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

80/100Great
Now
696 PM EST
Best window
6-8 PMEbb tide
Tide now
Ebbing0.4 ft ▼

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

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24-hour conditions

Saturday, Nov 14 · 5 PM

Time5P
Score62Good
Tide0.2 ft ▼Ebbing
Wind2 kn ESEgusts 8 · steady
Air temp64°Mild
WeatherPartly cloudy25% cloud
Water67°FPersisted

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.

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, black sea bass and spotted seatrout. It is peak season now for little tunny, black sea bass, spotted seatrout and weakfish, and shoulder season for Atlantic croaker, spot, black drum and striped bass. Little tunny peak from October through November. Black sea bass peak from March through April and from October through November. Spotted seatrout peak from September 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

    78
    Top: WeakfishPeak season
    • Weakfish 78
    • Spotted seatrout 75
    • Black sea bass 73

    6 kt NEL 10:46 PM · 0.4 ftH 4:18 AM · 0.7 ft

  • Cypress Point

    Cape · 3.8 mi

    77
    Top: Little tunnyPeak season
    • Little tunny 77
    • Black sea bass 69
    • Spotted seatrout 69

    6 kt NEL 10:19 PM · 0.4 ftH 2:08 AM · 0.4 ft

  • Orange Point

    Cape · 3.7 mi

    76
    Top: Little tunnyPeak season
    • Little tunny 76
    • Bluefish 69
    • Weakfish 69

    6 kt NEL 10:46 PM · 0.4 ftH 4:18 AM · 0.7 ft

  • Grapevine Bay

    Bay · 4.7 mi

    75
    Top: WeakfishPeak season
    • Weakfish 75
    • Little tunny 74
    • Spotted seatrout 74

    6 kt NEL 10:46 PM · 0.4 ftH 4:18 AM · 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.