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Black sea bassShoulder seasonSpecies here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Atlantic croaker67
- Spot67
- Atlantic tarpon64
- King mackerel64
- Crevalle jack63
- Gray snapper63
- Red drum63
- Summer flounder58
- Spotted seatrout57
- Black drum55
- Southern flounder55
- Red snapper53
- Spanish mackerel52
- Black sea bass51
- Weakfish51
- Gray triggerfish50
- Sheepshead50
- Gag grouper49
- Little tunny49
- Red grouper49
- Florida pompano48
- Cobia47
- Greater amberjack46
- Bluefish35
Best score today · 12 AM · Black sea bass
- Now
- 5112 AM EDT
- Best window
- 3-11 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing0.9 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Back Sound 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 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
85Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.4 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
79Wind: 13 kt NEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
46Water temp: 80°F, warmLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 2.1 ftSeason & habitat · Black sea bass
Species seasonality
54Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: no rule on file
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
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
Shoulder season for Black sea bass · 1 more week at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Back Sound
- Depth
- 2-8 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Bay · Inner · Semi-exposedBay · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder 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 Back Sound
Back Sound is a bay in Neuse and Bay Rivers, North Carolina. Depth is 2-8 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads bay, inner water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 24 species here; the best right now are Atlantic croaker, spot and Atlantic tarpon. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, spot, Atlantic tarpon and king mackerel, and shoulder season for black drum, red snapper, Spanish mackerel and black sea bass. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Spot peak from September through October. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September.
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.
- 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
- White Point70
Cape · 1.5 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 70
- Atlantic tarpon 68
- Spotted seatrout 63
13 kt NEL 2:15 AM · 0.6 ftH 7:25 AM · 1.6 ft
- Bald Hill Bay67
Bay · 1.3 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 67
- Spot 67
- Atlantic tarpon 64
13 kt NEL 2:15 AM · 0.6 ftH 7:25 AM · 1.6 ft
- Cabs Creek67
Gut · 1.3 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 67
- Red drum 65
- Atlantic tarpon 65
13 kt NEL 1:08 AM · 0.6 ftH 6:58 AM · 1.9 ft
- Bottle Run Point63
Cape · 0.8 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 63
- Spot 63
- Crevalle jack 60
13 kt NEL 2:12 AM · 0.5 ftH 7:41 AM · 1.5 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 NCDMF before you keep a fish.