Waterlands

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King mackerelShoulder season

Cape · Maryland

Mud Point

38.07°N · 75.80°W · Cape · Tangier Sound and the inland waters surrounding Bloodsworth Island

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Best score today · 8 AM · King mackerel

72/100Great
Now
3911 AM EDT
Best window
8 PM-12 AMFlood tide
Tide now
Flooding2.1 ft ▲

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

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 11 AM · now

Time11ANOW
Score39Fair
Tide2.1 ft ▲Flooding
CurrentSlack0.1 kn
Wind14 kn NEgusts 25 · steady
Sea stateLight chop1.5 ft · 3 s
Air temp63°Mild
WeatherOvercast86% chance of rain
Water68°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

IN EFFECT NOW

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

King mackerel season by week of the year. Shoulder season for King mackerel · 1 more week at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • Not here
  • This week

King mackerel in Maryland

Spot profile

Mud Point

Depth
Up to 6 ftNearest water
Structure
Point · Inner · ProtectedPoint · 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 Mud Point

Mud Point is a cape in Tangier Sound and the inland waters surrounding Bloodsworth Island, Maryland. Depth in the nearest water is up to 6 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads point, inner water and protected.

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

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.
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

  • Moon Bay

    Bay · 0.2 mi

    72
    Top: SpotPeak season
    • Spot 72
    • Scup 71
    • Little tunny 60

    14 kt NEH 11:47 AM · 2.2 ftL 6:16 PM · 0.6 ft

  • Crane Cove

    Bay · 0.8 mi

    72
    Top: SpotPeak season
    • Spot 72
    • Scup 71
    • Little tunny 60

    14 kt NEH 11:47 AM · 2.2 ftL 6:16 PM · 0.6 ft

  • Fords Cove

    Bay · 1.6 mi

    72
    Top: SpotPeak season
    • Spot 72
    • Scup 71
    • Little tunny 60

    14 kt NEH 11:47 AM · 2.2 ftL 6:16 PM · 0.6 ft

  • Sandy Point

    Cape · 0.7 mi

    66
    Top: ScupPeak season
    • Scup 66
    • Spot 66
    • Little tunny 64

    14 kt NEH 11:47 AM · 2.2 ftL 6:16 PM · 0.6 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.