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King mackerelShoulder seasonBay · Maryland
Cow Cove
38.24°N · 76.16°W · Bay · Chesapeake Bay from Drum Point MD to Smith Point VA
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 2 AM · King mackerel
- Now
- 4810 PM EDT
- Best window
- 10 PM-12 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding2.0 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Cow Cove scores 75+
Checked every morning against the 14-day forecast. Free by push and email.
14-day forecast
Best days to fish
24-hour conditions
Friday, Sep 25 · 12 AM
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
83Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.3 kn floodWind & pressure
ECMWF
84Wind: 11 kt NNEPressure: FallingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
74Water temp: 72°F, primeLight: NightSolunar: Major periodSeas: 2.2 ftSeason & habitat · King mackerel
Species seasonality
36Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: Out of range
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
No rule for King mackerel is on file here yet, so its status is unknown, not closed. Confirm limits with Maryland DNR before you keep a fish.
Source: Maryland DNR · synced today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When King mackerel is best here
Shoulder season for King mackerel · 1 more week at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- Not here
- This week
Spot profile
Cow Cove
- Depth
- 1-2 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Bay · Inner · Semi-exposedBay · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonKing mackerel
NOAA NCEI DEM, sampled Sep 13 on a 3.4 m grid. Depths are feet below NAVD 88, not chart datum (MLLW), so they can differ from a chart by a few feet. Not for navigation.
About this spot
Fishing Cow Cove
Cow Cove is a bay in Chesapeake Bay from Drum Point MD to Smith Point VA, Maryland. Depth is 1-2 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads bay, inner water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 17 species here; the best right now are spot, scup and red drum. It is peak season now for spot, scup, red drum and sheepshead, and shoulder season for bluefish, weakfish, Atlantic croaker and black sea bass. Spot peak from August through October. Scup peak from June through October. Red drum peak in May and from September through October.
Tackle & technique
- King mackerel
- Kings roam from beaches and pier ends out to reefs, wrecks and ledges in 40 to 200 feet, usually feeding in the upper half of the water column. Slow-troll live menhaden, blue runners or cigar minnows on a light wire stinger rig, or pull spoons and ribbonfish past bait schools. Look for clean green water above 68 F with bait and birds on it.
- Spot
- Spot school over mud and sand in bays, tidal creeks and channels and around piers and bridges, generally in less than 25 feet of water. Fish a two-hook bottom rig with small hooks and bits of bloodworm or shrimp, and move until you find a school. In fall the biggest fish run out of the sounds past piers and inlets, and the bite can go all day.
- Scup
- Scup school over hard and mixed bottom, rock piles, mussel beds, piers and jetties, usually in 10 to 60 feet of water. Fish a high-low rig with small hooks and squid or clam strips on the bottom, and chum with clam to hold a school under the boat. If nothing bites within 15 minutes, move to the next piece of structure.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Muddy Hook Cove69
Bay · 1.4 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 69
- Scup 68
- Sheepshead 65
14 kt NEH 12:15 AM · 2.4 ftL 7:12 AM · 1.1 ft
- Richland Cove67
Bay · 0.5 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 67
- Scup 66
- Sheepshead 63
14 kt NEH 12:15 AM · 2.4 ftL 7:12 AM · 1.1 ft
- Dicks Point66
Cape · 1.1 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 66
- Spot 64
- Scup 63
14 kt NEH 12:15 AM · 2.4 ftL 7:12 AM · 1.1 ft
- Richland Point65
Cape · 0.7 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 65
- Spot 62
- Bluefish 61
14 kt NEH 12:15 AM · 2.4 ftL 7:12 AM · 1.1 ft
Scores and forecasts are for planning only and can be wrong. Conditions on the water change fast; check the marine forecast before you go. Regulations change during the season, so confirm limits and closures with Maryland DNR before you keep a fish.