Deep sea fishing in Portland and southern Maine, ranked

Deep sea fishing out of Portland and the southern Maine coast is a groundfish story, fished on the Gulf of Maine ledges 15 to 30 miles offshore for haddock, pollock, and the rest of the bottom. It is a long steam to the good water and a short season, roughly spring into fall, so the trip you pick is mostly a choice of how far out and how long you want to go. The fleet splits cleanly: per person head boats out of Ogunquit and Kennebunk for a cheap walk-on day, and private charters out of Portland and South Portland for your own boat and the deep ledges or the summer tuna grounds. This page ranks the southern Maine charters worth booking on our published method, and names the ones it set aside and why.

What you catch and when

The fishery here is groundfish first, and the season runs about April or May into October or November before the boats haul out. Haddock is the keeper that anchors nearly every trip, open most of the year with a 15 fish limit and a 17 inch minimum in 2026. Pollock run year round and pull hard, and cusk, hake, and redfish fill the deeper bottom, with a short spring Atlantic halibut season for a shot at a big flatfish. Cod are abundant on the same ledges but tightly restricted, open only in short windows at one fish a day, so most are released. The summer adds the offshore headliners: giant bluefin tuna from about late June into the fall, and blue, porbeagle, and mako sharks, run by several Portland boats on dedicated trips. Confirm the current groundfish and tuna rules with NOAA Fisheries and Maine DMR, since the cod and haddock dates and the tuna retention shift year to year.

The boats and operators

The southern Maine fleet comes in two shapes, and the split decides most of the booking. The head boats sell a seat by the person and run a packed or limited load rail: the Bunny Clark out of Perkins Cove in Ogunquit and the Nor’easter out of Kennebunk are the survivors of that older party boat tradition, after the Ugly Anne left Ogunquit for good. The Portland and South Portland boats are private charters, booked by the whole boat for up to six, mostly 28 to 35 foot sportfishers that run the deep ledges for groundfish and switch to tuna and sharks in summer. The honest backdrop is scope. Portland also has a large, well reviewed inshore fleet chasing striped bass and bluefish in Casco Bay, a different fishery from the offshore groundfish this page ranks, and a few dedicated tuna six packs that fish one species. The cut note below names the boats we assessed and set aside.

How the field ranks

The southern Maine field is led by the one boat anglers travel for, then a tight group of Portland private charters, then the cheap head boat. At the top is Captain Tim Tower’s Bunny Clark at 8.5, the limited load Ogunquit groundfish boat with decades on the ledges and a wall of world and state records, held just short of perfect only by a narrow 2026 schedule with no half days. Kristin K Charters is second at 8.1, Captain Ben’s dedicated groundfish boat running to Jeffreys Ledge with a deep, loyal review record, marked down only for not publishing its boat specs. Whiptail Adventures follows at 8.0, the most reviewed boat in the port at 4.9 over a hundred trips, versatile but fishing the closer grounds on a smaller hull. LiveLiner Charters sits at 7.8, the full menu boat for groundfish, tuna, and shark, tight with a full six aboard, and Teazer Charter at 7.7 is the credentialed 100 ton captain with a broad menu but rates kept off the homepage. The Nor’easter rounds out the ranked boats at 6.9, a mixed call: the cheap $95 head boat out of Kennebunk, dragged down by uneven reviews and a recurring complaint about the captain’s manner. The cards below carry each boat’s verdict and score.

Trip types and what they cost

The choice here is a seat or a boat. A head boat sells the cheapest way out: $95 per person on the Nor’easter for a daily groundfish trip, or $145 to $200 per person on the limited load Bunny Clark, which carries fewer anglers than a packed rail for more room. A private charter out of Portland books the whole boat for up to six, roughly $895 for a shorter offshore trip up to about $1,400 for a full groundfish day, with tuna and shark trips in the same range, so the per head cost drops as you fill the boat. Bait, tackle, and the fishing license are covered across the fleet, and the crews fillet and bag your catch. For two anglers, a head boat seat wins on price; for a group of four to six, a private boat is competitive and you set the pace. Our cost guide breaks down the tiers, and the party boat versus private charter guide helps you choose the format.

How to pick the right trip

Start with your group and your stomach, because the run is long and the Gulf of Maine can be rough. For a serious groundfish day and the best run boat in the state, book the Bunny Clark and take the extreme day or marathon, knowing it is a full, committed day on the water. For a private boat that fishes the deep ledges hard, Kristin K is the groundfish specialist and LiveLiner the full menu pick if you also want a shot at tuna. For a flexible, family friendly day with the most reviewed crew in the port, Whiptail tailors the trip, though it fishes closer in. If the budget is the point, the cheap head boat seat is the way, with the caveats in its review. Either way, pick a calm forecast and a longer trip: a short run barely reaches the bottom on this coast.

Getting there and what to bring

The fleet spreads across three towns. The Portland and South Portland boats leave from Casco Bay marinas, a few minutes from the Maine Mall and the Portland Jetport; the Nor’easter runs from 4 Western Avenue in Kennebunk; and the Bunny Clark leaves Perkins Cove in Ogunquit, about 40 minutes south of Portland. Arrive 30 to 60 minutes before departure to park and check in, earlier for a head boat, since the good seats and dates fill in summer. Dress in warm layers even in July, because it is cold offshore, and bring food, drinks, sunscreen, and motion sickness medication, since the ledges are a long run out. No fishing license is needed on a licensed charter, and the first time guide walks a beginner through the rest.

Southern Maine anchors the northern end of the New England ports we cover, sharing the groundfish and tuna fishery with Gloucester down the coast in Massachusetts. For more of the state, see deep sea fishing across Maine, and the Atlantic Northeast hub lists every port we rank in the region.