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King mackerelShoulder seasonCape · Maryland
Richland Point
38.25°N · 76.17°W · Cape · Chesapeake Bay from Drum Point MD to Smith Point VA
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 2 AM · King mackerel
- Now
- 444 PM EDT
- Best window
- 7-11 PMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing1.2 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Richland Point 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 · rolling from now
Conditions · 4 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
52Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.3 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
63Wind: 15 kt ENEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
78Water temp: 74°F, primeLight: OvercastSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 2.8 ftSeason & habitat · King mackerel
Species seasonality
40Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: no rule on file
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
Richland Point
- Depth
- 1-5 ftNearest water
- Structure
- Point · Inner · Semi-exposedPoint · 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 Richland Point
Richland Point is a cape in Chesapeake Bay from Drum Point MD to Smith Point VA, Maryland. Depth in the nearest water is 1-5 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, bluefish and sheepshead. It is peak season now for little tunny, sheepshead, Spanish mackerel and spot, and shoulder season for bluefish, striped bass, black sea bass and king mackerel. Little tunny peak from September through October. Bluefish peak in May and from October through November. Sheepshead peak from July through September.
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.
- 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.
- Bluefish
- Bluefish travel in size-sorted schools and feed where tide pushes bait past structure: inlet mouths, rips, shoal edges and the surf line, mostly in water shallower than 60 feet. Look for birds and breaking bait and cast metal or poppers into it, or soak cut bunker or mullet on the bottom from the beach. Use a short wire or heavy leader because their teeth cut light line.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Dicks Point65
Cape · 0.7 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 65
- Bluefish 56
- Spot 56
15 kt ENEL 5:41 PM · 1.1 ftH 12:15 AM · 2.4 ft
- Muddy Hook Cove61
Bay · 0.8 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 61
- Spot 61
- Sheepshead 60
15 kt ENEL 5:41 PM · 1.1 ftH 12:15 AM · 2.4 ft
- Richland Cove60
Bay · 0.2 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 60
- Spot 59
- Sheepshead 58
15 kt ENEL 5:41 PM · 1.1 ftH 12:15 AM · 2.4 ft
- Cow Cove59
Bay · 0.7 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 59
- Red drum 58
- Bluefish 55
15 kt ENEL 5:41 PM · 1.1 ftH 12:15 AM · 2.4 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.
