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King mackerelShoulder seasonSpecies here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Atlantic croaker72
- Spot69
- Black sea bass66
- Red drum66
- Florida pompano65
- Spotted seatrout64
- Weakfish63
- Little tunny59
- Black drum58
- Gag grouper57
- Southern flounder57
- Bluefish56
- Striped bass56
- Summer flounder56
- Sheepshead54
- Red snapper50
- King mackerel44
- Crevalle jack42
- Greater amberjack41
- Atlantic tarpon35
- Gray snapper35
- Gray triggerfish35
- Red grouper35
- Spanish mackerel35
- Cobia23
Best score today · 4 PM · King mackerel
- Now
- 446 PM EST
- Best window
- 6 PM-12 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing0.7 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Old Channel 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
Tuesday, Nov 10 · 3 PM
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
74Tide: EbbingCurrent: WeakWind & pressure
ECMWF
100Wind: 9 kt WSWPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
Open-Meteo Marine
57Water temp: 68°F, coldLight: Late afternoonSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 1.4 ftSeason & habitat · King mackerel
Species seasonality
51Season: 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 today
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
Old Channel
- Depth
- 2-3 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Channel · Inner · Semi-exposedChannel · 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 Old Channel
Old Channel is a channel in Pamlico Sound, North Carolina. Depth is 2-3 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads channel, inner water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 25 species here; the best right now are Atlantic croaker, spot and black sea bass. It is peak season now for black sea bass, red drum, Florida pompano and spotted seatrout, and shoulder season for Atlantic croaker, spot, black drum and striped bass. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Spot peak from September through October. Black sea bass peak from March through April and 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.
- 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
- Cedar Inlet72
Channel · 0.5 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerShoulder season- Atlantic croaker 72
- Florida pompano 71
- Spot 69
11 kt EL 12:28 AM · 0.2 ftH 5:56 AM · 0.6 ft
- Gutter Creek72
Gut · 0.7 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerShoulder season- Atlantic croaker 72
- Spot 69
- Black sea bass 66
11 kt EL 12:28 AM · 0.2 ftH 5:56 AM · 0.6 ft
- Yaupon Hammock Gut71
Bay · 0.6 mi
Top: Black sea bassPeak season- Black sea bass 71
- Little tunny 71
- Bluefish 69
11 kt EL 11:19 PM · 0.4 ftH 4:47 AM · 1.2 ft
- Old Channel Point67
Cape · 0.5 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 67
- Florida pompano 65
- Atlantic croaker 63
11 kt EL 12:28 AM · 0.2 ftH 5:56 AM · 0.6 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.