UTERHaddock fishing in Gulf of Maine fishing
In Gulf of Maine fishing, haddock peak May–October and are around April–February, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. June: Haddock on Stellwagen, Jeffreys Ledge and Tillies on clams and jigs.
Stripers leave; tuna and groundfish carry on. The last stripers head out early in the month; bluefin until the weather turns; haddock and pollock on the ledges.
Haddock in Gulf of Maine fishing, month by month
- JanuaryAroundGroundfish on the deep ledges when the weather lets you. Party boats to the deep ledges for haddock (check NOAA — seasons and cod rules are tight); winter weather calls most days.
- FebruaryAround
- MarchNot hereGulf of Maine haddock is closed in March (2026 rules) — check NOAA.
- AprilAroundHaddock reopen; cod spawn in Ipswich Bay. Haddock on the ledges again; Ipswich Bay's spawning cod are protected by a closure — check NOAA; first flounder in the harbors.
- MayPeakFirst stripers into the rivers; mackerel arrive. Schoolies into Boston Harbor, the Merrimack and the Piscataqua late in the month; mackerel off the docks for bait; haddock and pollock on Jeffreys.
- JunePeakHaddock on Stellwagen, Jeffreys Ledge and Tillies on clams and jigs.
- JulyPeakGiants on Stellwagen; river-mouth stripers in Maine. Live mackerel and herring for giant bluefin on Stellwagen and Jeffreys; stripers on the dropping tide at the Kennebec, Saco and Scarborough marsh; big pollock on diamond jigs.
- AugustPeakBluefin, pollock and the odd chopper. Tuna on the ledges and the banks; pollock and haddock on the party boats; choppers in Boston Harbor in the years they come.
- SeptemberPeakHaddock still thick on the ledges; party boats out of Gloucester, Newburyport, Portsmouth and Portland.
- OctoberPeakStripers leave; tuna and groundfish carry on. The last stripers head out early in the month; bluefin until the weather turns; haddock and pollock on the ledges.
- NovemberAround
- DecemberAround
Where to fish haddock near Boston, Gloucester, Newburyport
Cold, deep, rocky water: Massachusetts Bay and Stellwagen Bank, the North Shore beaches and Plum Island, the Merrimack and Piscataqua rivers, the Isles of Shoals and Jeffreys Ledge, and the long ragged Maine coast of rocky points, islands and tidal rivers (Saco, Kennebec, Penobscot) out to Platts Bank and Tillies.
Fish Scouter charts 361 wreck, 2 ledge / hard bottom spots in the The Gulf of Maine map area — the kinds haddock hold on.
What to use for haddock
- SquidStrips on a bottom rig for snapper, grunts and porgies; whole on a deep-drop rig.
- HerringCut-plug for salmon: head off at an angle, guts out, two hooks in tandem so it spins slow behind a flasher or a banana weight. Whole and live on a circle hook for stripers where the herring run.
- Leader80–150 lb mono
- Hook8/0–14/0
- Braid65–100 lb
Feeds in 36–56°F water, best at 40–50°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch haddock in Gulf of Maine fishing?
Peak season is May–October. Haddock are in Gulf of Maine fishing April–February. June: Haddock on Stellwagen, Jeffreys Ledge and Tillies on clams and jigs.
Where do haddock hold in Gulf of Maine fishing?
Look on artificial reef, wreck, ledge / hard bottom — around Boston, Gloucester, Newburyport, Portsmouth, Portland, Boothbay.
What is the best bait for haddock in Gulf of Maine fishing?
Live bait: squid, herring. Squid: Strips on a bottom rig for snapper, grunts and porgies; whole on a deep-drop rig. Tackle: leader 80–150 lb mono, hook 8/0–14/0, braid 65–100 lb.
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All about haddock · The Gulf of Maine, the whole year