UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN
King mackerelShoulder seasonSpecies here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Little tunny69
- Spotted seatrout69
- Red drum67
- Weakfish65
- Black sea bass62
- Southern flounder62
- Atlantic croaker60
- Bluefish60
- Spot60
- Florida pompano59
- Gag grouper59
- Striped bass59
- Black drum57
- Summer flounder56
- Sheepshead54
- Red snapper52
- King mackerel49
- Greater amberjack43
- Crevalle jack42
- Atlantic tarpon35
- Gray snapper35
- Gray triggerfish35
- Red grouper35
- Spanish mackerel35
- Cobia34
Best score today · 6 AM · King mackerel
- Now
- 493 PM EST
- Best window
- 4-8 PMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding0.3 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Cradle Point 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
Sunday, Nov 15 · 5 PM
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
100Tide: FloodingWind & pressure
ECMWF
88Wind: 2 kt SPressure: FallingWater temp & sky
Open-Meteo Marine
56Water temp: 66°F, coldLight: DuskSolunar: Major periodSeason & habitat · King mackerel
Species seasonality
46Season: 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 · 4 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Cradle Point
- Depth
- 1-4 ftNearest water
- Structure
- Point · Inner · ProtectedPoint · 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 Cradle Point
Cradle Point is a cape in Pamlico and Pungo Rivers, North Carolina. Depth in the nearest water is 1-4 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads point, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 25 species here; the best right now are little tunny, spotted seatrout and red drum. It is peak season now for little tunny, spotted seatrout, red drum and weakfish, and shoulder season for Atlantic croaker, spot, striped bass and black drum. Little tunny peak from October through November. Spotted seatrout peak from September through November. 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.
- Little tunny
- Little tunny travel fast in schools that pin bait against inlets, points, jetties and tide rips, usually within a few miles of shore and often in less than 60 feet. Stay off the school's path, wait for it to surface within range, and cast small metal or epoxy jigs with a fast retrieve. When fish stay down, troll small feathers along bait edges and color changes to find them.
- Spotted seatrout
- Trout hold over grass beds and sandy potholes in 2 to 8 feet of water most of the year and slide into channels, deep creek bends and canals during cold snaps. A live shrimp under a slip or popping cork, a paddle tail on a light jighead, or a topwater walked at first light covers most situations. Keep the drag light because their mouths tear easily.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Ashon Gut77
Gut · 0.8 mi
Top: Spotted seatroutPeak season- Spotted seatrout 77
- Red drum 76
- Weakfish 73
5 kt ESEH 9:28 PM · 0.7 ftL 3:37 AM · 0.3 ft
- Cousin Point77
Cape · 1.1 mi
Top: Spotted seatroutPeak season- Spotted seatrout 77
- Red drum 76
- Southern flounder 70
5 kt ESEH 9:28 PM · 0.7 ftL 3:37 AM · 0.3 ft
- Farrow Point69
Cape · 0.5 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 69
- Spotted seatrout 69
- Red drum 67
5 kt ESEH 9:28 PM · 0.7 ftL 3:37 AM · 0.3 ft
- Chambers Point69
Cape · 1.1 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 69
- Spotted seatrout 69
- Red drum 67
5 kt ESEH 9:28 PM · 0.7 ftL 3:37 AM · 0.3 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.