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King mackerelShoulder seasonSpecies here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Atlantic croaker72
- Spot69
- Red drum67
- Weakfish67
- Spotted seatrout63
- Black sea bass62
- Black drum59
- Florida pompano59
- Southern flounder59
- Summer flounder56
- Bluefish53
- Gag grouper53
- Little tunny52
- Sheepshead52
- Striped bass52
- Red snapper49
- King mackerel41
- Crevalle jack37
- Greater amberjack37
- Atlantic tarpon35
- Gray snapper35
- Gray triggerfish35
- Red grouper35
- Spanish mackerel30
- Cobia24
Best score today · 7 AM · King mackerel
- Now
- 413 AM EST
- Best window
- 6-9 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Flooding2.0 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Cabs Creek 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
Friday, Nov 6 · 3 PM
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
100Tide: FloodingCurrent: 1.0 kn floodWind & pressure
ECMWF
96Wind: 7 kt SSWPressure: FallingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
51Water temp: 68°F, coldLight: Late afternoonSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 2.9 ftSeason & habitat · King mackerel
Species seasonality
54Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: Out of range
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
No rule for King mackerel 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 King mackerel is best here
Shoulder season for King mackerel · 3 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Cabs Creek
- Depth
- 1-3 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Estuary · Inner · Semi-exposedEstuary · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonKing mackerel
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 Cabs Creek
Cabs Creek is a gut in Neuse and Bay Rivers, North Carolina. Depth is 1-3 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads estuary, inner water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 25 species here; the best right now are Atlantic croaker, spot and red drum. It is peak season now for red drum, weakfish, spotted seatrout and black sea bass, and shoulder season for Atlantic croaker, spot, black drum and summer flounder. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Spot peak from September through October. Red drum peak from August through November.
Tackle & technique
- King mackerel
- Kings roam from beaches and pier ends out to reefs, wrecks and ledges in 40 to 200 feet, usually feeding in the upper half of the water column. Slow-troll live menhaden, blue runners or cigar minnows on a light wire stinger rig, or pull spoons and ribbonfish past bait schools. Look for clean green water above 68 F with bait and birds on it.
- 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
- Shackleford Slue72
Channel · 1.2 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerShoulder season- Atlantic croaker 72
- Spot 69
- Weakfish 67
8 kt ENEH 3:28 AM · 2.0 ftL 9:34 AM · 0.4 ft
- Bottle Run Point69
Cape · 0.7 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 69
- Bluefish 67
- Black sea bass 65
8 kt ENEH 4:11 AM · 1.6 ftL 10:38 AM · 0.3 ft
- Bald Hill Bay69
Bay · 0.7 mi
Top: WeakfishPeak season- Weakfish 69
- Atlantic croaker 68
- Spot 68
8 kt ENEH 3:55 AM · 1.6 ftL 10:41 AM · 0.4 ft
- Back Sound69
Bay · 1.3 mi
Top: WeakfishPeak season- Weakfish 69
- Atlantic croaker 68
- Spot 68
8 kt ENEH 3:55 AM · 1.6 ftL 10:41 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.