Waterlands

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Spotted seatroutShoulder season

Cape · New Jersey

Drum Point

40.02°N · 74.10°W · Cape · Coastal waters from Manasquan Inlet to Little Egg Inlet NJ out 20 NM

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Best score today · 1 AM · Spotted seatrout

57/100Good
Now
3011 AM EDT
Best window
7-9 PMFlood tide
Tide now
Ebbing0.3 ft ▼

Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 11 AM · now

Time11ANOW
Score30Fair
Tide0.3 ft ▼Ebbing
CurrentEbb0.5 kn · toward N
Wind21 kn ENEgusts 34 · steady
Sea stateRough5.9 ft · 8 s
Air temp64°Mild
WeatherOvercast51% chance of rain
Water68°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

IN EFFECT NOW

No rule for Spotted seatrout is on file here yet, so its status is unknown, not closed. Confirm limits with NJFW before you keep a fish.

Source: NJFW · synced yesterday

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Spotted seatrout is best here

Shoulder season for Spotted seatrout · 1 more week at shoulder

Spotted seatrout season by week of the year. Shoulder season for Spotted seatrout · 1 more week at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • Not here
  • This week

Spotted seatrout in New Jersey

Spot profile

Drum Point

Depth
1-6 ftFlat bottom
Structure
Point · Outer · Semi-exposedPoint · flat bottom
Season
Shoulder seasonSpotted seatrout

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 Drum Point

Drum Point is a cape in Coastal waters from Manasquan Inlet to Little Egg Inlet NJ out 20 NM, New Jersey. Depth is 1-6 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads point, outer water and semi-exposed.

Waterlands scores 20 species here; the best right now are Atlantic bluefin tuna, bluefish and striped bass. It is peak season now for yellowfin tuna, little tunny, red drum and scup, and shoulder season for Atlantic bluefin tuna, bluefish, striped bass and black sea bass. Atlantic bluefin tuna peak from June through July and in December. Bluefish peak in May and from October through November. Striped bass peak from April through May and from October through December.

Tackle & technique

Spotted seatrout
Trout hold over grass beds and sandy potholes in 2 to 8 feet of water most of the year and slide into channels, deep creek bends and canals during cold snaps. A live shrimp under a slip or popping cork, a paddle tail on a light jighead, or a topwater walked at first light covers most situations. Keep the drag light because their mouths tear easily.
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.
Bluefish
Bluefish travel in size-sorted schools and feed where tide pushes bait past structure: inlet mouths, rips, shoal edges and the surf line, mostly in water shallower than 60 feet. Look for birds and breaking bait and cast metal or poppers into it, or soak cut bunker or mullet on the bottom from the beach. Use a short wire or heavy leader because their teeth cut light line.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Silver Bay

    Bay · 2.0 mi

    44
    Top: BluefishShoulder season
    • Bluefish 44
    • Striped bass 43
    • Yellowfin tuna 41

    15 kt ENEL 4:48 PM · 0.1 ftH 10:45 PM · 0.4 ft

  • Andrew Point

    Cape · 1.1 mi

    35
    Top: Atlantic bluefin tunaShoulder season
    • Atlantic bluefin tuna 35
    • Black sea bass 35
    • Bluefish 35

    21 kt ENEL 4:50 PM · 0.1 ftH 10:42 PM · 0.4 ft

  • Havens Cove

    Bay · 1.2 mi

    35
    Top: Atlantic bluefin tunaShoulder season
    • Atlantic bluefin tuna 35
    • Bluefish 35
    • Striped bass 35

    21 kt ENEL 4:48 PM · 0.1 ftH 10:47 PM · 0.4 ft

  • Long Island Cove

    Bay · 2.0 mi

    35
    Top: Atlantic bluefin tunaShoulder season
    • Atlantic bluefin tuna 35
    • Black sea bass 35
    • Bluefish 35

    21 kt ENEL 4:45 PM · 0.1 ftH 10:36 PM · 0.4 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.