UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN
CobiaShoulder seasonSpecies here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Black sea bass35
- Crevalle jack35
- Gray snapper35
- King mackerel35
- Red snapper35
- Summer flounder35
- Gag grouper34
- Gray triggerfish34
- Red grouper33
- Bluefish32
- Atlantic croaker30
- Atlantic tarpon30
- Black drum30
- Cobia30
- Florida pompano30
- Red drum30
- Sheepshead30
- Southern flounder30
- Spanish mackerel30
- Spot30
- Spotted seatrout30
- Weakfish30
- Little tunny29
- Greater amberjack28
Best score today · 12 AM · Cobia
- Now
- 302 AM EDT
- Best window
- 2 AM-12 AMMoving water
- Tide now
- Ebbing0.4 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when The Frying Pan 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 · 2 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
46Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.3 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
32Gusts over the limit · capped at 35Wind: 17 kt NEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
35Seas over the limit · capped at 30Water temp: 79°F, primeLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 4.2 ftSeason & habitat · Cobia
Species seasonality
55Season: ShoulderHabitat: Usable structureDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: no rule on file
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
No rule for Cobia 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 Cobia is best here
Shoulder season for Cobia · 1 more week at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
The Frying Pan
- Depth
- 1-2 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Bay · Inner · ProtectedBay · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonCobia
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 The Frying Pan
The Frying Pan is a bay in Alligator River, North Carolina. Depth is 1-2 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads bay, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 24 species here; the best right now are black sea bass, crevalle jack and gray snapper. It is peak season now for crevalle jack, gray snapper, king mackerel and summer flounder, and shoulder season for black sea bass, red snapper, gag grouper and gray triggerfish. Black sea bass peak from March through April and from October through November. Crevalle jack peak from July through October. Gray snapper peak from June through September.
Tackle & technique
- Cobia
- Cobia cruise inlets, beaches, buoys, wrecks and the backs of rays in 5 to 100 feet of water. On calm, sunny days sight-cast bucktails or live eels to fish near the surface. Otherwise anchor up-current of structure, chum, and fish live eels, crabs or menhaden near the bottom.
- 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.
- Crevalle jack
- Jacks roam in schools through inlets, passes, bays, river mouths and along beaches, pushing bait to the surface, and big fish also hold on nearshore reefs and wrecks. Watch for birds and surface blowups, then cast a popper, a spoon or a bucktail into the school and retrieve fast. Bring heavy spinning tackle, because a jack over 15 pounds runs hard and fights for a long time.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Tom Mann Creek49
Bay · 1.0 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 49
- King mackerel 46
- Summer flounder 44
14 kt NEL 3:21 AM · 0.4 ftH 8:27 AM · 0.4 ft
- Ned Bees Point46
Cape · 1.4 mi
Top: King mackerelPeak season- King mackerel 46
- Crevalle jack 43
- Gray snapper 43
14 kt NEL 3:21 AM · 0.4 ftH 8:27 AM · 0.4 ft
- Haulover Point35
Cape · 0.7 mi
Top: Black sea bassShoulder season- Black sea bass 35
- Crevalle jack 35
- Gray snapper 35
17 kt NEL 3:21 AM · 0.4 ftH 8:27 AM · 0.4 ft
- Poster Gut35
Gut · 3.3 mi
Top: Black sea bassShoulder season- Black sea bass 35
- Crevalle jack 35
- Gray snapper 35
17 kt NEL 3:21 AM · 0.4 ftH 8:27 AM · 0.4 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.