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Spotted seatroutPeak seasonChannel · Maryland
West Channel
39.28°N · 76.58°W · Channel · Patapsco River including Baltimore Harbor
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 8 AM · Spotted seatrout
- Now
- 673 AM EST
- Best window
- 6-9 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- High1.4 ft
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when West Channel 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
Tuesday, Nov 17 · 10 PM
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
80Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.3 kn floodWind & pressure
ECMWF
75Wind: 3 kt ESEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
76Water temp: 60°F, primeLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeason & habitat · Striped bass
Species seasonality
90Season: PeakHabitat: Usable structureDepth: In range
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
No rule for Spotted seatrout 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 Spotted seatrout is best here
Peak season for Spotted seatrout · 3 more weeks at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- Not here
- This week
Spot profile
West Channel
- Depth
- 15-40 ftSlope
- Structure
- Channel · Inner · ProtectedChannel · slope
- Season
- Peak seasonSpotted seatrout
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 Channel
West Channel is a channel in Patapsco River including Baltimore Harbor, Maryland. Depth is 15-40 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads channel, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 14 species here; the best right now are spotted seatrout, scup and spot. It is peak season now for spotted seatrout, striped bass, black sea bass and bluefish, and shoulder season for scup, spot, weakfish and red drum. Spotted seatrout peak from October through November. Scup peak from June through October. Spot peak from August through October.
Tackle & technique
- Spotted seatrout
- Trout hold over grass beds and sandy potholes in 2 to 8 feet of water most of the year and slide into channels, deep creek bends and canals during cold snaps. A live shrimp under a slip or popping cork, a paddle tail on a light jighead, or a topwater walked at first light covers most situations. Keep the drag light because their mouths tear easily.
- 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.
- 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
- East Channel67
Channel · 0.7 mi
Top: Spotted seatroutPeak season- Spotted seatrout 67
- Scup 64
- Spot 62
8 kt SL 9:48 AM · 0.3 ftH 3:43 PM · 1.5 ft
- Winans Cove65
Bay · 1.3 mi
Top: Spotted seatroutPeak season- Spotted seatrout 65
- Scup 64
- Spot 61
8 kt SL 9:42 AM · 0.2 ftH 3:40 PM · 1.5 ft
- Locust Point64
Cape · 0.3 mi
Top: Striped bassPeak season- Striped bass 64
- Scup 58
- Spotted seatrout 58
8 kt SL 9:48 AM · 0.3 ftH 3:43 PM · 1.5 ft
- Whetstone Point64
Cape · 1.0 mi
Top: Striped bassPeak season- Striped bass 64
- Spotted seatrout 60
- Scup 58
8 kt SL 9:42 AM · 0.2 ftH 3:40 PM · 1.5 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.