Waterlands

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King mackerelPeak season

Cape · North Carolina

Wreck Point

34.62°N · 76.54°W · Cape · Neuse and Bay Rivers

LOADING MAP

Best score today · 3 AM · Atlantic croaker

70/100Great
Now
6210 AM EDT
Best window
10 AM-8 PMFlood tide
Tide now
Low1.3 ft

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

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24-hour conditions

Monday, Sep 28 · 7 AM

Time7A
Score75Great
Tide4.5 ft ▲Flooding
CurrentFlood1.4 kn · toward ESE
Wind11 kn WNWgusts 16 · steady
Sea stateLight chop1.2 ft · 6 s
Air temp70°Warm
WeatherClear0% cloud
Water77°FModel

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

IN EFFECT NOW

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

Peak season for King mackerel · 5 more weeks at peak

King mackerel season by week of the year. Peak season for King mackerel · 5 more weeks at peak.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

King mackerel in North Carolina

Spot profile

Wreck Point

Depth
5-15 ftSlope
Structure
Point · Inner · Semi-exposedPoint · slope
Season
Peak 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 Wreck Point

Wreck Point is a cape in Neuse and Bay Rivers, North Carolina. Depth is 5-15 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads point, inner water and semi-exposed.

Waterlands scores 24 species here; the best right now are king mackerel, crevalle jack and Atlantic croaker. It is peak season now for king mackerel, crevalle jack, Atlantic croaker and Atlantic tarpon, and shoulder season for Florida pompano, little tunny, gray triggerfish and Spanish mackerel. King mackerel peak in May and from September through October. Crevalle jack peak from July through October. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October.

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.
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.
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.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Barden Inlet

    Channel · 1.6 mi

    69
    Top: Crevalle jackPeak season
    • Crevalle jack 69
    • King mackerel 67
    • Atlantic croaker 66

    12 kt ENEL 10:21 AM · 1.3 ftH 4:42 PM · 4.1 ft

  • Lookout Bight

    Bay · 0.3 mi

    65
    Top: Crevalle jackPeak season
    • Crevalle jack 65
    • King mackerel 62
    • Atlantic croaker 61

    12 kt NEL 10:21 AM · 1.3 ftH 4:42 PM · 4.1 ft

  • Blinds Hammock Bay

    Bay · 2.0 mi

    65
    Top: Crevalle jackPeak season
    • Crevalle jack 65
    • Atlantic croaker 62
    • King mackerel 62

    12 kt ENEL 10:21 AM · 1.3 ftH 4:42 PM · 4.1 ft

  • Catfish Point

    Bar · 0.2 mi

    61
    Top: Florida pompanoShoulder season
    • Florida pompano 61
    • King mackerel 61
    • Crevalle jack 59

    12 kt NEL 10:21 AM · 1.3 ftH 4:42 PM · 4.1 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.