Waterlands

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BluefishPeak season

Channel · Maine

York Narrows

44.18°N · 68.47°W · Channel · Intra Coastal Waters from Schoodic Point, ME to Stonington, ME

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Best score today · 11 PM · Bluefish

82/100Great
Now
509 AM EDT
Best window
11 PM-12 AMEbb tide
Tide now
High9.2 ft

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

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 9 AM · now

Time9ANOW
Score50Good
Tide9.2 ftHigh
CurrentSlack0.0 kn
Wind5 kn NEgusts 12 · steady
Sea stateLight chop1.5 ft · 5 s
Air temp54°Cool
WeatherClear0% cloud
Water56°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

IN EFFECT NOW

No rule for Bluefish 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 Bluefish is best here

Peak season for Bluefish · 1 more week at peak

Bluefish season by week of the year. Peak season for Bluefish · 1 more week at peak.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • Not here
  • This week

Bluefish in Maine

Spot profile

York Narrows

Depth
15-50 ftDrop-off
Structure
Channel · Inner · Semi-exposedChannel · drop-off
Season
Peak seasonBluefish

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 York Narrows

York Narrows is a channel in Intra Coastal Waters from Schoodic Point, ME to Stonington, ME, Maine. Depth is 15-50 ft, with a drop-off. Its profile reads channel, inner water and semi-exposed.

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

Tackle & technique

Bluefish
Bluefish travel in size-sorted schools and feed where tide pushes bait past structure: inlet mouths, rips, shoal edges and the surf line, mostly in water shallower than 60 feet. Look for birds and breaking bait and cast metal or poppers into it, or soak cut bunker or mullet on the bottom from the beach. Use a short wire or heavy leader because their teeth cut light line.
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.
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

  • Hawley Ledge

    Bar · 0.1 mi

    75
    Top: ScupPeak season
    • Scup 75
    • Atlantic bluefin tuna 62
    • Atlantic cod 60

    5 kt NEL 3:12 PM · 1.7 ftH 9:21 PM · 10.1 ft

  • Long Ledge

    Bar · 0.4 mi

    75
    Top: ScupPeak season
    • Scup 75
    • Atlantic bluefin tuna 62
    • Black sea bass 60

    5 kt NEL 3:12 PM · 1.7 ftH 9:21 PM · 10.1 ft

  • 73
    Top: ScupPeak season
    • Scup 73
    • Striped bass 60
    • Atlantic bluefin tuna 59

    5 kt NEL 3:12 PM · 1.7 ftH 9:21 PM · 10.1 ft

  • Casco Passage

    Channel · 0.7 mi

    72
    Top: ScupPeak season
    • Scup 72
    • Atlantic bluefin tuna 59
    • Striped bass 59

    5 kt NEL 3:12 PM · 1.7 ftH 9:21 PM · 10.1 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.