UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN
CobiaShoulder seasonSpecies here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Crevalle jack70
- Atlantic croaker68
- King mackerel67
- Spot65
- Atlantic tarpon64
- Summer flounder63
- Gray snapper62
- Red drum62
- Florida pompano61
- Spanish mackerel58
- Black sea bass57
- Southern flounder57
- Spotted seatrout56
- Black drum55
- Little tunny53
- Cobia52
- Gag grouper52
- Gray triggerfish52
- Red snapper52
- Sheepshead52
- Red grouper51
- Weakfish51
- Greater amberjack48
- Bluefish35
Best score today · 5 AM · Cobia
- Now
- 522 PM EDT
- Best window
- 2-4 PMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding1.3 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Whalebone Inlet 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 · 2 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
71Tide: FloodingCurrent: SlackWind & pressure
ECMWF
58Wind: 14 kt ENEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
63Water temp: 80°F, warmLight: OvercastSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 2.5 ftSeason & habitat · Cobia
Species seasonality
66Season: ShoulderHabitat: Prime structureDepth: Out of 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 today
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
Whalebone Inlet
- Depth
- 1-2 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Inlet · Inner · ProtectedInlet · 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 Whalebone Inlet
Whalebone Inlet is a gut in Pamlico Sound, North Carolina. Depth is 1-2 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads inlet, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 24 species here; the best right now are crevalle jack, Atlantic croaker and king mackerel. It is peak season now for crevalle jack, Atlantic croaker, king mackerel and spot, and shoulder season for Florida pompano, Spanish mackerel, black sea bass and black drum. Crevalle jack peak from July through October. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. King mackerel peak in May and from September 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.
- Crevalle jack
- Jacks roam in schools through inlets, passes, bays, river mouths and along beaches, pushing bait to the surface, and big fish also hold on nearshore reefs and wrecks. Watch for birds and surface blowups, then cast a popper, a spoon or a bucktail into the school and retrieve fast. Bring heavy spinning tackle, because a jack over 15 pounds runs hard and fights for a long time.
- 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.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- High Hills Inlet70
Channel · 0.2 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 70
- Atlantic croaker 68
- King mackerel 67
14 kt ENEH 5:26 PM · 2.1 ftL 11:52 PM · 0.6 ft
- Royal Point Bay68
Bay · 3.0 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 68
- Atlantic croaker 67
- Spot 66
14 kt ENEH 5:26 PM · 2.1 ftL 11:52 PM · 0.6 ft
- Daniel Swash66
Bay · 1.3 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 66
- Atlantic croaker 65
- Spot 65
14 kt ENEH 5:26 PM · 2.1 ftL 11:52 PM · 0.6 ft
- Merkle Hammock64
Bar · 2.3 mi
Top: King mackerelPeak season- King mackerel 64
- Crevalle jack 63
- Florida pompano 63
13 kt ENEH 5:26 PM · 2.1 ftL 11:52 PM · 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.