1.8 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.