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King mackerelShoulder seasonGut · Maryland
Hunter Gut
37.96°N · 76.03°W · Gut · Tangier Sound and the inland waters surrounding Bloodsworth Island
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 11 PM · King mackerel
- Now
- 508 AM EDT
- Best window
- 10 PM-12 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding1.1 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Hunter Gut 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 · 8 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
72Tide: FloodingCurrent: SlackWind & pressure
ECMWF
70Wind: 13 kt NEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
82Water temp: 78°F, primeLight: DawnSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 3.0 ftSeason & habitat · King mackerel
Species seasonality
38Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: no rule on file
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
No rule for King 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 · synced yesterday
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When King mackerel is best here
Shoulder season for King mackerel · 1 more week at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- Not here
- This week
Spot profile
Hunter Gut
- Depth
- 1-3 ftNearest water
- Structure
- Channel · Inner · Semi-exposedChannel · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonKing 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 Hunter Gut
Hunter Gut is a gut in Tangier Sound and the inland waters surrounding Bloodsworth Island, Maryland. Depth in the nearest water is 1-3 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads channel, inner water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 17 species here; the best right now are spot, scup and sheepshead. It is peak season now for spot, scup, sheepshead and summer flounder, and shoulder season for black sea bass, Atlantic croaker, weakfish and bluefish. Spot peak from August through October. Scup peak from June through October. Sheepshead peak from July through September.
Tackle & technique
- King mackerel
- Kings roam from beaches and pier ends out to reefs, wrecks and ledges in 40 to 200 feet, usually feeding in the upper half of the water column. Slow-troll live menhaden, blue runners or cigar minnows on a light wire stinger rig, or pull spoons and ribbonfish past bait schools. Look for clean green water above 68 F with bait and birds on it.
- 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.
- 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
- Rhodes Point Gut66
Gut · 0.7 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 66
- Scup 62
- Summer flounder 62
13 kt NEH 11:18 AM · 1.8 ftL 5:49 PM · 0.5 ft
- Merlin Gut66
Gut · 0.9 mi
Top: ScupPeak season- Scup 66
- Spot 65
- Sheepshead 63
13 kt NEH 11:18 AM · 1.8 ftL 5:49 PM · 0.5 ft
- Shanks Creek65
Bay · 0.4 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 65
- Scup 63
- Red drum 61
13 kt NEH 11:18 AM · 1.8 ftL 5:49 PM · 0.5 ft
- Jeans Gut65
Gut · 0.8 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 65
- Red drum 62
- Scup 62
13 kt NEH 11:18 AM · 1.8 ftL 5:49 PM · 0.5 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.