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SpotPeak seasonBay · Maryland
West River
38.86°N · 76.50°W · Bay · Chesapeake Bay from Sandy Point to North Beach MD
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 12 AM · Spot
- Now
- 723 AM EDT
- Best window
- 3-8 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing1.6 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when West River 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, Oct 2 · 6 PM
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
100Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.3 kn floodWind & pressure
ECMWF
99Wind: 5 kt SPressure: FallingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
98Water temp: 70°F, primeLight: DuskSolunar: Major periodSeason & habitat · Spot
Species seasonality
90Season: PeakHabitat: Usable structureDepth: In range
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
No rule for Spot 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 Spot is best here
Peak season for Spot · 4 more weeks at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- Not here
- This week
Spot profile
West River
- Depth
- 10-15 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Bay · Inner · Semi-exposedBay · flat bottom
- Season
- Peak seasonSpot
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 West River
West River is a bay in Chesapeake Bay from Sandy Point to North Beach MD, Maryland. Depth is 10-15 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 Atlantic croaker. It is peak season now for spot, scup, red drum and sheepshead, and shoulder season for Atlantic croaker, bluefish, weakfish and spotted seatrout. Spot peak from August through October. Scup peak from June through October. Atlantic croaker peak from June through August.
Tackle & technique
- 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.
- Atlantic croaker
- Croaker feed on mud and sand bottom along channel edges, oyster bars, piers and deeper holes in bays and sounds, mostly in 5 to 30 feet of water. A two-hook bottom rig with small hooks and shrimp, bloodworm or squid catches them from piers, the surf and small boats. Fish the hours around high tide and into the evening.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Horseshoe Point68
Cape · 2.2 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 68
- Scup 63
- Atlantic croaker 56
12 kt ENEL 9:45 AM · 0.8 ftH 2:44 PM · 1.1 ft
- Thomas Point68
Cape · 3.7 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 68
- Little tunny 62
- Scup 62
13 kt ENEL 9:08 AM · 0.8 ftH 2:27 PM · 1.1 ft
- Curtis Point67
Cape · 0.9 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 67
- Scup 61
- Atlantic croaker 55
12 kt ENEL 9:45 AM · 0.8 ftH 2:44 PM · 1.1 ft
- Saunders Point66
Cape · 1.7 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 66
- Scup 60
- Little tunny 58
13 kt ENEL 9:02 AM · 0.8 ftH 2:16 PM · 1.2 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.