Big stripers on the NH coast as the Merrimack herring run peaks

What's Biting

What's Next

With water temps at 53°F and the waxing gibbous moon building toward full, the next several days should sustain and potentially intensify an already exceptional bite. On The Water's Striper Migration Map (May 22) notes the pattern directly: "The spring striper run hits peaks and valleys, with the peaks happening around the moons." We're entering one of those peak windows now.

The herring run remains the engine. The Fisherman — South Shore MA to ME confirms the run is still "very much on" in the Merrimack, meaning bass will continue stacking inside the river and along the flats at the mouth. Low-tide windows, roughly 1 to 2 hours before and after the drop, have been the sweet spot for consistent action. As the tide ebbs, current breaks at river mouths concentrate both bait and bass, and the same rule holds for the rocky points and jetties along the front beaches.

With mackerel schools now pushing into nearshore waters and early pogie sightings in lobster gear (per Capt. Tom at Beauport Fishing Adventures via The Fisherman — South Shore MA to ME), the offshore-feed pattern should solidify through the weekend. Boat anglers able to run 5 to 10 miles should find quality 20-plus-pound fish on mackerel. Surf anglers on the front beaches should lean on clams and chunked herring for reliable slot fish, while big swimbaits and topwater plugs after dark remain the best bet for larger fish inside the river.

Bluefish are edging closer. The Fisherman (Northeast) reported their arrival in three locations across southern New England just ahead of Memorial Day weekend. Water temps in the low 50s are still a touch cool for a reliable NH blitz, but any southwesterly push of warmer water could bring the first schools north within days. Keep a wire-leader rod rigged on deck as a precaution.

Seas of 3.6 feet at buoy 44007 and winds near 18 mph make for choppy open-coast conditions. Inner-river and sheltered estuary spots will be more comfortable and likely more productive if seas stay elevated through the weekend. Plan around the tide rather than the clock.

Context

Late May in the Gulf of Maine traditionally marks the full establishment of the striper migration, and 2026 appears to be tracking on or slightly ahead of that schedule. A 53°F surface reading at buoy 44007 sits on the cooler end of the typical late-May range for this stretch of coast, yet fish size and catch quality are anything but cold-water sluggish.

What stands out in this season's reporting is the caliber of fish showing up. The Fisherman (Northeast) characterizes the current spring push of 20-to-30-pound stripers as "the likes of which we haven't seen in many years," a signal that the striped bass population is in notably strong shape relative to recent springs. In past seasons, NH coast anglers often had to work harder for quality fish in the 28-to-34-inch slot. Reports of 40-inch class stripers from both the Merrimack and the front beaches, per The Fisherman — South Shore MA to ME, represent a meaningful upgrade in the quality tier available to shore and boat anglers alike.

The herring run timing appears healthy. Herring-fueled striper action at the Merrimack mouth is the traditional anchor of the late-May NH coast fishery, and this season's run is described as still fully active, consistent with historical norms but robust in volume. Runs typically wind down by mid-June, leaving sand eels and eventually pogies as the primary forage, so the next 2 to 3 weeks represent the peak window for river and estuary action before the summer transition pulls bigger fish offshore.

Bluefish typically begin showing reliably along the NH coastline in early-to-mid June, so their current presence in southern New England (per The Fisherman (Northeast)) places their northward tracking right on the historical schedule. No comparative data from NH state agency sources is available in this reporting cycle.