How to use our fishing calendar
Planning your next fishing trip in Portsmouth, United States ? Today is a excellent day for fishing. Our comprehensive fishing almanac combines our popular solunar tables, moon times, sunrise and sunset times, and a 7-day fishing calendar so you always know the best fishing times in your area. We analyse major and minor solunar bite times, rate each day on a five-star scale, and pair it with localized weather forecasts so you can quickly tell whether today is a good day to fish without juggling multiple tabs. Be sure to bookmark this page so you never miss a bite. view bite times...
- Check our unique Solunar Clock for precise solunar tables and the best moon phases.
- Use the forecast calendar section to sync bite times with major weather changes.
- Analyze the forecasted weather conditions, such as wind, barometric pressure and rain to plan your fishing session.
- Jump to the 7-Day Fishing Calendar for an extended fishing forecast, then explore nearby fishing spots on the interactive map.
Portsmouth, New Hampshire offers anglers prime access to the Gulf of Maine, with productive inshore and nearshore fishing grounds set around rocky shorelines, tidal rivers, and classic New England harbors. From spring striped bass runs in the Piscataqua River to summer groundfish and cod on offshore ledges, Portsmouth fishing blends urban waterfront convenience with truly diverse saltwater opportunities. read more...
Sun and Moon Times
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Nautical Twilight begins:Sunrise:
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Sunset:Nautical Twilight ends:
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Moonrise:
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Moonset:
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Moon over:
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Visibility:0%
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New Moon
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Distance to earth:363,721 kmProximity:98.6 %
Moon Phases for Portsmouth
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excellent Day
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major Time:12:32 am - 02:32 am
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minor Time:
05:11 am -
07:11 am
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major Time:01:10 pm - 03:10 pm
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minor Time:09:10 pm - 11:10 pm
Current Fishing Weather
Wind Speed and Direction
Wind Direction:
Wind Speed:
Wind Direction and Speed are one of the most important aspects for choosing a fishing spot. An offshore wind can help land-based anglers with longer casting distances, while an onshore wind will make kayak fishing safer. Often fish will also move to certain feeding areas depending on the wind direction. Check out the long term wind forecast at the charts below.
Fishing Barometer
Atmospheric Pressure:
Change since midnight:
Trend for next 6 hours:
Atmospheric or Barometric Pressure affects fish activity. The best fishing can be had on a rising barometer and also the time just before it is falling. A steady barometer in the higher ranges can also mean good fishing. A falling or low barometer reading without much change is usually not a very good time for fishing.
UV Effect on Fishing
As a rule of thumb, the higher the UV index, the deeper fish will move. Shallow water fishing is best done at times with a low UV index. When the UV is high, stick to early mornings, late evenings and shaded areas. The effect is less noticable in deeper water, but often a higher UV index can produce good results in the deep.
7 Day Fishing Weather
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Fishing Overview Portsmouth
Fishing in Portsmouth, NH revolves around the powerful tides of the Piscataqua River and the rich nearshore structure of the Gulf of Maine. The city’s working waterfront, bridges, and jetties make it unusually accessible for shore anglers, while charter boats run daily to offshore ledges for cod, haddock, and other groundfish. Between river, estuary, rocky coast, and nearby ponds, you can fish something different almost every month of the year.
Seasonal patterns drive most saltwater action. In May and June, striped bass push into the Piscataqua and Little Harbor chasing herring and mackerel. Early in the run, focus on upriver current seams, bridge pylons, and outflows on a moving tide with soft plastics on jig heads, small live eels, or topwater walkers at dawn and dusk. By midsummer, stripers spread along the coast; work rocky points, island edges, and beach drop-offs with swimming plugs, bucktail jigs, and live or chunk mackerel.
Summer also brings groundfishing into its prime. Party and charter boats from Portsmouth and nearby Rye typically run to offshore humps and ledges for haddock, cod (where open), pollock, and cusk. Standard rigs are high-low bait setups with clams or squid, fished on sturdy conventional tackle with enough lead to stay vertical in the tide. When the drift is slow and fish are picky, downsize hooks, leaders, and baits and keep rigs just off bottom to avoid snags on rocky structure.
Inshore during July–September, expect mackerel and school pollock around harbor mouths, channel markers, and bait schools. Sabiki rigs tipped with a small piece of bait and worked vertically are the most efficient way to fill a livewell; once you have fresh baits, drift them on a simple fish-finder rig for larger stripers or drop them to bottom near structure for mixed table fare. Night fishing in late summer around bridge lights and marina edges can be excellent, with small swimming plugs and soft plastics matching the size of silversides and juvenile herring.
Fall is the most consistent time for bigger stripers, bluefish, and fast-moving feeds. Watch for birds working over blitzing fish off New Castle, along the beaches, and at river mouths. Boat anglers should keep a rod rigged with metal jigs or epoxy-style lures that cast far and imitate small bait. Shore anglers do best staying mobile, hitting jetties and points on the outgoing tide and matching lure size to the small, dense bait common in October.
On the freshwater side, the Portsmouth area has stocked trout streams and warmwater ponds within easy driving distance. In spring and fall, work spinners, small spoons, and drifted bait through deeper runs and pools for rainbows and browns. Summer pushes trout toward cooler headwaters and deeper holes, while ponds shine for largemouth bass, pickerel, and panfish on weed edges and submerged wood with soft plastics, spinnerbaits, and small jigs.
Tactical tips: always plan around the tide—Portsmouth’s currents are strong, and most species feed hardest on the first and last two hours of moving water. Downsize leaders in clear conditions, especially in bright sun and shallow rocky structure. For shore access, target public parks, causeways, and bridges, packing a compact assortment of bucktail jigs, soft plastics, and a couple of versatile plugs to cover both current breaks and open beaches.
Interactive Fishing Map for the greater Portsmouth area
Harbours and Marinas can often times be productive fishing spots for land based fishing as their sheltered environment attracts a wide variety of bait fish. Similar to river mouths, harbour entrances are also great places to fish as lots of fish will move in and out with the rising and falling tides. There are 1 main harbours in this area.
Shawnee State Park Marina - 11.38312857285km
We found a total of 40 potential fishing spots nearby Portsmouth. Below you can find them organized on a map. Points, Headlands, Reefs, Islands, Channels, etc can all be productive fishing spots. As these are user submitted spots, there might be some errors in the exact location. You also need to cross check local fishing regulations. Some of the spots might be in or around marine reserves or other locations that cannot be fished. If you click on a location marker it will bring up some details and a quick link to google search, satellite maps and fishing times. Tip: Click/Tap on a new area to load more fishing spots.
Scioto River - 1.31010607197km , Spellacy Run - 2.3909906025km , Lousy Run - 3.00121189059km , Hygean Run - 3.50449802156km , Tygarts Creek - 3.69561208554km , Nauvoo Run - 3.90285829416km , Pond Creek - 4.02954150459km , Careys Run - 4.05787517556km , Horseshoe Lake - 5.72159250513km , Big Island - 5.83307774176km , Lower White Oak Creek - 6.00207662669km , Munn Run - 6.57717459423km , Vaughters Run - 6.60355887596km , Sheep Branch - 6.64997469678km , Shepherd Fork Dry Creek - 6.77130255361km , Bellamy Run - 6.88230217943km , Taylor Hunt Branch - 6.92374835581km , Bronze Run - 6.97465187408km , Newberry Branch - 7.08823221553km , Brouse Run - 7.08872993282km , Peter Cave Branch - 7.24137289135km , Lower Lick - 7.90115431195km , Upper Lick - 8.14478823137km , Wingo Creek - 8.35076573991km , Worley Run - 8.52442472997km , Elks Country Club Dam - 8.57732789865km , Siloam Branch - 9.18635609148km , Rabbit Run - 9.21713740724km , Schultz Creek - 9.34884591308km , Sheep Pen Run - 9.8919928678km , Jacquays Run - 10.09737334399km , Little Scioto River - 10.16417175944km , Limeville Branch - 10.71339391538km , Odell Creek - 10.71607502072km , Craycraft Branch - 10.94932485896km , Swauger Valley Run - 11.25653859227km , Bonser Run - 11.26706531871km , Big Rocky Branch - 11.28348552634km , Nace Run - 11.32282266347km , Shawnee State Park Marina - 11.38312857285km
Harbours and
Marinas
Beaches
Bays
Wharfs
Points,Reefs,etc
Latest Catches
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