Waterlands

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SheepsheadPeak season

Cape · Maryland

Bennett Point

38.85°N · 76.21°W · Cape · Eastern Bay

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Best score today · 12 AM · Sheepshead

72/100Great
Now
613 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

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24-hour conditions

Thursday, Sep 24 · 7 AM

Time7A
Score66Great
Tide1.1 ft ▼Ebbing
CurrentEbb0.7 kn · toward S
Wind13 kn NNEgusts 22 · steady
Sea stateLight chop1.4 ft · 3 s
Air temp58°Mild
WeatherMostly cloudy79% cloud
Water74°FBias corrected

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

IN EFFECT NOW

No rule for Sheepshead 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 Sheepshead is best here

Peak season for Sheepshead · 1 more week at peak

Sheepshead season by week of the year. Peak season for Sheepshead · 1 more week at peak.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • Not here
  • This week

Sheepshead in Maryland

Spot profile

Bennett Point

Depth
2-15 ftSlope
Structure
Point · Inner · Semi-exposedPoint · slope
Season
Peak seasonSheepshead

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 Bennett Point

Bennett Point is a cape in Eastern Bay, 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 spot, little tunny and red drum. It is peak season now for spot, little tunny, red drum and sheepshead, and shoulder season for bluefish, Atlantic croaker, spotted seatrout and striped bass. Spot peak from August through October. Little tunny peak from September through October. Red drum peak in May and from September through October.

Tackle & technique

Sheepshead
Sheepshead graze barnacles and crabs off pilings, jetty rocks, bridge supports, oyster bars and nearshore reefs, from a few feet deep out to about 50 feet. Drop a fiddler crab, sand flea or piece of shrimp on a small, strong hook straight down next to the structure with just enough weight to hold bottom. The bite is a light tap, so keep the line tight and set the hook fast.
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.
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.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Tide Mill Cove

    Bay · 3.9 mi

    76
    Top: SpotPeak season
    • Spot 76
    • Scup 68
    • Red drum 67

    9 kt NNWL 8:41 AM · 1.0 ftH 1:13 PM · 1.5 ft

  • Wells Cove

    Bay · 4.0 mi

    73
    Top: SpotPeak season
    • Spot 73
    • Red drum 67
    • Scup 66

    9 kt NNWL 8:15 AM · 1.0 ftH 12:59 PM · 1.2 ft

  • Deepwater Point

    Cape · 3.3 mi

    71
    Top: SpotPeak season
    • Spot 71
    • Little tunny 65
    • Red drum 63

    9 kt NNWL 8:41 AM · 1.0 ftH 1:13 PM · 1.5 ft

  • Seth Point

    Cape · 3.1 mi

    69
    Top: SpotPeak season
    • Spot 69
    • Little tunny 65
    • Red drum 63

    9 kt NNWL 8:15 AM · 1.0 ftH 12:59 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.