Waterlands

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SheepsheadPeak season

Cape · Maryland

Captain Point

38.39°N · 76.55°W · Cape · Patuxent River to Broomes Island MD

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Best score today · 5 PM · Sheepshead

67/100Great
Now
543 PM EDT
Best window
3-7 PMEbb tide
Tide now
Ebbing1.5 ft ▼

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

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 3 PM · now

Time3PNOW
Score54Good
Tide1.5 ft ▼Ebbing
CurrentSlack0.1 kn
Wind15 kn ENEgusts 25 · steady
Air temp67°Mild
WeatherOvercast61% chance of rain
Water77°FObserved

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 · Sync unavailable, last verified Sep 13, 2026

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

Captain Point

Depth
1-15 ftSlope
Structure
Point · Inner · ProtectedPoint · 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 Captain Point

Captain Point is a cape in Patuxent River to Broomes Island MD, Maryland. Depth is 1-15 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads point, inner water and protected.

Waterlands scores 17 species here; the best right now are little tunny, spot and Spanish mackerel. It is peak season now for little tunny, spot, Spanish mackerel and red drum, and shoulder season for bluefish, black sea bass, spotted seatrout and Atlantic croaker. Little tunny peak from September through October. Spot peak from August through October. Spanish mackerel peak from July through September.

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.
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

  • Sotterley Point

    Cape · 1.0 mi

    62
    Top: Little tunnyPeak season
    • Little tunny 62
    • Spot 60
    • Spanish mackerel 56

    15 kt ENEL 6:58 PM · 0.9 ftH 1:19 AM · 2.1 ft

  • Thomas Point

    Cape · 5.1 mi

    59
    Top: Black sea bassShoulder season
    • Black sea bass 59
    • King mackerel 56
    • Bluefish 55

    14 kt NEL 6:46 PM · 0.5 ftH 1:02 AM · 1.7 ft

  • Turner Cove

    Bay · 3.7 mi

    55
    Top: BluefishShoulder season
    • Bluefish 55
    • Black sea bass 52
    • King mackerel 49

    14 kt NEL 6:46 PM · 0.5 ftH 1:02 AM · 1.7 ft

  • Myrtle Point

    Cape · 5.3 mi

    55
    Top: BluefishShoulder season
    • Bluefish 55
    • Black sea bass 52
    • Striped bass 50

    14 kt NEL 6:46 PM · 0.5 ftH 1:02 AM · 1.7 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.