Waterlands

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King mackerelShoulder season

Cape · Maryland

Old Orchard Point

38.72°N · 76.27°W · Cape · Choptank River to Cambridge MD and the Little Choptank River

LOADING MAP

Best score today · 11 AM · King mackerel

70/100Great
Now
4712 AM EDT
Best window
11 AM-1 PMFlood tide
Tide now
Flooding2.0 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
Score47Good
Tide2.0 ft ▲Flooding
CurrentFlood0.3 kn · toward N
Wind14 kn NEgusts 24 · steady
Sea stateModerate2.1 ft · 3 s
Air temp61°Mild
WeatherOvercast64% chance of rain
Water76°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

IN EFFECT NOW

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

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

King mackerel in Maryland

Spot profile

Old Orchard Point

Depth
2-15 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 Old Orchard Point

Old Orchard Point is a cape in Choptank River to Cambridge MD and the Little Choptank River, Maryland. Depth is 2-15 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 bluefish. It is peak season now for little tunny, spot, scup and red drum, and shoulder season for bluefish, striped bass, black sea bass and Atlantic croaker. Little tunny peak from September through October. Spot peak from August through October. Bluefish peak in May and from October through November.

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

  • Balls Creek

    Bay · 0.5 mi

    68
    Top: SpotPeak season
    • Spot 68
    • Red drum 64
    • Scup 64

    14 kt NEH 1:58 AM · 2.3 ftL 9:04 AM · 1.1 ft

  • River Cove

    Bay · 1.1 mi

    68
    Top: SpotPeak season
    • Spot 68
    • Red drum 66
    • Scup 64

    14 kt NEH 2:01 AM · 2.1 ftL 9:03 AM · 1.0 ft

  • Muddy Cove

    Bay · 1.5 mi

    68
    Top: SpotPeak season
    • Spot 68
    • Scup 64
    • Sheepshead 62

    14 kt NEH 2:01 AM · 2.1 ftL 9:03 AM · 1.0 ft

  • Nelson Island Shoal

    Bar · 1.0 mi

    63
    Top: SpotPeak season
    • Spot 63
    • Bluefish 61
    • Little tunny 59

    14 kt NEH 1:58 AM · 2.3 ftL 9:04 AM · 1.1 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.