Post-nor'easter push sends Maine stripers toward NH surf
The season's first nor'easter rolled through the Gulf of Maine this past week, and it looks to have done what fall-run anglers hope a big blow will do. Just south of the New Hampshire line, per The Fisherman's South Shore Massachusetts to Maine report, Surfland Bait and Tackle noted steadier striped bass action building from the Merrimack as the storm cleared, and expects the blow to be the trigger that finally gets Maine's stripers moving south along the coast. The same report describes a heavy push of groundfish and bait, mackerel, pogies, squid, settling into the western Gulf of Maine on grounds off Cape Ann, a pattern that typically works its way north toward New Hampshire water as the fall progresses.
New to these readings? What water temp, tide, and moon phase mean for fishing →
What's biting
Fish this water?
We're light on local intel here. Send us your report and we'll credit you.
Send a reportWhat's next
Expect the clearer, cooler conditions that usually follow a season's-first nor'easter to hold through the next few days, which is typically what flips the Gulf of Maine's fall run into gear. Per Surfland's outlook, stripers moving down from Maine should keep pushing into New Hampshire's stretch of coast and the Merrimack through the week, with the better windows around the tide change near dawn and dusk.
The coming weekend, still under this Last Quarter moon, should bring calmer water for working the surf as that southward push continues.
Context
A nor'easter this early in October is typical for the Gulf of Maine, where the first real cold push of the season often signals striped bass to leave Maine's rivers and work down the coast past New Hampshire on their way south for the winter. This region sits on the leading edge of that migration each fall, and stripers building from the north right after a storm clears lines up with a normal, on-schedule transition rather than an early or late one.
Synthesized from real-time NOAA buoy data, USGS stream gauges, and current reports across regional fishing blogs, captain updates, and angler forums. Check local regulations before keeping fish. Never trust a single source for a trip decision.
EVERY SATURDAY MORNING
Weekly fishing intelligence
Nationwide conditions, what's biting, and honest gear deals. One email, no noise.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.