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King mackerelShoulder seasonChannel · Maryland
Assacorkin Thorofare
38.06°N · 75.32°W · Channel · Coastal waters from Fenwick Island DE to Chincoteague VA out 20 NM
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 11 PM · King mackerel
- Now
- 342 PM EDT
- Best window
- 10 PM-12 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing0.4 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Assacorkin Thorofare 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 · 2 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
40Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.7 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
29Gusts over the limit · capped at 35Wind: 16 kt NEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
50Water temp: 70°F, coolLight: OvercastSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 5.6 ftSeason & habitat · King mackerel
Species seasonality
53Season: ShoulderHabitat: Usable structureDepth: Out of 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 · Sync unavailable, last verified Sep 13, 2026
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
Assacorkin Thorofare
- Depth
- Up to 5 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Channel · Outer · Semi-exposedChannel · flat bottom
- 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 Assacorkin Thorofare
Assacorkin Thorofare is a channel in Coastal waters from Fenwick Island DE to Chincoteague VA out 20 NM, Maryland. Depth is up to 5 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads channel, outer water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 20 species here; the best right now are Atlantic bluefin tuna, black sea bass and bluefish. It is peak season now for yellowfin tuna, little tunny, red drum and scup, and shoulder season for Atlantic bluefin tuna, black sea bass, bluefish and mahi-mahi. Atlantic bluefin tuna peak from June through July and in December. Black sea bass peak from May through June and from October through November. 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.
- Atlantic bluefin tuna
- Bluefin tuna follow schools of herring, mackerel, sand eels and menhaden over banks, ledges and shoals, mostly in the top 150 feet. Troll spreader bars and daisy chains to find fish, then switch to live bait, chunks or stick baits once a school is located. Heavy tackle and a NOAA HMS permit are required, and size-class limits change through the season.
- Black sea bass
- Black sea bass hold tight to wrecks, reefs, rock piles and jetties, from 15 feet inshore in late spring to well over 100 feet on offshore wrecks in late fall. Anchor or drift right over the structure and fish a two-hook high-low rig with squid or clam, or bounce a small jig on the bottom. The biggest males sit on the highest relief.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- White Rock35
Bar · 1.5 mi
Top: Atlantic bluefin tunaShoulder season- Atlantic bluefin tuna 35
- Black sea bass 35
- Bluefish 35
16 kt NEL 2:57 PM · 0.4 ftH 8:26 PM · 1.2 ft
- Easter Opening35
Channel · 1.6 mi
Top: Atlantic bluefin tunaShoulder season- Atlantic bluefin tuna 35
- Black sea bass 35
- Bluefish 35
16 kt NEL 4:51 PM · 0.4 ftH 10:49 PM · 0.9 ft
- Johnson Bay35
Bay · 1.6 mi
Top: Atlantic bluefin tunaShoulder season- Atlantic bluefin tuna 35
- Bluefish 35
- Mahi-mahi 35
16 kt NEL 2:40 PM · 0.4 ftH 8:24 PM · 0.9 ft
- Shell Point35
Cape · 1.8 mi
Top: BluefishShoulder season- Bluefish 35
- Striped bass 35
- Yellowfin tuna 35
16 kt NEL 2:40 PM · 0.4 ftH 8:24 PM · 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.