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Spanish mackerelPeak seasonCape · Maryland
Gunbarrel Point
38.13°N · 76.03°W · Cape · Tangier Sound and the inland waters surrounding Bloodsworth Island
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 10 AM · Spanish mackerel
- Now
- 461 PM EDT
- Best window
- 8 PM-12 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing1.4 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Gunbarrel Point 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 · 1 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
55Tide: EbbingCurrent: SlackWind & pressure
ECMWF
47Wind: 12 kt NEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
54Water temp: 69°F, coolLight: OvercastSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 2.4 ftSeason & habitat · Spanish mackerel
Species seasonality
68Season: PeakHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In rangeRegulations: no rule on file
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
No rule for Spanish 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 Spanish mackerel is best here
Peak season for Spanish mackerel · 1 more week at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- Not here
- This week
Spot profile
Gunbarrel Point
- Depth
- 1-5 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Point · Inner · Semi-exposedPoint · flat bottom
- Season
- Peak seasonSpanish 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 Gunbarrel Point
Gunbarrel Point is a cape in Tangier Sound and the inland waters surrounding Bloodsworth Island, Maryland. Depth is 1-5 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads point, inner water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 17 species here; the best right now are little tunny, scup and spot. It is peak season now for little tunny, scup, spot and sheepshead, and shoulder season for bluefish, striped bass, black sea bass and Atlantic croaker. Little tunny peak from September through October. Scup peak from June through October. Spot peak from August through October.
Tackle & technique
- Spanish mackerel
- Spanish mackerel school along beaches and around inlets, jetties, piers and bridge-tunnel structures, and along tide rips in 5 to 40 feet of water once the water climbs above about 68 degrees F. Troll small spoons or cast metal jigs and retrieve fast, or look for birds diving on bait and cast into the school. FWC calls for a 30 to 60 pound monofilament leader because their teeth cut light line.
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Johnson Cove68
Bay · 1.1 mi
Top: ScupPeak season- Scup 68
- Spot 66
- Little tunny 61
13 kt NEL 5:59 PM · 0.4 ftH 12:05 AM · 1.7 ft
- Gunbarrel Cove65
Bay · 0.3 mi
Top: ScupPeak season- Scup 65
- Spot 64
- Little tunny 58
13 kt NEL 5:59 PM · 0.4 ftH 12:05 AM · 1.7 ft
- Pungers Creek65
Bay · 0.8 mi
Top: ScupPeak season- Scup 65
- Spot 64
- Red drum 57
13 kt NEL 5:59 PM · 0.4 ftH 12:05 AM · 1.7 ft
- Holland Straits64
Channel · 0.9 mi
Top: ScupPeak season- Scup 64
- Spot 63
- Sheepshead 56
12 kt NEL 5:59 PM · 0.4 ftH 12:05 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.
