Waterlands

UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN

King mackerelShoulder season

Cape · North Carolina

Robinson Point

35.42°N · 76.96°W · Cape · Pamlico and Pungo Rivers

LOADING MAP

Best score today · 6 AM · King mackerel

65/100Great
Now
419 PM EST
Best window
9 PM-12 AMNight bite

Data from: ECMWF · Waterlands engine

Notify me when Robinson Point scores 75+

Checked every morning against the 14-day forecast. Free by push and email.

Sign in to set an alert

24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 9 PM · now

Time9PNOW
Score41Fair
Wind5 kn ENEgusts 9 · steady
Air temp58°Mild
WeatherClear0% cloud

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.

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When King mackerel is best here

Shoulder season for King mackerel · 3 more weeks at shoulder

King mackerel season by week of the year. Shoulder season for King mackerel · 3 more weeks at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

King mackerel in North Carolina →

Spot profile

Robinson 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 Robinson Point

Robinson 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 spotted seatrout, red drum and little tunny. It is peak season now for spotted seatrout, red drum, little tunny and bluefish, and shoulder season for striped bass, Atlantic croaker, spot and summer flounder. Spotted seatrout peak from September through November. Red drum peak from August through November. Little tunny peak from October 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.
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.
Red drum
Redfish feed on shallow grass flats, oyster bars and marsh edges, often in 1 to 4 feet of water, and drop into channels, deep holes and tidal creeks when the water turns very hot or cold. Work a live shrimp under a popping cork or a soft plastic along the grass line on a rising tide, then fish creek mouths and drains as the tide falls. Bull reds over 30 inches school in the surf, passes and jetties in late summer and fall, where cut mullet or a live crab on the bottom is the standard approach.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Buckhorn Cove

    Bay · 0.9 mi

    62
    Top: Spotted seatroutPeak season
    • Spotted seatrout 62
    • Red drum 61
    • Weakfish 59

    5 kt ENE

  • Blounts Bay

    Bay · 2.3 mi

    62
    Top: Spotted seatroutPeak season
    • Spotted seatrout 62
    • Red drum 61
    • Weakfish 59

    5 kt ENE

  • Red Bug Point

    Cape · 1.1 mi

    58
    Top: Spotted seatroutPeak season
    • Spotted seatrout 58
    • Red drum 56
    • Little tunny 55

    5 kt ENE

  • Maules Point

    Cape · 3.1 mi

    58
    Top: Spotted seatroutPeak season
    • Spotted seatrout 58
    • Red drum 56
    • Little tunny 55

    5 kt ENE

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.