Newfoundland Coast Fishing Report: Spring Cod and Mackerel Action from St. John's to Corner Brook

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Newfoundland coast fishing report. We’ll start on the northeast coast, around St. John’s and Conception Bay. Environment Canada is calling for a cool onshore flow this morning, light to moderate southwest to west winds, picking up a bit in the afternoon, with temps in the low teens and patchy fog along the headlands burning off late morning. Sunrise is around 5:00 a.m. local, sunset close to 9:10 p.m., so you’ve got a long window, but the best bite will be the low‑light periods. Tides along the Avalon today are running on the modest side, roughly a metre and a bit of range. You’ll see a flooding tide through the early morning, then ebbing late morning into afternoon. Plan to fish the last of the flood and the first of the ebb around points, narrows, and shoals – that’s when bait stacks up and the bigger fish slide in. Cod have been active inshore in the usual places where regulations allow food fishery or retention, so check the latest DFO notices before you head out. Reports from local skippers out of Petty Harbour and Torbay say cod are holding 40–80 feet over broken bottom and around the edges of reefs. Traditional jiggers and Norwegian‑style cod jigs in silver, chrome, and blue‑white are producing, especially tipped with a sliver of herring. For those fishing lighter, 3–5 oz jigging spoons and soft plastics on heavy jig heads in chartreuse or mackerel pattern are doing well. Mackerel have been showing sporadically around harbours and headlands, pushing in schools of smaller capelin and sand lance. When the birds start diving just off the rocks in the evening, get a Sabiki rig or small flashy spoons into the fray. A simple feathered mackerel rig trolled slow behind the boat is more than enough when they’re thick. The capelin run is starting to tease in a few coves on cooler, exposed beaches. When capelin roll, everything follows: cod, mackerel, and the odd hungry halibut further offshore. Small chrome spoons, white bucktail jigs, and soft‑plastic paddletails that match capelin size are the ticket. If you’re set up for bait, fresh capelin strips on a basic bottom rig will outfisch almost anything for cod. A couple of hot spots to keep in mind: - Conception Bay South shoreline: off Kelligrews and Foxtrap, drifting along contour lines in 60–100 feet has produced steady cod for small boats on calm days. Watch your sounder for bait balls and work just above them with jigs. - Cape St. Francis area: when the weather cooperates, the waters around the Cape have been giving up bigger cod and some hefty mackerel. Fish the tide pushing around the points and be ready for strong currents and chop. On the west coast, around Corner Brook and Bay of Islands, locals are reporting decent cod and some early mackerel in the outer bay. Morning fog is common there too, clearing with a mix of sun and cloud by midday, light westerlies in the afternoon. Work rocky points and drop‑offs near channel edges with 4–8 oz jigs in natural baitfish colours. Fresh herring or squid strips on a simple two‑hook rig are still hard to beat. If you’re poking into estuaries and lower rivers, remember salmon and trout regulations are tight and highly specific to each river. Barbless hooks and careful handling are the rule. Small spinners, streamers, and worms where legal will find sea‑run trout in the tannin‑stained flows near river mouths at dawn and dusk. Overall fish activity will ramp up around first light, slow through the bright mid‑day, and pick up again in the evening as the sun drops and tides start to move. Keep an eye out for bird life, bait dimpling the surface, and tide lines – that’s where you want your lure or bait. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn