Fishing Boothbay Harbor, ME

A perfect day on the water in Boothbay Harbor, Maine — smiles, sunshine, and a beautiful striped bass caught along the coast. Photo/Fish Boothbay

Group of anglers aboard a Charger Sportfishing charter hold their catches after a successful day fishing off Boothbay Harbor. Photo/Charger Sportfishing.

Considered the northernmost port on the East Coast for serious saltwater sportfishing, Boothbay Harbor offers action with mackerel, striped bass, bluefish, tuna, and an assortment of groundfish.

Half- and full-day partyboats, charterboats, and small-boat guides ply the inshore and offshore waters in search of game and food fish, and private boaters can easily follow suit.

Striped bass are Boothbay’s glamour fish, and schoolies from five pounds to bruisers over 30 are often abundant from mid-June into October.

Smiles all around after a successful morning on the water — reeling in a striped bass under perfect coastal skies. Photo/Charger Sportfishing.

The local charter skippers and guides generally work the Kennebec and Sheepscot Rivers and the waterways connecting them. Closer to the harbor, Linekin Bay offers fine action for private-boaters. A live tinker mackerel, free-lined or fished under a float along the shoreline, can account for some nice fish, as will mackerel chunks fished on bottom.

Be advised that Maine has a “slot limit” on bass, whereby an angler can keep one fish per day, and it must measure between 20 and 26 inches. If you’re lucky enough to catch a striper over 40 inches you can keep that instead, but most Maine anglers release the big ones.

Big-game fishing for sharks and giant bluefin tuna has always been popular with Boothbay anglers. The Breakaway, Charger and Redhook offer offshore trips for these choppers, with blue sharks from 50 to 300-plus pounds being the most plentiful. Productive spots include the Kettle (10 miles south of Seguin Island), the Sagadahoc Ledges (several miles farther out) and Plattes Bank.

Tuna, ranging from 200 to 800 pounds, can be trolled up on spreader rigs of plastic squid, or chummed up with fresh cut-up fish with a live or dead mackerel, herring, or whiting as a hook bait, in these same areas.

Speaking of mackerel, you’ll find plenty inside the harbor, sometimes right on the surface around the harbor docks. You can easily catch them on small shiny flies and metal lures, as well as on Sabiki bait-catching rigs. If you can’t see the schools on top, try slow-trolling a Sabiki rig on a heavy weight through the harbor until you hook up.

Proof that great catches aren’t just for the guys — this angler shows off her striped bass after a successful day of fishing. Photo/Charger Sportfishing.

For complete information on Maine’s saltwater fishing scene, visit the Department of Marine Resources.

Bait & Tackle:

♦ Harbor Bait 207-633-2215

Charters:

♦ Sweet Action Charters 207-318-4898

♦ Charger Sportfishing 207-380-4556

♦ Fish Boothbay 207-423-7540

♦ Mainetain Charters 603-566-6743

♦ Reel Addiction Sportfishing 207-380-2791

License Requirements

Anglers over the age of 16 who wish to fish in Maine’s marine waters out to 3 miles from shore, including the waters surrounding its offshore islands, must register annually with the state. There is a $1 to $2 service fee to register. The permit expires on December 31. Learn more about Maine’s fishing license requirements here. Visit the Maine Online Sportsman Electronic System to purchase a license.

Seasons, Catch & Size Limits

For information on Maine’s saltwater fishing regulations, by species, visit the Maine Department of Marine Resources website.