Best Fishing Times in Portland, Maine
Today's solunar bite forecast for Portland — major and minor feeding periods, weather conditions, and a 7-day outlook. Times shown in local time.
Today — Wed, Aug 12
Best window: 11:18 PM to 1:18 AM
- • New Moon — peak solunar period
- • Stable barometric pressure
- • Light chop (6 mph wind) breaks up the surface
Feeding periods
| Period | Time | Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Major | 11:18 PM – 1:18 AM | Moon underfoot |
| Minor☀ boost | 4:34 AM – 6:04 AM | Moonrise |
| Major | 11:45 AM – 1:45 PM | Moon overhead |
| Minor☀ boost | 7:10 PM – 8:40 PM | Moonset |
Conditions
- Sunrise
- 5:42 AM
- Sunset
- 7:49 PM
- Moonrise
- 5:19 AM
- Moonset
- 7:55 PM
- Moon phase
- New Moon (0%)
- Temperature
- 61–84°F
- Wind
- 6 mph (gusts 16)
- Cloud cover
- 22%
- Pressure trend
- -0.1 hPa → steady
7-Day Bite Outlook for Portland
Wed, Aug 12
12:18 AM
61–84°F
Thu, Aug 13
1:11 AM
63–80°F
Fri, Aug 14
2:00 AM
60–78°F
Sat, Aug 15
2:47 AM
55–85°F
Sun, Aug 16
3:31 AM
57–80°F
Mon, Aug 17
4:16 AM
63–80°F
Tue, Aug 18
5:01 AM
59–81°F
Score = solunar strength adjusted for barometric trend, wind, cloud and precipitation. Time shown is the center of each day's best window.
🔔 Bite alerts for Portland, ME
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Tide Times near Portland
NOAA station PORTLAND (1 mi away). Moving water — the hours around each tide change — usually out-fishes slack tide.
Today
| Low | 5:07 AM | -0.9 ft |
| High | 11:21 AM | 9.6 ft |
| Low | 5:16 PM | -0.1 ft |
| High | 11:35 PM | 11.2 ft |
Tomorrow
| Low | 5:59 AM | -1.1 ft |
| High | 12:13 PM | 9.9 ft |
| Low | 6:10 PM | -0.3 ft |
Fishing in Portland: FAQ
When is the best time to fish in Portland today?
Today's strongest bite window in Portland is 11:18 PM to 1:18 AM (new moon). The overall bite score is 83/100 — excellent. Major feeding periods follow the moon's overhead and underfoot passes; minors follow moonrise and moonset.
What are major and minor feeding periods?
Solunar theory holds that fish feed most actively when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot (major periods, about 2 hours) and around moonrise and moonset (minor periods, about 90 minutes). Windows that overlap sunrise or sunset are historically the strongest.
Does weather change the bite in Portland?
Yes. A falling barometer ahead of a front typically triggers heavy feeding, while a sharp rise after a front slows it. Light wind that ripples the surface and cloud cover both extend feeding activity. Our daily score combines these factors with the solunar calendar.
Fishing times near Portland
- South Portland, ME
- South Portland Gardens, ME
- Falmouth, ME
- Westbrook, ME
- Falmouth Foreside, ME
- Scarborough, ME
- West Scarborough, ME
- Gorham, ME
Lakes near Portland
Before you go
Check Maine fishing regulations — license requirements, size and bag limits — before your trip. Planning further out? See the Maine best-fishing-days calendar.