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Gag grouperShoulder seasonSpecies here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Atlantic croaker63
- Spot62
- Florida pompano61
- Atlantic tarpon55
- Gray snapper55
- King mackerel55
- Crevalle jack54
- Summer flounder54
- Red drum53
- Black drum51
- Red snapper51
- Spanish mackerel50
- Gray triggerfish49
- Black sea bass48
- Gag grouper47
- Red grouper47
- Little tunny44
- Greater amberjack43
- Sheepshead42
- Weakfish39
- Bluefish35
- Cobia35
- Southern flounder30
- Spotted seatrout30
Best score today · 9 AM · Gag grouper
- Now
- 4710 PM EDT
- Best window
- 10 PM-12 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing0.3 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Kingfish Shoal 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 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
74Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.3 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
80Wind: 13 kt NEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
Open-Meteo Marine
49Water temp: 82°F, warmLight: NightSolunar: Major periodSeas: 3.1 ftSeason & habitat · Gag grouper
Species seasonality
48Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In rangeRegulations: no rule on file
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
No rule for Gag grouper 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 Gag grouper is best here
Shoulder season for Gag grouper · 5 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Kingfish Shoal
- Depth
- 4-15 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Shoal · Outer · ExposedShoal · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonGag grouper
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 Kingfish Shoal
Kingfish Shoal is a bar in Pamlico Sound, North Carolina. Depth is 4-15 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads shoal, outer water and exposed.
Waterlands scores 24 species here; the best right now are Atlantic croaker, spot and Florida pompano. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, spot, Atlantic tarpon and gray snapper, and shoulder season for Florida pompano, black drum, red snapper and Spanish mackerel. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Spot peak from September through October. Florida pompano peak from March through April and from October through November.
Tackle & technique
- Gag grouper
- Gag hold on ledges, rock piles and wrecks, from 15 to 40 feet in the fall on Florida's Gulf coast out to 250 feet the rest of the year. Troll deep-diving plugs to find productive rocks, then anchor and drop or freeline live pinfish or pigfish on a strong circle hook. Keep the drag tight and turn the fish in the first few seconds or it will reach the rocks.
- 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.
- 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
- The Passage75
Channel · 2.0 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 75
- Spot 71
- Atlantic tarpon 70
13 kt NEL 3:33 AM · 0.2 ftH 8:41 AM · 0.3 ft
- Wainwright Slue72
Gut · 1.2 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 72
- Spot 68
- Atlantic tarpon 63
13 kt NEL 3:33 AM · 0.2 ftH 8:41 AM · 0.3 ft
- Hog Island Reef68
Bar · 1.6 mi
Top: King mackerelPeak season- King mackerel 68
- Atlantic croaker 67
- Gray snapper 67
13 kt NEL 3:33 AM · 0.2 ftH 8:41 AM · 0.3 ft
- Camp Point66
Cape · 1.7 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 66
- Atlantic tarpon 64
- King mackerel 60
13 kt NEL 3:33 AM · 0.2 ftH 8:41 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.