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Black sea bassShoulder seasonBay · Maryland
Mallows Bay
38.47°N · 77.27°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
- 551 AM EDT
- Best window
- 2-11 PMHigh slack
- Tide now
- Flooding0.7 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Mallows Bay 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 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
94Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.5 kn floodWind & pressure
ECMWF
97Wind: 9 kt NEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC
25Water temp: 75°F, warmLight: NightSolunar: 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
Mallows Bay
- Depth
- 2-15 ftSlope
- Structure
- Bay · Inner · ProtectedBay · slope
- 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 Mallows Bay
Mallows Bay is a bay in Tidal Potomac from Indian Head to Cobb Island MD, Maryland. Depth is 2-15 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads bay, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 17 species here; the best right now are spot, scup and red drum. It is peak season now for spot, scup, red drum and sheepshead, and shoulder season for weakfish, bluefish, spotted seatrout and Atlantic croaker. Spot peak from August through October. Scup peak from June through October. 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.
- 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
- Wades Bay75
Bay · 2.8 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 75
- Scup 71
- Red drum 69
9 kt NEH 4:38 AM · 1.3 ftL 10:25 AM · 0.5 ft
- Blue Bay74
Bay · 1.5 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 74
- Scup 70
- Red drum 68
9 kt NEH 5:41 AM · 1.4 ftL 11:13 AM · 0.5 ft
- Smith Point72
Cape · 3.9 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 72
- Spot 70
- Red drum 67
9 kt NEH 4:38 AM · 1.3 ftL 10:25 AM · 0.5 ft
- Stump Neck70
Cape · 5.9 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 70
- Spot 70
- Scup 66
9 kt NEH 5:28 AM · 1.6 ftL 11:07 AM · 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.