Waterlands

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Black sea bassPeak season

Cape · North Carolina

Stumpy Point

35.76°N · 75.99°W · Cape · Alligator River

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Best score today · 6 AM · Black sea bass

81/100Great
Now
766 AM EST
Best window
6-9 AMEbb tide
Tide now
Ebbing0.3 ft ▼

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

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24-hour conditions

Tuesday, Nov 10 · 7 AM

Time7A
Score69Great
Tide0.1 ft ▲Flooding
Current0.1 knmodeled · toward E
Wind7 kn WNWgusts 15 · steady
Sea stateLight chop0.5 ft · 6 s
Air temp46°Cool
WeatherClear0% cloud
Water66°FModel

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

IN EFFECT NOW

No rule for Black sea bass 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 Black sea bass is best here

Peak season for Black sea bass · 4 more weeks at peak

Black sea bass season by week of the year. Peak season for Black sea bass · 4 more weeks at peak.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

Black sea bass in North Carolina →

Spot profile

Stumpy Point

Depth
2-8 ftFlat bottom
Structure
Point · Inner · Semi-exposedPoint · flat bottom
Season
Peak 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 Stumpy Point

Stumpy Point is a cape in Alligator River, North Carolina. Depth is 2-8 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads point, inner water and semi-exposed.

Waterlands scores 25 species here; the best right now are little tunny, spotted seatrout and black sea bass. It is peak season now for little tunny, spotted seatrout, black sea bass and weakfish, and shoulder season for spot, Atlantic croaker, striped bass and black drum. Little tunny peak from October through November. Spotted seatrout peak from September through November. Black sea bass peak from March through April and from October through November.

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.
Spotted seatrout
Trout hold over grass beds and sandy potholes in 2 to 8 feet of water most of the year and slide into channels, deep creek bends and canals during cold snaps. A live shrimp under a slip or popping cork, a paddle tail on a light jighead, or a topwater walked at first light covers most situations. Keep the drag light because their mouths tear easily.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • The Straits

    Channel · 4.3 mi

    83
    Top: Spotted seatroutPeak season
    • Spotted seatrout 83
    • Weakfish 82
    • Red drum 78

    6 kt NEL 11:11 AM · 0.3 ftH 5:23 PM · 0.7 ft

  • Cypress Point

    Cape · 3.8 mi

    81
    Top: Little tunnyPeak season
    • Little tunny 81
    • Spotted seatrout 78
    • Black sea bass 76

    6 kt NEL 10:17 AM · 0.2 ftH 4:58 PM · 0.5 ft

  • Grapevine Bay

    Bay · 4.7 mi

    80
    Top: Spotted seatroutPeak season
    • Spotted seatrout 80
    • Weakfish 78
    • Red drum 76

    6 kt NEL 11:11 AM · 0.3 ftH 5:23 PM · 0.7 ft

  • Orange Point

    Cape · 3.7 mi

    79
    Top: Little tunnyPeak season
    • Little tunny 79
    • Spotted seatrout 76
    • Weakfish 73

    6 kt NEL 11:11 AM · 0.3 ftH 5:23 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.