Waterlands

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Little tunnyPeak season

Cape · Maryland

Hail Point

39.01°N · 76.20°W · Cape · Chester River to Queenstown MD

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Best score today · 9 AM · Little tunny

73/100Great
Now
662 AM EDT
Best window
7-11 AMEbb tide
Tide now
Flooding1.6 ft ▲

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

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 2 AM · now

Time2ANOW
Score66Great
Tide1.6 ft ▲Flooding
CurrentFlood0.4 kn · toward N
Wind15 kn NEgusts 25 · steady
Sea stateLight chop1.4 ft · 3 s
Air temp61°Mild
WeatherOvercast71% chance of rain
Water74°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

IN EFFECT NOW

No rule for Little tunny 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 Little tunny is best here

Peak season for Little tunny · 5 more weeks at peak

Little tunny season by week of the year. Peak season for Little tunny · 5 more weeks at peak.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • Not here
  • This week

Little tunny in Maryland

Spot profile

Hail Point

Depth
1-9 ftFlat bottom
Structure
Point · Inner · Semi-exposedPoint · flat bottom
Season
Peak seasonLittle tunny

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 Hail Point

Hail Point is a cape in Chester River to Queenstown MD, Maryland. Depth is 1-9 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, spot and scup. It is peak season now for little tunny, spot, scup and red drum, and shoulder season for bluefish, striped bass, weakfish and black sea bass. Little tunny peak from September through October. Spot peak from August through October. Scup peak from June through October.

Tackle & technique

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.
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

  • Long Point

    Cape · 2.8 mi

    68
    Top: Little tunnyPeak season
    • Little tunny 68
    • Spot 65
    • Red drum 62

    15 kt NEH 3:25 AM · 2.0 ftL 10:28 AM · 0.9 ft

  • Narrows Point

    Cape · 1.0 mi

    66
    Top: Little tunnyPeak season
    • Little tunny 66
    • Spot 66
    • Scup 62

    15 kt NEH 5:00 AM · 2.1 ftL 11:43 AM · 1.0 ft

  • Panhandle Point

    Cape · 1.4 mi

    65
    Top: SpotPeak season
    • Spot 65
    • Little tunny 64
    • Scup 61

    15 kt NEH 3:25 AM · 2.0 ftL 10:28 AM · 0.9 ft

  • Baybush Point

    Cape · 1.9 mi

    65
    Top: Little tunnyPeak season
    • Little tunny 65
    • Spot 65
    • Scup 61

    15 kt NEH 3:25 AM · 2.0 ftL 10:28 AM · 0.9 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.