Waterlands

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SheepsheadPeak season

Cape · Maryland

Janes Point

38.32°N · 76.46°W · Cape · Patuxent River to Broomes Island MD

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Best score today · 11 PM · Sheepshead

67/100Great
Now
535 AM EDT
Best window
10 PM-12 AMFlood tide
Tide now
Ebbing0.9 ft ▼

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

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 5 AM · now

Time5ANOW
Score53Good
Tide0.9 ft ▼Ebbing
CurrentEbb0.5 kn · toward SE
Wind13 kn NEgusts 25 · steady
Air temp61°Mild
WeatherOvercast69% chance of rain
Water78°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 · 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

Janes Point

Depth
Up to 9 ftNearest water
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 Janes Point

Janes Point is a cape in Patuxent River to Broomes Island MD, Maryland. Depth in the nearest water is up to 9 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads point, inner water and protected.

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, striped bass, spotted seatrout and weakfish. 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

  • Town Point

    Cape · 1.0 mi

    62
    Top: SpotPeak season
    • Spot 62
    • Little tunny 61
    • Red drum 59

    13 kt NEL 6:44 AM · 0.7 ftH 12:27 PM · 1.6 ft

  • Thorns Point

    Cape · 1.3 mi

    62
    Top: SpotPeak season
    • Spot 62
    • Little tunny 60
    • Red drum 58

    13 kt NEL 6:44 AM · 0.7 ftH 12:27 PM · 1.6 ft

  • Point Patience

    Cape · 1.5 mi

    62
    Top: SpotPeak season
    • Spot 62
    • Little tunny 61
    • Red drum 59

    13 kt NEL 6:44 AM · 0.7 ftH 12:27 PM · 1.6 ft

  • Ship Point

    Cape · 0.4 mi

    60
    Top: Little tunnyPeak season
    • Little tunny 60
    • Spot 60
    • Bluefish 58

    13 kt NEL 6:44 AM · 0.7 ftH 12:27 PM · 1.6 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.