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Atlantic croakerPeak seasonSpecies here · tap to switch
- Best of all74
- Atlantic croaker74
- Crevalle jack71
- Spot71
- Atlantic tarpon69
- Gray snapper68
- Summer flounder68
- King mackerel66
- Red drum64
- Black sea bass62
- Black drum61
- Florida pompano59
- Spotted seatrout59
- Gray triggerfish57
- Red snapper57
- Sheepshead57
- Southern flounder57
- Weakfish57
- Gag grouper56
- Red grouper55
- Spanish mackerel55
- Greater amberjack51
- Little tunny49
- Cobia48
- Bluefish35
Best score today · 8 AM · Atlantic croaker
- Now
- 743 PM EDT
- Best window
- 3 PM-12 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding0.7 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when The Straits 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
Saturday, Oct 3 · 7 PM
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
100Tide: EbbingCurrent: 1.4 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
72Wind: 10 kt ENEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
100Water temp: 77°F, primeLight: DuskSolunar: Major periodSeason & habitat · Spotted seatrout
Species seasonality
95Season: PeakHabitat: Usable structureDepth: In range
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
No rule for Atlantic croaker is on file here yet, so its status is unknown, not closed. Confirm limits with NCDMF before you keep a fish.
Source: NCDMF · synced today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Atlantic croaker is best here
Peak season for Atlantic croaker · 5 more weeks at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
The Straits
- Depth
- 1-3 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Channel · Inner · Semi-exposedChannel · flat bottom
- Season
- Peak seasonAtlantic croaker
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 Straits
The Straits is a channel in Neuse and Bay Rivers, North Carolina. Depth is 1-3 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads channel, inner water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 24 species here; the best right now are Atlantic croaker, crevalle jack and spot. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, crevalle jack, spot and Atlantic tarpon, and shoulder season for black sea bass, black drum, Florida pompano and gray triggerfish. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Crevalle jack peak from July through October. Spot peak from September through October.
Tackle & technique
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- Westmouth Bay71
Bay · 0.8 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 71
- Crevalle jack 71
- Spot 70
13 kt ENEH 7:25 PM · 1.8 ftL 2:12 AM · 0.5 ft
- Gaskill Point68
Cape · 0.6 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 68
- Crevalle jack 66
- King mackerel 66
13 kt ENEH 7:25 PM · 1.8 ftL 2:12 AM · 0.5 ft
- Crab Point68
Cape · 0.7 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 68
- Crevalle jack 66
- King mackerel 66
13 kt ENEH 7:25 PM · 1.8 ftL 2:12 AM · 0.5 ft
- Wading Point67
Cape · 0.5 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 67
- Crevalle jack 66
- King mackerel 66
13 kt ENEH 7:25 PM · 1.8 ftL 2:12 AM · 0.5 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.