What fish can you catch at Center Harbor?

Striped bass, Bluefish, Fluke (summer flounder), Tautog (blackfish), Black sea bass, Scup (porgy), False albacore (albie), Winter flounder (blackback), Weakfish (squeteague), Atlantic mackerel, Northern kingfish (sea mullet), Hickory shad and 1 more. Each has its own season, preferred tide and water-temperature window at Center Harbor.

When is the best time to fish Center Harbor?

September and October have the most species in season (10 of 13) — Striped bass, Bluefish, Fluke (summer flounder), Black sea bass, Scup (porgy), False albacore (albie), Weakfish (squeteague), Northern kingfish (sea mullet). Seasons shift by a few weeks in a warm or late year.

Is there anything biting at Center Harbor in winter?

January, February are the quiet stretch — none of the species we track are in their window then. The bite picks back up in March.

What tide is best for fishing Center Harbor?

10 of the 13 species here feed best on moving water. Moving water is what pulls bait through the mouth, so the hours either side of a tide change usually beat dead slack.

Which wind is bad for Center Harbor?

Open water lies to the east, so an east wind is onshore — it stacks swell and chop into the mouth and pushes dirty water inshore. A west wind flattens and cleans it up.

Do migrating fish run past Center Harbor?

Yes — Striped bass (northbound Mar–Jun · southbound Sep–Nov); Bluefish (northbound Apr–Jun · southbound Sep–Nov); Bonito (northbound Apr–Jun · southbound Sep–Oct); False albacore (southbound Aug–Nov · northbound Apr–May); Atlantic mackerel (northbound Apr–Jun · southbound Sep–Nov); Bunker (menhaden) (northbound Mar–Jun · southbound Sep–Nov). These travel the coast with the seasons rather than living here year-round.

Where are the tides for Center Harbor measured?

NOAA CO-OPS station 8414168, at 44.2633, -68.5867. What Inlet? scores the live tide, current, solunar and weather for that station.

Center Harbor, ME Fishing Report — Species & Bite Guide

🎣 See today's live bite forecast for Center Harbor →

Species at Center Harbor

Striped bass
low-light ambush on moving water over structure
Season: May–Jun, Sep–Nov · Tide: moving water · Light: low light · Water: 50–68°F
Bluefish
warm-water blitzer slashing bait on current
Season: Jun–Oct · Tide: moving water · Light: any light · Water: 64–78°F
Fluke (summer flounder)
drift a moving dropping tide over sand for ambush
Season: May–Sep · Tide: the outgoing tide · Light: bright daylight · Water: 58–75°F
Tautog (blackfish)
crab-crunching on rock structure, best on strong ebb
Season: Apr–May, Oct–Dec · Tide: the outgoing tide · Light: bright daylight · Water: 48–60°F
Black sea bass
structure feeder, bite slows once water tops ~68F
Season: May–Jul, Sep–Oct · Tide: moving water · Light: bright daylight · Water: 55–68°F
Scup (porgy)
schools pile on structure once water passes ~45F
Season: May–Oct · Tide: moving water · Light: bright daylight · Water: 50–72°F
False albacore (albie)
speedsters crashing bait on moving water
Season: Aug–Oct · Tide: moving water · Light: any light · Water: 60–72°F
Winter flounder (blackback)
warming back-bay water on the ebb wakes the bite
Season: Mar–May · Tide: the outgoing tide · Light: bright daylight · Water: 45–58°F
Weakfish (squeteague)
after-dark hunter over channel edges on big-moon tides
Season: May–Jun, Sep–Oct · Tide: moving water · Light: low light · Water: 55–70°F
Atlantic mackerel
cold-water schools pass inshore on spring/fall migration
Season: May–Jun, Oct · Tide: moving water · Light: any light · Water: 46–58°F
Northern kingfish (sea mullet)
warm-water bottom feeder rooting sand for crabs/worms
Season: Jul–Sep · Tide: moving water · Light: any light · Water: 68–76°F
Hickory shad
schools stack in tidal rivers chasing small bait
Season: Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct · Tide: moving water · Light: low light · Water: 50–65°F
Atlantic bonito
fast pelagic crashing bait on clean moving water
Season: Aug–Oct · Tide: moving water · Light: any light · Water: 62–72°F

What's biting at Center Harbor, month by month

January	Off-season — nothing on the roster is in its window.
February	Off-season — nothing on the roster is in its window.
March	Winter flounder (blackback)
April	Tautog (blackfish), Winter flounder (blackback), Hickory shad
May	Striped bass, Fluke (summer flounder), Tautog (blackfish), Black sea bass, Scup (porgy), Winter flounder (blackback), Weakfish (squeteague), Atlantic mackerel, Hickory shad
June	Striped bass, Bluefish, Fluke (summer flounder), Black sea bass, Scup (porgy), Weakfish (squeteague), Atlantic mackerel, Hickory shad
July	Bluefish, Fluke (summer flounder), Black sea bass, Scup (porgy), Northern kingfish (sea mullet)
August	Bluefish, Fluke (summer flounder), Scup (porgy), False albacore (albie), Northern kingfish (sea mullet), Atlantic bonito
September	Striped bass, Bluefish, Fluke (summer flounder), Black sea bass, Scup (porgy), False albacore (albie), Weakfish (squeteague), Northern kingfish (sea mullet), Hickory shad, Atlantic bonito
October	Striped bass, Bluefish, Tautog (blackfish), Black sea bass, Scup (porgy), False albacore (albie), Weakfish (squeteague), Atlantic mackerel, Hickory shad, Atlantic bonito
November	Striped bass, Tautog (blackfish)
December	Tautog (blackfish)

Typical seasons for this stretch of coast — a warm or late year shifts them by a few weeks. The live forecast scores today's actual conditions.

Coastal runs that pass Center Harbor

These species travel the coast with the seasons, so they show up on a schedule rather than living here year-round.

Striped bass

the fall run south is the event of the year — the most reliable cascade signal in the NE

Timing: northbound Mar–Jun · southbound Sep–Nov · Driven by: water temp (55–68°F); follows bunker & sand eels · Pace: ~50–100 mi/week along the surf; ~1,000 mi in 6–8 wks
Bluefish

blitzes alongside the stripers

Timing: northbound Apr–Jun · southbound Sep–Nov · Driven by: temp + bunker/herring · Pace: fast, tracking the bait
Bonito

Atlantic bonito — erratic year to year; NC spring blitz + NE summer

Timing: northbound Apr–Jun · southbound Sep–Oct · Driven by: sand eels, anchovies, butterfish · Pace: moderate; often just ahead of the albies
False albacore

false albacore — fall cascade Nantucket→Cape Cod→NJ→NC; the Cape Lookout run is famous

Timing: southbound Aug–Nov · northbound Apr–May · Driven by: temp (75–86°F); bay anchovies, silversides · Pace: very fast — NC→Keys in ~23 days, ~50 mi/day
Atlantic mackerel

best inshore May–Jun & Sep–Oct in New England

Timing: northbound Apr–Jun · southbound Sep–Nov · Driven by: temp + spawning; copepods/sand eels · Pace: school-driven, fast
Bunker (menhaden) bait run

bunker/pogies — the stripers & blues are right under them

Timing: northbound Mar–Jun · southbound Sep–Nov · Driven by: temp + plankton blooms · Pace: huge schools shift the coast; the #1 trigger for the fall striper/blues blitz

How Center Harbor fishes

Open water lies to the east of Center Harbor. A wind out of the east is onshore here — it stacks swell and chop into the mouth and pushes stirred-up water inshore, while a west wind flattens the surface and tends to clean it up.

Tide is the clock: moving water pulls bait through the mouth, and the turns around slack are when most of the roster feeds hardest.

Tides here are read from NOAA station 8414168 at 44.2633, -68.5867 — see it on NOAA CO-OPS.

Shops & partners near Center Harbor

🏪 No partners at Center Harbor yet — be the first!

Run a bait shop, guide service, restaurant or tackle brand here? We'll feature you on this page and in the live app — free, with a line about what you do. Email hello@what-inlet.com.

Common questions about Center Harbor

What fish can you catch at Center Harbor?: Striped bass, Bluefish, Fluke (summer flounder), Tautog (blackfish), Black sea bass, Scup (porgy), False albacore (albie), Winter flounder (blackback), Weakfish (squeteague), Atlantic mackerel, Northern kingfish (sea mullet), Hickory shad and 1 more. Each has its own season, preferred tide and water-temperature window at Center Harbor.
When is the best time to fish Center Harbor?: September and October have the most species in season (10 of 13) — Striped bass, Bluefish, Fluke (summer flounder), Black sea bass, Scup (porgy), False albacore (albie), Weakfish (squeteague), Northern kingfish (sea mullet). Seasons shift by a few weeks in a warm or late year.
Is there anything biting at Center Harbor in winter?: January, February are the quiet stretch — none of the species we track are in their window then. The bite picks back up in March.
What tide is best for fishing Center Harbor?: 10 of the 13 species here feed best on moving water. Moving water is what pulls bait through the mouth, so the hours either side of a tide change usually beat dead slack.
Which wind is bad for Center Harbor?: Open water lies to the east, so an east wind is onshore — it stacks swell and chop into the mouth and pushes dirty water inshore. A west wind flattens and cleans it up.
Do migrating fish run past Center Harbor?: Yes — Striped bass (northbound Mar–Jun · southbound Sep–Nov); Bluefish (northbound Apr–Jun · southbound Sep–Nov); Bonito (northbound Apr–Jun · southbound Sep–Oct); False albacore (southbound Aug–Nov · northbound Apr–May); Atlantic mackerel (northbound Apr–Jun · southbound Sep–Nov); Bunker (menhaden) (northbound Mar–Jun · southbound Sep–Nov). These travel the coast with the seasons rather than living here year-round.
Where are the tides for Center Harbor measured?: NOAA CO-OPS station 8414168, at 44.2633, -68.5867. What Inlet? scores the live tide, current, solunar and weather for that station.

Inlets near Center Harbor

Fishing a different inlet today? Every one has its own species roster and bite pattern.

Browse every inlet in Maine, or the full inlet directory.

Species at Center Harbor

Striped bass

Bluefish

Fluke (summer flounder)

Tautog (blackfish)

Black sea bass

Scup (porgy)

False albacore (albie)

Winter flounder (blackback)

Weakfish (squeteague)

Atlantic mackerel

Northern kingfish (sea mullet)

Hickory shad

Atlantic bonito