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King mackerelShoulder seasonCape · Maryland
Horn Point
38.97°N · 76.47°W · Cape · Chesapeake Bay from Sandy Point to North Beach MD
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 7 AM · King mackerel
- Now
- 526 AM EDT
- Best window
- 6-9 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing1.2 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Horn 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 · 6 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
75Tide: EbbingCurrent: SlackWind & pressure
ECMWF
81Wind: 12 kt ENEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
78Water temp: 77°F, primeLight: DawnSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 1.7 ftSeason & habitat · King mackerel
Species seasonality
41Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In 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 yesterday
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
Horn Point
- Depth
- 3-35 ftSlope
- Structure
- Point · Inner · Semi-exposedPoint · slope
- 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 Horn Point
Horn Point is a cape in Chesapeake Bay from Sandy Point to North Beach MD, Maryland. Depth is 3-35 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads point, inner water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 17 species here; the best right now are little tunny, spot and sheepshead. It is peak season now for little tunny, spot, sheepshead and Spanish mackerel, and shoulder season for bluefish, black sea bass, striped bass and Atlantic croaker. Little tunny peak from September through October. Spot peak from August through October. 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.
- 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.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Annapolis Roads71
Bay · 1.0 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 71
- Sheepshead 67
- Spanish mackerel 66
12 kt ENEL 9:15 AM · 0.9 ftH 2:32 PM · 1.3 ft
- Greenbury Point69
Cape · 1.1 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 69
- Spot 66
- Sheepshead 62
12 kt ENEL 9:15 AM · 0.9 ftH 2:32 PM · 1.3 ft
- Chinks Point68
Cape · 0.4 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 68
- Spot 66
- Sheepshead 62
12 kt ENEL 9:15 AM · 0.9 ftH 2:32 PM · 1.3 ft
- Carr Point68
Cape · 1.0 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 68
- Spot 66
- Sheepshead 62
12 kt ENEL 9:15 AM · 0.9 ftH 2:32 PM · 1.3 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.
