Waterlands

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Spotted seatroutShoulder season

Bay · Maryland

Fishing Creek

38.91°N · 76.47°W · Bay · Chesapeake Bay from Sandy Point to North Beach MD

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Best score today · 3 PM · Spotted seatrout

73/100Great
Now
4912 AM EDT
Best window
2-6 PMEbb tide
Tide now
Flooding1.1 ft ▲

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

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 12 AM · now

Time12ANOW
Score49Good
Tide1.1 ft ▲Flooding
CurrentSlack0.0 kn
Wind15 kn NEgusts 26 · steady
Sea stateModerate2.0 ft · 3 s
Air temp63°Mild
WeatherOvercast85% chance of rain
Water74°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

IN EFFECT NOW

No rule for Spotted seatrout 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 yesterday

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Spotted seatrout is best here

Shoulder season for Spotted seatrout · 1 more week at shoulder

Spotted seatrout season by week of the year. Shoulder season for Spotted seatrout · 1 more week at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • Not here
  • This week

Spotted seatrout in Maryland

Spot profile

Fishing Creek

Depth
2-7 ftFlat bottom
Structure
Estuary · Inner · Semi-exposedEstuary · flat bottom
Season
Shoulder seasonSpotted seatrout

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 Fishing Creek

Fishing Creek is a bay in Chesapeake Bay from Sandy Point to North Beach MD, Maryland. Depth is 2-7 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads estuary, 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 summer flounder, 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

Spotted seatrout
Trout hold over grass beds and sandy potholes in 2 to 8 feet of water most of the year and slide into channels, deep creek bends and canals during cold snaps. A live shrimp under a slip or popping cork, a paddle tail on a light jighead, or a topwater walked at first light covers most situations. Keep the drag light because their mouths tear easily.
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

  • Saunders Point

    Cape · 2.3 mi

    64
    Top: Little tunnyPeak season
    • Little tunny 64
    • Spot 62
    • Bluefish 60

    15 kt NEH 2:48 AM · 1.6 ftL 9:34 AM · 0.8 ft

  • Thomas Point

    Cape · 0.5 mi

    62
    Top: Little tunnyPeak season
    • Little tunny 62
    • Spot 59
    • Bluefish 58

    15 kt NEH 2:59 AM · 1.5 ftL 9:40 AM · 0.7 ft

  • Thomas Point Shoal

    Bar · 1.6 mi

    60
    Top: BluefishShoulder season
    • Bluefish 60
    • Little tunny 59
    • Spot 59

    15 kt NEH 2:59 AM · 1.5 ftL 9:40 AM · 0.7 ft

  • Tolly Point Shoal

    Bar · 2.1 mi

    60
    Top: BluefishShoulder season
    • Bluefish 60
    • Little tunny 59
    • Spot 59

    15 kt NEH 2:59 AM · 1.5 ftL 9:40 AM · 0.7 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.