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SpotPeak 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 AM · Spot
- Now
- 6712 PM EDT
- Best window
- 4-10 PMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Flooding0.6 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 · 12 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
55Tide: FloodingCurrent: SlackWind & pressure
ECMWF
94Wind: 9 kt NEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC
76Water temp: 76°F, primeLight: OvercastSolunar: Between periodsSeason & habitat · Spot
Species seasonality
90Season: PeakHabitat: Usable structureDepth: In rangeRegulations: no rule on file
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
No rule for Spot 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 today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Spot is best here
Peak season for Spot · 4 more weeks at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- Not here
- This week
Spot profile
Mallows Bay
- Depth
- 2-15 ftSlope
- Structure
- Bay · Inner · ProtectedBay · slope
- Season
- Peak seasonSpot
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 Spanish mackerel. It is peak season now for spot, scup, Spanish mackerel and red drum, and shoulder season for spotted seatrout, weakfish, Atlantic croaker and bluefish. Spot peak from August through October. Scup peak from June through October. Spanish mackerel peak from July through September.
Tackle & technique
- 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.
- 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
- Wades Bay70
Bay · 2.8 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 70
- Scup 68
- Spanish mackerel 66
9 kt NEH 4:25 PM · 1.2 ftL 9:46 PM · 0.5 ft
- Smith Point68
Cape · 3.9 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 68
- Spot 65
- Scup 63
9 kt NEH 4:25 PM · 1.2 ftL 9:46 PM · 0.5 ft
- Blue Bay67
Bay · 1.5 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 67
- Scup 65
- Spanish mackerel 63
9 kt NEH 5:28 PM · 1.3 ftL 10:34 PM · 0.5 ft
- Stump Neck65
Cape · 5.9 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 65
- Spot 63
- Scup 61
9 kt NEH 5:15 PM · 1.5 ftL 10:28 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.