Waterlands

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King mackerelShoulder season

Cape · Maryland

Thorofare Point

38.32°N · 76.03°W · Cape · Tangier Sound and the inland waters surrounding Bloodsworth Island

LOADING MAP

Best score today · 10 AM · King mackerel

75/100Great
Now
3312 PM EDT
Best window
8 PM-12 AMFlood tide
Tide now
High2.0 ft

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

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 12 PM · now

Time12PNOW
Score33Fair
Tide2.0 ftHigh
CurrentSlack0.1 kn
Wind12 kn NEgusts 24 · steady
Sea stateLight chop1.9 ft · 3 s
Air temp62°Mild
WeatherOvercast63% 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 · Sync unavailable, last verified Sep 13, 2026

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

Thorofare Point

Depth
4-7 ftFlat bottom
Structure
Point · Inner · Semi-exposedPoint · 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 Thorofare Point

Thorofare Point is a cape in Tangier Sound and the inland waters surrounding Bloodsworth Island, Maryland. Depth is 4-7 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads point, inner water and semi-exposed.

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 sheepshead, and shoulder season for Atlantic croaker, striped bass, bluefish 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

  • Fishing Bay

    Bay · 1.6 mi

    72
    Top: ScupPeak season
    • Scup 72
    • Spot 71
    • Atlantic croaker 59

    12 kt NEL 6:31 PM · 0.2 ftH 12:34 AM · 2.2 ft

  • Point No Point

    Cape · 0.9 mi

    67
    Top: ScupPeak season
    • Scup 67
    • Spot 66
    • Little tunny 62

    12 kt NEL 6:31 PM · 0.2 ftH 12:34 AM · 2.2 ft

  • Cedar Creek Point

    Cape · 1.1 mi

    66
    Top: ScupPeak season
    • Scup 66
    • Spot 65
    • Little tunny 59

    12 kt NEL 6:31 PM · 0.2 ftH 12:34 AM · 2.2 ft

  • Old House Point

    Cape · 1.8 mi

    65
    Top: ScupPeak season
    • Scup 65
    • Spot 63
    • Little tunny 58

    12 kt NEL 6:31 PM · 0.2 ftH 12:34 AM · 2.2 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.