Portland | Maine | Striped Bass Fishing Reports | 2026
By the time the 2025 season started winding down, I kept hearing the same boat-ramp question. You know the one.
“You finding any fish?”
It’s the kind of question every guide learns to treat with suspicion—right up there with “Where’d you catch ’em?” and “What’d they eat?” Usually it comes with a sideways grin, one hand on a trailer crank, the other waiting for you to slip up and give away more than you meant to.
But this season… this season had a different feel to it.
I’ve been on the water basically every day for five months, and I’ve done that dance for the better part of 25years. Long enough to know when something is off, and long enough to feel it in my bones when something shifts in a new or maybe old direction.
So when people asked if we were finding fish, the answer wasn’t a dodge.
It was yes.
But not the usual yes, as a concern for the lack of small fish often flows into management or - (lack of) - conversation.
It was the kind of yes that comes with raised eyebrows—fish sliding into patterns that many of the other more seasoned guides and anglers I chat openly with haven’t seen in a long time. Fish showing up in those old haunts you still check every once in awhile, even though they’ve gone quiet for years… and suddenly there they were again, like they never left, just grew in-size, like the tide had decided to hand back a piece of the fishery we thought was gone.
And maybe the biggest surprise of all?
How damn small the answers were.
Tiny patterns. Micro stuff. Flies that looked like you tied them by accident.
You’d show a fish a normal offering and it would ghost off like you were insulting its intelligence. But tie on something that looks like comfort food , slide it right, and suddenly they’d lean, tip, track, and then maybe one would make a mistake and eat like it was the only thing in the ocean.
It made you pay attention.
Made you slow down.
Made you remember a quiet boat makes a difference
Made you remember that stripers—real stripers—can be as selective and particular as any Permit or Trout that’s ever lived.
Most seasons end with a list of “what didn’t work” and “what we’ll try next year.”
But this one? This one ended with a whole lot of yes--
yes, there is reason for BIG concerns with a lack of young Bass in the bio mass,
yes, the big fish were around,
yes, they were acting different,
and yes, they kept us honest.
The kind of honest only a ever changing season can force out of you, all the while 2026 season can not come soon enough, but maybe this season will arrive with ...... ........ ........ well it will take being on the water day in and day out to have an honest answer to that.
Capt. Eric Wallace
Maine Striper Fishing Report (2025-2026)
“You finding any fish?”
It’s the kind of question every guide learns to treat with suspicion—right up there with “Where’d you catch ’em?” and “What’d they eat?” Usually it comes with a sideways grin, one hand on a trailer crank, the other waiting for you to slip up and give away more than you meant to.
But this season… this season had a different feel to it.
I’ve been on the water basically every day for five months, and I’ve done that dance for the better part of 25years. Long enough to know when something is off, and long enough to feel it in my bones when something shifts in a new or maybe old direction.
So when people asked if we were finding fish, the answer wasn’t a dodge.
It was yes.
But not the usual yes, as a concern for the lack of small fish often flows into management or - (lack of) - conversation.
It was the kind of yes that comes with raised eyebrows—fish sliding into patterns that many of the other more seasoned guides and anglers I chat openly with haven’t seen in a long time. Fish showing up in those old haunts you still check every once in awhile, even though they’ve gone quiet for years… and suddenly there they were again, like they never left, just grew in-size, like the tide had decided to hand back a piece of the fishery we thought was gone.
And maybe the biggest surprise of all?
How damn small the answers were.
Tiny patterns. Micro stuff. Flies that looked like you tied them by accident.
You’d show a fish a normal offering and it would ghost off like you were insulting its intelligence. But tie on something that looks like comfort food , slide it right, and suddenly they’d lean, tip, track, and then maybe one would make a mistake and eat like it was the only thing in the ocean.
It made you pay attention.
Made you slow down.
Made you remember a quiet boat makes a difference
Made you remember that stripers—real stripers—can be as selective and particular as any Permit or Trout that’s ever lived.
Most seasons end with a list of “what didn’t work” and “what we’ll try next year.”
But this one? This one ended with a whole lot of yes--
yes, there is reason for BIG concerns with a lack of young Bass in the bio mass,
yes, the big fish were around,
yes, they were acting different,
and yes, they kept us honest.
The kind of honest only a ever changing season can force out of you, all the while 2026 season can not come soon enough, but maybe this season will arrive with ...... ........ ........ well it will take being on the water day in and day out to have an honest answer to that.
Capt. Eric Wallace
Maine Striper Fishing Report (2025-2026)
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Visit : Anglers photo page.....
2019 Striper Migration Map---This year appears to be 1 or 2 weeks ahead of the slow start we experienced in 2018. Pre-spawn striped bass to 30 pounds have been moving into northern New Jersey. These fish are most likely Hudson stock, and they are taking advantage of the huge schools of bunker in the area. In Chesapeake Bay, the striper spawn is on in many of the rivers as surface water temperatures warm. Warming inshore waters have improved the bite for schoolie striped bass in the bays at the west end of Long Island and migratory schoolies are moving along the beaches. Follow along as we track the Striper Migration. You can help by contributing to our weekly map updates—simply share your striper fishing reports here, and on social media with tag #stripermigration. Click the Map for a link to on the water....
Maine Striper Season 2018
Happy July 4th!! As we move deeper into July my favorite time of the season for stripers starts to come more into play! sure the active feeds and high fish landed days are fun!! but I'm a flats guy and skinny water sight fishing is whats keeps me on the water year after year. Here is a cool article on the Northeast and the sight fishery we have, the reports from me will start to thin as I hold info a little more to myself this time of the year, but feel free to reach out any time and be sure to check back a few more reports yet to come.... Report 2 June 23 -2018 Portland area Casco Bay Maine Fishing Report Welcome Summer to Maine!!!! if the past week or so of available nice size fish on the flats is a inducator of the direction this season is going, -I’m stoked!!! The returning schoolies as a whole have a bit more size then the last couple of season as expected, what's really is nice is the large amount of 30 plus inch fish on the flats- that are more than willing to eat flies or soft plastics, this is just fun good fishing we are having!!! There is a lot of bait around the bay and the bass have spread out past just being near the major river systems, fishing the tide is key, both incomer and dropping are fishing well---- Sight Fishing has been very solid and when tide and sun match up it's just outstanding !!!! We boated the fish in the above photo at high noon in less than 2 ft of water, get in touch if you are needing more info or looking to get out and enjoy some very good fishing….. Capt Eric Wallace Quick Report from Maine Striper Fishing Blog. Report 1 June 10 -2018 Just getting back from the Keys after what was one of the wettest Mays on record the fishing in late April was off the charts good and was this past week once the sun came out so we could see what the heck was swimming around us. After a couple long days and a late night drive towing the skiff, the fly lines have been changed to cool water the Tarpon boxes put away and striper gear is ready to roll, I was able to get out a scout a few of the past mornings and happy to report found fish at every stop and saw very few anglers :)) size was all over the place from little schoolies to largest that landed was just under 30, Look to the weather to continue to warm and more bait and bass to fill in the area fishery. As the season progresses look for More reports posted here and on the Maine Striper Fishing Blog..... Water temps Portland, 55 Water temps Cape Cod 56 Water temps Casco Bay 54-61 on the flats 6-10-2018 As always feel free to reach out to us quick text works best, also remember to check out our blog.. link below Capt Eric Wallace 207-671-4330 |
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