Waterlands

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Spanish mackerelPeak season

Cape · Maryland

Eagle Point

38.13°N · 76.18°W · Cape · Chesapeake Bay from Drum Point MD to Smith Point VA

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Best score today · 8 AM · Spanish mackerel

69/100Great
Now
485 PM EDT
Best window
6-10 PMFlood tide
Tide now
Low0.5 ft

Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine

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24-hour conditions

Wednesday, Sep 23 · 8 AM

Time8A
Score57Good
Tide0.8 ft ▲Flooding
CurrentSlack0.1 kn
Wind14 kn NEgusts 24 · steady
Sea stateModerate2.9 ft · 4 s
Air temp63°Mild
WeatherOvercast33% chance of rain
Water74°FBias corrected

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

IN EFFECT NOW

No rule for Spanish 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 Spanish mackerel is best here

Peak season for Spanish mackerel · 1 more week at peak

Spanish mackerel season by week of the year. Peak season for Spanish mackerel · 1 more week at peak.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • Not here
  • This week

Spanish mackerel in Maryland

Spot profile

Eagle Point

Depth
About 25 ftFlat bottom
Structure
Point · Inner · Semi-exposedPoint · flat bottom
Season
Peak seasonSpanish 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 Eagle Point

Eagle Point is a cape in Chesapeake Bay from Drum Point MD to Smith Point VA, Maryland. Depth is about 25 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads point, inner water and semi-exposed.

Waterlands scores 17 species here; the best right now are little tunny, scup and bluefish. It is peak season now for little tunny, scup, sheepshead and Spanish mackerel, and shoulder season for bluefish, striped bass, black sea bass and king mackerel. Little tunny peak from September through October. Scup peak from June through October. Bluefish peak in May and from October through November.

Tackle & technique

Spanish mackerel
Spanish mackerel school along beaches and around inlets, jetties, piers and bridge-tunnel structures, and along tide rips in 5 to 40 feet of water once the water climbs above about 68 degrees F. Troll small spoons or cast metal jigs and retrieve fast, or look for birds diving on bait and cast into the school. FWC calls for a 30 to 60 pound monofilament leader because their teeth cut light line.
Little tunny
Little tunny travel fast in schools that pin bait against inlets, points, jetties and tide rips, usually within a few miles of shore and often in less than 60 feet. Stay off the school's path, wait for it to surface within range, and cast small metal or epoxy jigs with a fast retrieve. When fish stay down, troll small feathers along bait edges and color changes to find them.
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

  • Holland Island Bay

    Bay · 4.8 mi

    58
    Top: ScupPeak season
    • Scup 58
    • Spot 55
    • Little tunny 54

    12 kt NEH 11:22 PM · 1.6 ftL 5:48 AM · 0.5 ft

  • Bloodsworth Point

    Cape · 5.5 mi

    58
    Top: Little tunnyPeak season
    • Little tunny 58
    • Scup 53
    • Bluefish 50

    12 kt NEL 5:30 PM · 1.0 ftH 11:32 PM · 1.8 ft

  • Pone Cove

    Bay · 5.8 mi

    58
    Top: ScupPeak season
    • Scup 58
    • Spot 55
    • Red drum 53

    12 kt NEL 5:30 PM · 1.0 ftH 11:32 PM · 1.8 ft

  • Muddy Creek

    Bay · 6.0 mi

    58
    Top: ScupPeak season
    • Scup 58
    • Spot 56
    • Red drum 55

    12 kt NEL 5:25 PM · 0.5 ftH 11:38 PM · 2.1 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.