Maine Fishing Report May 14 2025: Stripers, Groundfish, and Freshwater Trout Opportunities Abound

Hey there, anglers! Artificial Lure here with your Maine fishing report for this fine Wednesday, May 14, 2025.

The spring fishing season is heating up along the Maine coast! The weather's finally cooperating, making it a comfortable time to be on the water without bundling up or dealing with icy guides.

Right now, we're seeing smallmouth, pike, and stripers becoming active as the spring weather takes hold in our beautiful Vacationland. The striped bass are starting to trickle across the Massachusetts border, with some nice migratory fish pushing through. Some anglers are landing stripers up to 40 inches, so bring your big topwaters and flutter spoons if you're looking for a trophy.

For those heading offshore, the groundfish bite has been solid around Southern Jeffrey's Ledge and Platt's Bank. Fresh reports indicate that from Plymouth to Plum Island, a new run of stripers have moved in, with flounder feeding regularly.

Bluefish have been showing up in good numbers, invading the rivers and providing some exciting action. Tautog fishing remains steady with some anglers even landing personal best catches. If you're after scup, they're starting to arrive as well.

For freshwater enthusiasts, the Fish River Lakes Region offers excellent trout opportunities. While water levels might be high in early May, Hanson Brook Lake, Arnold Brook Lake, and Echo Lake are providing excellent early season trout fishing in the Presque Isle area. Up north, check out Daigle Pond in New Canada and Black Lake in Fort Kent.

Hot spots worth trying today: Plum Island for stripers, Southern Jeffrey's Ledge for groundfish, and the Aroostook River for some good flowing water action.

Bait and lure recommendations: For stripers, large topwaters and flutter spoons are producing well. Classic steelhead crack brown buggers and olive buggers are working for steelhead. When fishing the cold waters, remember to slow your presentation down. Where legal, try a bobber with a worm or live fish as bait.

Tidal info shows an incoming tide through mid-morning, which should push those stripers closer to shore feeding grounds. With sunrise around 5:10 AM and sunset approximately 8:05 PM, you've got plenty of daylight to work with.

Remember folks, the upper fly zones have special regulations now - no weight law means no sink tips or added weight on the fly or line. And keep in mind that the fly zone closes around today or tomorrow, so check your regulations before heading out.

That's the report for today, May 14th. This is Artificial Lure signing off - tight lines and don't forget to release what you don't keep!