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CobiaShoulder seasonSpecies here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Florida pompano44
- King mackerel44
- Crevalle jack42
- Red snapper40
- Black sea bass37
- Gag grouper36
- Gray triggerfish36
- Red grouper35
- Bluefish34
- Greater amberjack31
- Atlantic croaker30
- Atlantic tarpon30
- Black drum30
- Gray snapper30
- Little tunny30
- Red drum30
- Sheepshead30
- Southern flounder30
- Spanish mackerel30
- Spot30
- Spotted seatrout30
- Summer flounder30
- Weakfish30
- Cobia29
Best score today · 2 AM · Cobia
- Now
- 293 AM EDT
- Best window
- 3-4 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding1.3 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Pelican 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 · 3 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
70Tide: FloodingCurrent: SlackWind & pressure
ECMWF
15Wind over the limit · capped at 30Wind: 24 kt NEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
35Seas over the limit · capped at 30Water temp: 79°F, primeLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 4.2 ftSeason & habitat · Cobia
Species seasonality
40Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In rangeRegulations: no rule on file
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
No rule for Cobia 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 Cobia is best here
Shoulder season for Cobia · 1 more week at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Pelican Shoal
- Depth
- 2-10 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Shoal · Outer · ExposedShoal · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonCobia
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 Pelican Shoal
Pelican Shoal is a bar in Pamlico Sound, North Carolina. Depth is 2-10 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads shoal, outer water and exposed.
Waterlands scores 24 species here; the best right now are Florida pompano, king mackerel and crevalle jack. It is peak season now for king mackerel, crevalle jack, Atlantic croaker and Atlantic tarpon, and shoulder season for Florida pompano, red snapper, black sea bass and gag grouper. Florida pompano peak from March through April and from October through November. King mackerel peak in May and from September through October. Crevalle jack peak from July through October.
Tackle & technique
- Cobia
- Cobia cruise inlets, beaches, buoys, wrecks and the backs of rays in 5 to 100 feet of water. On calm, sunny days sight-cast bucktails or live eels to fish near the surface. Otherwise anchor up-current of structure, chum, and fish live eels, crabs or menhaden near the bottom.
- Florida pompano
- Pompano feed on sand fleas and coquina clams in the trough between the beach and the first sandbar, and around the sandy edges of passes, inlets and bridges. Surf anglers fish a two-hook pompano rig with sand fleas, clams or shrimp, while boat and bridge anglers bounce small jigs along the bottom. The runs follow water temperature, heading north in spring and south in fall as the water cools.
- 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.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Austin Reef52
Bar · 1.7 mi
Top: King mackerelPeak season- King mackerel 52
- Red snapper 47
- Black sea bass 44
24 kt NEH 5:41 AM · 1.9 ftL 11:46 AM · 0.5 ft
- Oliver Reef51
Bar · 3.3 mi
Top: King mackerelPeak season- King mackerel 51
- Red snapper 47
- Black sea bass 43
24 kt NEH 5:41 AM · 1.9 ftL 11:46 AM · 0.5 ft
- Hatteras Inlet50
Channel · 0.5 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 50
- King mackerel 50
- Florida pompano 43
24 kt NEH 5:41 AM · 1.9 ftL 11:46 AM · 0.5 ft
- Tar Hole Inlet50
Bay · 2.6 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 50
- King mackerel 49
- Florida pompano 43
24 kt NEH 5:41 AM · 1.9 ftL 11:46 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.