Maine Marine Patrol issues more than 50 summonses to striped bass anglers

 On Factory Island in Saco, signs mark the area where the Maine Department of Marine Resources does not allow fishing on the Saco River. Under the nearby Main Street bridge, the boundary of the closed area, an angler casts a line. (Megan Gray/Staff Writer) SACO — Maine Marine Patrol has issued a blitz of summonses and warnings this spring for alleged violations of striped bass regulations on the Saco River. The state [prohibits fishing in parts of the river on both sides of Factory Island](https://www.maine.gov/dmr/sites/maine.gov.dmr/files/inline-files/2026_striped_bass_regs%20-%20ADA%20compliant.pdf). On the Saco side, fishing is not allowed within 150 feet of the fishway. On the Biddeford side, it is closed upstream of the Main Street bridge to the head of the tide, known as Cataract Dam. Carl Wilson, commissioner of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, [said in a notice to anglers this week](https://www.maine.gov/dmr/news/mon-06082026-1200-notice-dmr-commissioner-persistent-striped-bass-violations-saco) that Marine Patrol officers have issued more than 50 summonses and 20 warnings in the past three weeks for alleged violations, such as fishing too close to the fishway, fishing in the closed area above the Main Street bridge and failing to immediately liberate fish. “Unfortunately, many of those summonsed in recent weeks on the Saco River are repeat offenders who have acknowledged understanding of the regulations yet continue to demonstrate a blatant disregard for the resource by engaging in ongoing illegal activity,” Wilson said. “This disregard for our striped bass resource in the Saco River cannot continue.” Sgt. Matthew Sinclair said those summonses have been forwarded to the local district attorney’s office and could result in fines between $100 and $1,000. In some cases, he said, officers have confiscated fishing rods. This area is always popular for striped bass during their migration from the south, mostly from their biggest spawning area in Chesapeake Bay, Sinclair said. The fish ladder slows the herring and alewives that striped bass like to eat, and the pileup creates a bounty for anglers. “Fish in a barrel,” Sinclair said. Advertisement Fishing was already prohibited near the fishway on the Saco side of the river when, in 2023, the state closed a small stretch on the Biddeford side. Too many fish were dying after being released, Sinclair said, in part because of the steep cement embankments and a high drop for fish being returned to the water. “Just a line of dead striped bass floating down the river,” Sinclair said. “There wasn’t really an adequate way to handle the fish properly and release them in a healthy way.” Usually, officers issue more warnings than summonses for violations of these rules, Sinclair said. “It has become a much bigger enforcement challenge for us,” Sinclair said. “The amount of violations has blown up exponentially.” Sinclair said he suspects the increase is driven in part by the size of the bass — many as big as 40 inches this year. That’s not necessarily the sign of a healthy population, said Zach Whitener, senior research associate at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute. Advertisement Maine only allows anglers to keep one striped bass per day, and the total length must be between 28 and 31 inches. Those strict criteria are meant to help a species that has been struggling to rebound from overfishing, climate and weather factors and a dwindling number of spawning areas, Whitener said. “Now people are catching fewer, bigger fish,” Whitener said. “It’s fun to catch a big fish, but if you’re not catching little fish to go with them, you can see yourself there’s a population problem.” The state [estimates](https://www.maine.gov/dmr/fisheries/recreational/landings-data/striped-bass) that the total recreational catch of striped bass, including those harvested and released, in Maine last year was nearly 840,000 fish. About 7.3%, or more than 61,000, were harvested. Sinclair said he hopes the summonses will discourage people from fishing in closed areas and encourage them to learn more about the reasons behind the regulations. “It’s not because we like writing tickets,” he said. “It’s because our agency’s mission is to conserve and protect this body of fish.” [](https://w2pcms.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/IMG_3180.jpeg) Ace Parenteau, 15, of Biddeford, casts his line Tuesday near Riverfront Park in Saco. On the opposite bank of the Saco River, an orange line marks the start of an area that is closed to fishing. Parenteau and his twin brother said they are careful to stay on the allowed side. (Megan Gray/Staff Writer) In Tuesday’s afternoon heat, anglers positioned themselves as close as possible to the closed areas. In Riverfront Park in Saco, bright orange lines painted on the rocks marked 150 feet from the fishway, and bright yellow signs warned that the area is closed to all fishing. Advertisement Presley and Ace Parenteau, twin brothers from Biddeford, set their supplies right next to the line but said they are careful to stay on the permitted side. “If you cast past it, you can get a big fine,” said Presley Parenteau, 15. The spot is too good to stay away completely, though. They’ve been here every day after school, they said. “We catch so many stripers here,” Presley Parenteau said, showing off a picture on his phone of a huge catch. Copy the Story Link Tagged: [fishing (hobby)](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/fishing/), [maine department of marine resources](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/maine-department-of-marine-resources/), [maine marine patrol](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/maine-marine-patrol/) [](https://www.pressherald.com/author/megan-doyle) [Megan GrayStaff Writer](https://www.pressherald.com/author/megan-doyle) Megan Gray covers the outdoors and tourism at the Portland Press Herald. A Midwest native, she moved to Maine in 2016. She has written about presidential politics and local government, jury trials and. [More by Megan Gray](https://www.pressherald.com/author/megan-doyle)