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Black sea bassShoulder seasonBay · Maryland
Harrison Cove
38.37°N · 77.23°W · Bay · Tidal Potomac from Indian Head to Cobb Island MD
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 7 PM · Black sea bass
- Now
- 569 AM EDT
- Best window
- 4-10 PMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing0.6 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Harrison Cove 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 · 9 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
79Tide: EbbingCurrent: 1.4 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
90Wind: 10 kt NNEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC
67Water temp: 74°F, warmLight: MorningSolunar: Between periodsSeason & habitat · Black sea bass
Species seasonality
55Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In rangeRegulations: no rule on file
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
No rule for Black sea bass 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 Black sea bass is best here
Shoulder season for Black sea bass · 1 more week at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Harrison Cove
- Depth
- 3-10 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Bay · Inner · Semi-exposedBay · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonBlack sea bass
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 Harrison Cove
Harrison Cove is a bay in Tidal Potomac from Indian Head to Cobb Island MD, Maryland. Depth is 3-10 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads bay, inner water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 17 species here; the best right now are little tunny, Spanish mackerel and red drum. It is peak season now for little tunny, Spanish mackerel, red drum and spot, and shoulder season for bluefish, weakfish, spotted seatrout and striped bass. Little tunny peak from September through October. Spanish mackerel peak from July through September. Red drum peak in May and from September through October.
Tackle & technique
- Black sea bass
- Black sea bass hold tight to wrecks, reefs, rock piles and jetties, from 15 feet inshore in late spring to well over 100 feet on offshore wrecks in late fall. Anchor or drift right over the structure and fish a two-hook high-low rig with squid or clam, or bounce a small jig on the bottom. The biggest males sit on the highest relief.
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Smith Point79
Cape · 3.7 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 79
- Bluefish 70
- Red drum 69
9 kt NNEL 10:25 AM · 0.5 ftH 5:07 PM · 1.2 ft
- Blue Bay77
Bay · 5.8 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 77
- Little tunny 76
- Red drum 74
9 kt NNEL 11:13 AM · 0.5 ftH 6:10 PM · 1.3 ft
- Wades Bay76
Bay · 4.5 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 76
- Little tunny 75
- Spanish mackerel 74
9 kt NNEL 10:25 AM · 0.5 ftH 5:07 PM · 1.2 ft
- Blossom Point65
Cape · 7.0 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 65
- Bluefish 57
- Red drum 55
11 kt NEH 3:26 PM · 1.4 ftL 9:01 PM · 0.3 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.
