Waterlands

UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN

Red grouperShoulder season

Cape · North Carolina

Newport News Point

35.67°N · 76.04°W · Cape · Alligator River

LOADING MAP

Best score today · 12 AM · Red grouper

70/100Great
Now
428 AM EDT
Best window
8 AM-12 PMEbb tide
Tide now
High0.6 ft

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

Notify me when Newport News Point scores 75+

Checked every morning against the 14-day forecast. Free by push and email.

Sign in to set an alert

24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 8 AM · now

Time8ANOW
Score42Fair
Tide0.6 ftHigh
Current0.4 knmodeled · toward WSW
Wind13 kn NEgusts 26 · steady
Air temp72°Warm
WeatherOvercast31% chance of rain
Water78°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

IN EFFECT NOW

No rule for Red grouper is on file here yet, so its status is unknown, not closed. Confirm limits with NCDMF before you keep a fish.

Source: NCDMF · synced yesterday

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Red grouper is best here

Shoulder season for Red grouper · 5 more weeks at shoulder

Red grouper season by week of the year. Shoulder season for Red grouper · 5 more weeks at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

Red grouper in North Carolina

Spot profile

Newport News Point

Depth
4-10 ftNearest water
Structure
Point · Inner · ProtectedPoint · flat bottom
Season
Shoulder seasonRed grouper

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 Newport News Point

Newport News Point is a cape in Alligator River, North Carolina. Depth in the nearest water is 4-10 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads point, inner water and protected.

Waterlands scores 24 species here; the best right now are Atlantic croaker, spot and Florida pompano. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, spot, king mackerel and crevalle jack, and shoulder season for Florida pompano, little tunny, black drum and black sea bass. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Spot peak from September through October. Florida pompano peak from March through April and from October through November.

Tackle & technique

Red grouper
Red grouper live on low limestone ledges and potholed live bottom across the West Florida Shelf, mostly in 60 to 250 feet. Drift to find hard bottom, then anchor and fish live pinfish, grunts or squid on the bottom with stout conventional tackle. Reel hard right after the bite, because they dive into holes, and use a descending device on fish released from deep water.
Atlantic croaker
Croaker feed on mud and sand bottom along channel edges, oyster bars, piers and deeper holes in bays and sounds, mostly in 5 to 30 feet of water. A two-hook bottom rig with small hooks and shrimp, bloodworm or squid catches them from piers, the surf and small boats. Fish the hours around high tide and into the evening.
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

  • Stumpy Creek Bay

    Bay · 1.6 mi

    71
    Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season
    • Atlantic croaker 71
    • Spot 71
    • Florida pompano 62

    13 kt NEL 2:18 PM · 0.3 ftH 9:05 PM · 0.7 ft

  • Rattlesnake Bay

    Bay · 2.3 mi

    71
    Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season
    • Atlantic croaker 71
    • Spot 71
    • Florida pompano 62

    13 kt NEL 2:18 PM · 0.3 ftH 9:05 PM · 0.7 ft

  • Bear Point

    Cape · 1.7 mi

    66
    Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season
    • Atlantic croaker 66
    • Spot 66
    • Florida pompano 58

    13 kt NEL 2:18 PM · 0.3 ftH 9:05 PM · 0.7 ft

  • Cypress Point

    Cape · 1.7 mi

    66
    Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season
    • Atlantic croaker 66
    • Spot 66
    • Spotted seatrout 59

    13 kt NEL 2:18 PM · 0.3 ftH 9:05 PM · 0.7 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 NCDMF before you keep a fish.