UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN
Black sea bassShoulder seasonSpecies here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- King mackerel70
- Gray snapper61
- Crevalle jack59
- Summer flounder59
- Red snapper58
- Black sea bass57
- Gag grouper57
- Gray triggerfish57
- Red grouper57
- Greater amberjack55
- Spanish mackerel53
- Florida pompano50
- Little tunny50
- Sheepshead48
- Bluefish35
- Atlantic croaker30
- Atlantic tarpon30
- Black drum30
- Cobia30
- Red drum30
- Southern flounder30
- Spot30
- Spotted seatrout30
- Weakfish30
Best score today · 10 AM · Black sea bass
- Now
- 5710 AM EDT
- Best window
- 10 AM-12 PMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing0.7 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Clark Reef 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 · rolling from now
Conditions · 10 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
98Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.8 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
51Wind: 15 kt NNEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
49Water temp: 79°F, warmLight: OvercastSolunar: Near a majorSeas: 4.5 ftSeason & habitat · Black sea bass
Species seasonality
76Season: ShoulderHabitat: Usable structureDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: no rule on file
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
No rule for Black sea bass 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 Black sea bass is best here
Shoulder season for Black sea bass · 1 more week at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Clark Reef
- Depth
- 2-6 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Reef · Inner · Semi-exposedReef · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonBlack sea bass
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 Clark Reef
Clark Reef is a bar in Pamlico Sound, North Carolina. Depth is 2-6 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads reef, inner water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 24 species here; the best right now are king mackerel, gray snapper and crevalle jack. It is peak season now for king mackerel, gray snapper, crevalle jack and summer flounder, and shoulder season for red snapper, black sea bass, gag grouper and gray triggerfish. King mackerel peak in May and from September through October. Gray snapper peak from June through September. Crevalle jack peak from July through October.
Tackle & technique
- Black sea bass
- Black sea bass hold tight to wrecks, reefs, rock piles and jetties, from 15 feet inshore in late spring to well over 100 feet on offshore wrecks in late fall. Anchor or drift right over the structure and fish a two-hook high-low rig with squid or clam, or bounce a small jig on the bottom. The biggest males sit on the highest relief.
- 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.
- Gray snapper
- Mangrove snapper hold tight to mangrove roots, bridge pilings, jetties and reef ledges, from a few feet deep inshore to 150 feet offshore. Chum to pull them out of cover, then freeline or lightly weight a live shrimp or pilchard on fluorocarbon leader, since they shy away from heavy line in clear water. The bite improves at dusk and after dark.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Little Swash Opening59
Bay · 1.6 mi
Top: King mackerelPeak season- King mackerel 59
- Black sea bass 46
- Gag grouper 46
15 kt NNEL 12:31 PM · 0.5 ftH 6:18 PM · 1.2 ft
- Quokes Point59
Cape · 1.9 mi
Top: King mackerelPeak season- King mackerel 59
- Black sea bass 46
- Gag grouper 46
15 kt NNEL 12:31 PM · 0.5 ftH 6:18 PM · 1.2 ft
- Terrapin Shoal30
Bar · 3.0 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 30
- Black drum 30
- Black sea bass 30
27 kt NNEL 11:46 AM · 0.5 ftH 6:06 PM · 2.3 ft
- Legged Lump30
Bar · 3.8 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 30
- Black drum 30
- Black sea bass 30
27 kt NNEL 11:46 AM · 0.5 ftH 6:06 PM · 2.3 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.