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Mahi-mahiShoulder seasonBay · New Jersey
Collins Cove
39.55°N · 74.47°W · Bay · Coastal waters from Manasquan Inlet to Little Egg Inlet NJ out 20 NM
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 7 AM · Mahi-mahi
- Now
- 352 PM EDT
- Best window
- 9 PM-12 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Low0.8 ft
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Collins Cove 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 + Open-Meteo Marine
37Tide: Low slackCurrent: 0.4 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
31Gusts over the limit · capped at 35Wind: 17 kt ENEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
23Water temp: 66°F, coldLight: OvercastSolunar: Between periodsSeason & habitat · Mahi-mahi
Species seasonality
83Season: ShoulderHabitat: Usable structureDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: no rule on file
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
No rule for Mahi-mahi is on file here yet, so its status is unknown, not closed. Confirm limits with NJFW before you keep a fish.
Source: NJFW · synced today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Mahi-mahi is best here
Shoulder season for Mahi-mahi · 2 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- Not here
- This week
Spot profile
Collins Cove
- Depth
- 1-3 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Bay · Inner · ProtectedBay · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonMahi-mahi
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 Collins Cove
Collins Cove is a bay in Coastal waters from Manasquan Inlet to Little Egg Inlet NJ out 20 NM, New Jersey. Depth is 1-3 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads bay, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 20 species here; the best right now are Atlantic bluefin tuna, Atlantic croaker and black sea bass. It is peak season now for little tunny, red drum, scup and sheepshead, and shoulder season for Atlantic bluefin tuna, Atlantic croaker, black sea bass and bluefish. Atlantic bluefin tuna peak from June through July and in December. Atlantic croaker peak from June through August. Black sea bass peak from May through June and from October through November.
Tackle & technique
- Mahi-mahi
- Mahi feed near the surface along weedlines, floating debris, buoys and current edges offshore, in water from the low 70s to the low 80s. Troll ballyhoo or small skirted lures along the weed, and when a school comes up behind the boat keep one hooked fish in the water while you pitch cut bait or jigs to the rest. Look for birds working over weed and flotsam.
- Atlantic bluefin tuna
- Bluefin tuna follow schools of herring, mackerel, sand eels and menhaden over banks, ledges and shoals, mostly in the top 150 feet. Troll spreader bars and daisy chains to find fish, then switch to live bait, chunks or stick baits once a school is located. Heavy tackle and a NOAA HMS permit are required, and size-class limits change through the season.
- 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
- Collins Point35
Cape · 0.8 mi
Top: Atlantic bluefin tunaShoulder season- Atlantic bluefin tuna 35
- Atlantic croaker 35
- Bluefish 35
17 kt ENEH 7:46 PM · 3.2 ftL 2:41 AM · 0.4 ft
- Swimming Over Point34
Cape · 3.0 mi
Top: Yellowfin tunaPeak season- Yellowfin tuna 34
- Atlantic bluefin tuna 33
- Atlantic croaker 30
17 kt ENEH 7:03 PM · 3.5 ftL 1:54 AM · 0.3 ft
- Akimbo Point33
Cape · 2.2 mi
Top: Atlantic bluefin tunaShoulder season- Atlantic bluefin tuna 33
- Yellowfin tuna 33
- Atlantic croaker 30
17 kt ENEH 7:46 PM · 3.2 ftL 2:41 AM · 0.4 ft
- Goose Cove33
Bay · 3.2 mi
Top: Atlantic bluefin tunaShoulder season- Atlantic bluefin tuna 33
- Yellowfin tuna 33
- Atlantic croaker 30
17 kt ENEH 7:03 PM · 3.5 ftL 1:54 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 NJFW before you keep a fish.