Biddeford spearfishing forecast — wind, swell, visibility, tides & live cameras

spearo.app / United States / Biddeford
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◈Biddeford · United States
5.2
wave 0.5 m
visibility~2m

Marginal

Today — right on the edge — wave, wind and visibility.

Sources: NWS · NDBC · Open-Meteo · Copernicus — high confidence · data 00:13

Sources & confidence

Sources
NWS · NDBC · Open-Meteo · Copernicus
Method
spearo sea-state engine: consensus of up to 6 models + satellite clarity (ZSD) + buoy-bias checks
Freshness
Re-read every hour, per coast

Compiled by the spearo sea-state engine · How it works →

The verdict comes from seven water factors and hard safety gates — not ten tabs. Go or stay.

How we score the water

Our own model

Our own forecast engine — not a third-party widget. It weighs these water factors into one go-or-stay verdict for this coast; the 0–10 dial is that verdict, read out as a number.

01
Swell & wave memory
Height, period and direction of the swell, plus the wake of recent storms — an old storm still stirs the water, and the engine remembers.
02
Wind & gusts
Speed and gusts, hour by hour — wind speed and an onshore push chop the surface and cut visibility.
03
Tide phase
Timing and range of the tide, calibrated per coast — big spring tides pull the verdict toward caution.
04
Water temperature
Sea-surface temperature — sharply cold water vetoes a green verdict.
05
Currents & outflow
Direction and drift of the current — it pushes you, and it drags turbid coastal water across where you dive.
06
Rain runoff & air clarity
Rain muddies the water inshore through land runoff, while fog and haze cut visibility at the surface.
07
Coast shape & exposure
How the coast faces the swell — a sheltered cove keeps the water clean; an exposed, head-on point takes a penalty.

Safety gates

  • Thunderstorm forecast — an instant red, no exceptions.
  • An official warning (MeteoAlarm / IPMA) — yellow, or red for the higher ranks.
  • Missing input data — a would-be green is capped to yellow rather than overstated.
  • Strong disagreement between forecast models — a green day is pulled back to yellow.
  • Night hours — where night spearfishing is banned by law the window is forced red; where it is legal (Australia outside NSW, New Zealand, South Africa) it is capped at yellow, never green.

It all folds into a single 0–10 score and one verdict: go or stay.

A forecast, not a guarantee — the sea has the last word.

Entry pointsNo-take zones

Where to get in, where to hunt

Entry points with coordinates
Seabed relief — promising ground

This verdict — in your pocket. Open the app for the week's window.

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point your camera
0 m

Surface

Wind, wave and the swell windows — when to go and the best hours.

spearo.app
NWS no dataupdated 00:13
Biddeford — solo, off the rocks
BORDERLINE
caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site · swell period 9 s
wave 0.5 mwind 3 km/hvisibility ~2 mwindow 06:00–18:00
today, best window 09:00–12:00
fish · Visibility 2 m · Water 14.2°C
confidence high · verdict for the selected day

Atlantic hurricane season (Jun–Nov) — check the NHC forecast

Best window · next 3 days
borderlinetoday · 09:00–12:00
you can see ~2 m ahead fish

transparency ~3 m · satellite, 2 days agosatellite estimate · may differ right at the shore

buoy Portland, ME: 12.0° · wave 0.8 m/13 s · 38 min ago

↓ low tide 04:01 · slack water ~03:16–04:46 bite times: 10:50–12:50 · 16:36–17:36

Tell me when it's on

Just your email — nothing else needed.

Whole week — tap a day. is driving swell right now.
›
Solo risk: carry a float · tell someone your plan and exit time · doubt = don't go. A model-based planner; the call is made on site.
Selected day

Windows, hours
and the day's trends.

The day is picked above, in the hero. Here are that day's windows, the hour-by-hour map and the trends. Tap a window to break down the conditions.

Sunday · today2026-10-25
07:08–17:42 · full moon
▼ 04:00▲ 10:00▼ 17:00▲ 23:00 · 3.1 m
Hours (06→20)
06
09
12
15
18
Day's trends
Tide0.84 m
Wave0.56 m
Wind11 km/h
Water14 °C
fish activity: moonset 06:29 · moderate · moon underfoot 11:50 · high · moonrise 17:06 · moderate · moon overhead 00:00 · high
Conditions window06:00–09:00
caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site fish
Hs 0.48 m · slightperiod 9.2 swind 6→8surge 1viz 1 m
0.48 mslight · up to ~0.96 · 99° at an angle
9.2 sswell moderate
6→8gusts 8 km/h
1weak surge
0.06m/s
1 mrecent swell
14.1°Cthicker suit + hood
▲10:00tide rising
Atmosphere26 kmlandmarks visible
moderatemoonset
  • swell period 9 s
  • murky water (visibility ~1 m)
  • flood — water rising
confidence hightwilight
Open the seafloor map with entry points →

Your best window — with you. Forecast in your pocket.

Download on theApp StoreGET IT ONGoogle Play
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point your camera
−10 m

The water column

Visibility and what drives it — post-storm clearing, river plume, temperature and the thermocline.

What it is

A marine instrument,
go / no-go for solo hunting.

spearo.app folds wind, wave, swell period, visibility, tides, water temperature and risk into a single verdict — go to the spot or not. It computes 7 days ahead from open marine models (Open-Meteo, IPMA), with no sign-up and no accounts. Built for solo spearfishing off the rocks, where any mistake costs dearly.

Now live: 3016 spots across 406 stretches of coast — mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores.

See all spots →
−20 m

The seabed

Relief and bottom type, tides, and the depths of each spot.

On the rock

The forecast is the plan.
The call is on the rock.

The models set the window. Whether you go in is read only at the water: count the sets, watch the surge on the entry. If in doubt, you don't get in.

Entry points

Where to get in
off the rocks.

Scouted entries, coloured by today. The colour is the sea state at the spot, not a guarantee: the wash and a slippery entry you judge on site.

Open the seafloor map →
Bayview BeachBiddeford
borderline
exposed head-on to the swell today
window
—
Seabed depth of the selected area
≈0.5–3.3 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM, 3 m)

Bayview Beach is a shore entry about 7.3 km from Biddeford. Access type in the OpenStreetMap data: beach. Coordinates of the entry: 43.487 N, 70.385 W. The deepest water here is close to 3 m.

Google Maps
Biddeford Pool BeachBiddeford
borderline
exposed head-on to the swell today
window
—
Seabed depth of the selected area
≈0.4–5.5 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM/CoNED, 3 m)

You can walk into the water at Biddeford Pool Beach; the town of Biddeford is 3.1 km away. The marked spot lies about 40 m from the waterline. Depths reach about 6 m. The tidal range is large here, so plan the entry around slack water.

Google Maps
Fortune's RocksBiddeford
borderline
exposed head-on to the swell today
window
—
Seabed depth of the selected area
≈0.4–7.4 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM, 3 m)

Shore access point Fortune's Rocks, roughly 0.3 km from Biddeford. Coordinates of the entry: 43.423 N, 70.377 W. Expect no more than about 7 m of water. Bottom type: rock. The tidal range is large here, so plan the entry around slack water.

Google Maps

SOLO is the biggest risk: underwater you can black out from lack of oxygen silently and fatally, with no one around. Solo is never truly «safe». Below are the best weather windows; carry a buoy, tell someone your plan and exit time, and any doubt — don't go.

One morning glance — and you know.

Download on theApp StoreGET IT ONGoogle Play
Google Play — QR code
point your camera
≈

Surfacing

Cameras, map and reference — to hand as you come up.

Live cameras, map & reference
Open the seafloor map →
Reference

What's in season,
what the law says.

In season now
  • bluefish
    Pomatomus saltatrix · 0–20 m · legal
    Open all year in every state. No minimum size except Maryland (8″). Bag 5/day from shore or a private boat, 7 for for-hire passengers.
  • pollock
    Pollachius virens · 5–45 m · legal
    Essentially unregulated: open all year in MA, NY and RI with no bag limit. No minimum in MA; 19″ (48 cm) in NY and RI; NH 19″ in federal water. Maine names pollock as spearable.
  • cunner (bergall)
    Tautogolabrus adspersus · 1–15 m · legal
    The default first fish for a New England diver: on every jetty, ledge and wreck in 1–15 m. No season, no minimum size and no bag limit in any façade state. Explicitly on Maine's spearable list.
  • weakfish (grey trout)
    Cynoscion regalis · 1–20 m · legal
    Open all year from MA to VA, but the bag is hard: 1 fish per day coastwide. Min 16″ (41 cm) MA/RI/CT/NY, 13″ NJ/DE/MD, 12″ VA. No gear restriction.
  • sheepshead
    Archosargus probatocephalus · 2–15 m · legal
    The northern edge of its range: a bridge-piling and jetty fish in the Chesapeake. Open all year in MD and VA. Min 12″ (30 cm) in MD, none in VA. Bag 4 per person in both.
  • Atlantic spadefish
    Chaetodipterus faber · 3–30 m · legal
    The signature summer fish on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel structures and Virginia's offshore towers. Open all year in VA, no minimum size, bag 4 per person. Not on Virginia's spear-prohibited list.
  • red drum
    Sciaenops ocellatus · 0–10 m · ⚠️ closed season/limit
    The trap is a MAXIMUM, not a minimum: no fish over 27″ (69 cm) may be possessed. Slot VA 18–26″, NJ 18–27″, CT max 27″, NY no minimum but nothing over 27″. Bag VA 3, CT/NJ 1 per person.
Regulated — check your state
  • tautog📋 season by state
    Closed or 1 fish for much of the summer in most states. Min 16″ (41 cm), 15″ in NJ. Bag 1–5/day by state and window.
  • summer flounder (fluke)📋 season by state
    The widest size spread in the façade: 15″ (NH) … 19.5″ (CT/NY from Aug 2). DE/MD/VA and NH open all year; MA/RI/CT/NY/NJ run windows. Bag 2–6/day.
  • scup (porgy)📋 season by state
    MA/RI/CT/NY 11″ from a vessel, 9.5″ from shore; NJ 10″ (closed Jul–Aug), DE/MD/VA 9″ year-round. 30/day. Not in the ME or NH tables.
  • winter flounder📋 season by state
    Maine names it first on its spearable list. 12″ (30 cm) min in every state. Bag: MA Gulf of Maine 8 / Southern NE 2; NH 8; RI/CT/NY/NJ 2. NY window is only Apr 1–May 30.
  • Atlantic cod📋 season by state
    A narrow window: MA (W. Gulf of Maine) Sep 1–Oct 31 only, NH open Sep–Oct, NY Sep 1–May 31. Min 23″ (58 cm). Bag 1/day MA and NH, 5 NY. Maine names cod as spearable.
  • haddock📋 season by state
    A deep fish — boat work for most divers. MA (Gulf of Maine) Apr 1–Feb 28, NH closed in March, NY all year. Min 17″ (43 cm) MA-GoM/NH, 18″ (46 cm) MA-SNE/NY. Bag 15/day in MA/NH. Maine names haddock as spearable.
  • cobia📋 season by state
    Virginia's premier summer bluewater target, but the window is tight: VA Jun 15–Sep 20 only, NY all year. Min 43″ (109 cm) in both. VA 1 per person and 2 per vessel; NY 1 per angler, max 2 per vessel. Gaffing cobia is expressly prohibited.
Not a target — don't shoot
  • black sea bass🚫 no-take
    PROHIBITED by spear in Maine (DMR). Closed Jan–mid-May everywhere. Min ranges 12.5″ (NJ/DE/MD) to 16.5″ (NH); the tail filament never counts.
  • striped bass🚫 no-take
    Spearable in RI/NJ/DE/VA, BANNED in ME/MA/CT/MD; no ban in NH; NY could not be confirmed from a primary source — treat as unverified. Slot 28–31″, 1 fish/day (Hudson above the GW Bridge: 23–28″). Never gaff.
Law
  • ✓License/registry per state: ME registry $1–2, MA permit $10 (60+ free), NY/NJ registry FREE, RI $7/$10, VA $17.50/$25.
  • ✓Spearable in RI/NJ/DE/VA, BANNED in ME/MA/CT/MD; no ban in NH; NY could not be confirmed from a primary source — treat as unverified. Slot 28–31″, 1 fish/day (Hudson above the GW Bridge: 23–28″). Never gaff.
  • ✓Often must be fully submerged (NJ/DE); muscle-power guns only (NY). Lobster never by spear.
  • •Sharks may NOT be speared in Virginia (recreational take by handline or rod and reel only) or Maryland (all shark species on the no-spear list). NY and MA manage sharks by permit and prohibited-species list rather than by gear.
  • •Maryland: bow, gig, spear and speargun are legal tidal gear but may not be used within 100 yards (91 m) of any person, swimming area, dive flag or occupied duck blind. New Jersey requires the diver to be COMPLETELY submerged; New York allows muscle-powered guns only.
  • ⛔ 🚫 American lobster — NEVER by spear anywhere on the coast (hand-take only, under a separate dive permit).
  • ⛔ 🚫 Sturgeon — total ban; sharks in many states (VA/NJ/NC) not by spear. Striped bass: see the species note.
  • ⛔ 🚫 Total possession moratorium — never take: Atlantic sturgeon (every state), sea-run Atlantic salmon, American shad (except the Connecticut and Merrimack river systems), river herring (banned in CT and in NY south of the George Washington Bridge), Atlantic wolffish, ocean pout and windowpane flounder (MA/NH).

US spearfishing law is state-by-state. License, spearable species, powerhead rules and distances vary; federal sanctuaries (Gray's Reef, the Keys, Flower Garden Banks) ban spearfishing. Always confirm with the state agency and local ordinances.

Safety protocol
  • Sets: watch the wave trains ≥15 min before entering; Hmax ≈ 2×Hs, the wash can run 50 m past the foam line. A lull >10 min with period >12 s = a big set «overdue», do NOT enter; enter right after a full set passes and re-check at minute 30.
  • Exit FIRST: find your exit AND a backup before entering. On a rocky/boulder shore a 0.5 m rise in swell can make the exit impossible — getting pinned/unable to climb out is the main killer.
  • Headland rip: prominent points often have a permanent topographic rip regardless of the model — locate it, enter/exit on the windward side, never swim against it.
  • Cold: wetsuit per the SST chip; the first shiver = a metabolic surge and a drop in breath-hold → get out at the first steady shiver. Cap the session at 45–60 min below 15 °C.
  • Solo discipline: buoy up; tell someone the spot and exit time; conservative breath-hold (never push it in cold/murky/surfy water); visibility <3 m — don't enter.
  • Afternoon wind: on many coasts the wind builds from midday — plan to be out of the water by midday; the chop builds — get out.
  • UV 11:00–15:00 (UVI ≥6): sunscreen and cover up on the surface interval.
  • Solo is a fundamental risk (hypoxic blackout with no buddy). Any doubt = No-go.

FAQ — spearfishing in Biddeford

Where can I spearfish in Biddeford?

Biddeford has rock entry points such as Fortune's Rocks, Biddeford Pool Beach and Bayview Beach. On the Maine coast of United States, Biddeford looks south-east: the local shoreline measures 120°. Below you'll find each spot (access, shelter and hazards) and today's forecast.

When is the best season in Biddeford?

Short Jul–Sep window once the Gulf of Maine warms; macro tides rule the slack.

How cold is the water in Biddeford?

Cold, 8–15 °C; thick suit, variable viz, huge tides stir the water.

Is Biddeford good for a beginner?

Advanced: cold, macro tides and variable viz — experienced only, on the slack.

Do I need a licence in Biddeford?

Yes — in Biddeford almost certainly, but the licence is the STATE's, not a federal one: nearly every coastal state requires its own saltwater fishing licence, and several add a free registration or an extra endorsement on top (Florida's free State Reef Fish Survey for reef fish, Texas's saltwater endorsement, California's Ocean Enhancement Validation). Hawaii asks nothing of residents and charges visitors the NRMFL. What may be speared, and with what gear, is state law too — the price and the details depend on the state, so read the «Law» block below.

Full guide: spearfishing on the US East Coast →
Coming soon

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New Hampshire

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Maine

  • Boothbay Harbor
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Massachusetts

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Rhode Island

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  • Point Judith
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Connecticut

  • Stonington
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New York

  • Orient Point
  • Montauk
  • Hampton Bays (Shinnecock Inlet)
  • Rocky Point
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  • Kings Park
  • Northport
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