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Atlantic croakerPeak seasonSpecies here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- King mackerel52
- Gray snapper48
- Florida pompano43
- Summer flounder43
- Red drum41
- Crevalle jack40
- Greater amberjack38
- Red snapper36
- Spanish mackerel35
- Bluefish34
- Atlantic croaker33
- Black sea bass33
- Gray triggerfish33
- Spot33
- Gag grouper32
- Red grouper32
- Little tunny31
- Atlantic tarpon30
- Southern flounder30
- Spotted seatrout30
- Cobia29
- Weakfish29
- Black drum28
- Sheepshead24
Best score today · 2 AM · Atlantic croaker
- Now
- 3312 AM EDT
- Best window
- 1-4 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Low0.6 ft
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Oyster Rocks 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
Monday, Oct 5 · 8 AM
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
79Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.9 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
83Wind: 11 kt NNWPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
97Water temp: 75°F, primeLight: DawnSolunar: Major periodSeason & habitat · Atlantic croaker
Species seasonality
75Season: PeakHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In range
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
No rule for Atlantic croaker 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 Atlantic croaker is best here
Peak season for Atlantic croaker · 5 more weeks at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Oyster Rocks
- Depth
- 4-15 ftSlope
- Structure
- Ledge · Inner · Semi-exposedLedge · slope
- Season
- Peak seasonAtlantic croaker
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 Oyster Rocks
Oyster Rocks is a bar in Pamlico Sound, North Carolina. Depth is 4-15 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads ledge, inner water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 24 species here; the best right now are king mackerel, gray snapper and Florida pompano. It is peak season now for king mackerel, gray snapper, summer flounder and red drum, and shoulder season for Florida pompano, greater amberjack, red snapper and Spanish mackerel. King mackerel peak in May and from September through October. Gray snapper peak from June through September. Florida pompano peak from March through April and from October through November.
Tackle & technique
- 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.
- 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
- Horse Island Channel46
Channel · 1.0 mi
Top: Gray snapperPeak season- Gray snapper 46
- Red drum 46
- Crevalle jack 45
20 kt NEH 5:42 AM · 1.8 ftL 11:44 AM · 0.5 ft
- Wallace Channel45
Channel · 0.6 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 45
- Gray snapper 45
- Red drum 45
20 kt NEH 5:42 AM · 1.8 ftL 11:44 AM · 0.5 ft
- Blair Channel45
Bay · 0.9 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 45
- Gray snapper 45
- Red drum 45
20 kt NEH 5:42 AM · 1.8 ftL 11:44 AM · 0.5 ft
- Haulover Point43
Cape · 1.2 mi
Top: King mackerelPeak season- King mackerel 43
- Gray snapper 41
- Red drum 41
20 kt NEH 5:42 AM · 1.8 ftL 11:44 AM · 0.5 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.