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King mackerelShoulder seasonBay · New Jersey
Kingfisher Cove
40.05°N · 74.10°W · Bay · Coastal waters from Manasquan Inlet to Little Egg Inlet NJ out 20 NM
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 12 AM · King mackerel
- Now
- 3511 AM EDT
- Best window
- 7-8 PMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing0.2 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Kingfisher 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 · 11 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
90Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.5 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
19Gusts over the limit · capped at 35Wind: 21 kt ENEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
37Water temp: 69°F, coolLight: OvercastSolunar: Major periodSeas: 5.9 ftSeason & habitat · King mackerel
Species seasonality
54Season: ShoulderHabitat: Usable structureDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: no rule on file
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
No rule for King mackerel 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 King mackerel is best here
Shoulder season for King mackerel · 1 more week at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- Not here
- This week
Spot profile
Kingfisher Cove
- Depth
- 4-9 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Bay · Inner · ProtectedBay · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonKing mackerel
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 Kingfisher Cove
Kingfisher Cove is a bay in Coastal waters from Manasquan Inlet to Little Egg Inlet NJ out 20 NM, New Jersey. Depth is 4-9 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, black sea bass and bluefish. It is peak season now for yellowfin tuna, little tunny, red drum and scup, and shoulder season for Atlantic bluefin tuna, black sea bass, bluefish and king mackerel. Atlantic bluefin tuna peak from June through July and in December. Black sea bass peak from May through June and from October through November. Bluefish peak in May and from October through November.
Tackle & technique
- 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.
- 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.
- Black sea bass
- Black sea bass hold tight to wrecks, reefs, rock piles and jetties, from 15 feet inshore in late spring to well over 100 feet on offshore wrecks in late fall. Anchor or drift right over the structure and fish a two-hook high-low rig with squid or clam, or bounce a small jig on the bottom. The biggest males sit on the highest relief.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Havens Cove35
Bay · 2.1 mi
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
- Sloop Point35
Cape · 2.2 mi
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
- Jones Tide Pond35
Bay · 2.3 mi
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
- Drum Point35
Cape · 2.3 mi
Top: Atlantic bluefin tunaShoulder season- Atlantic bluefin tuna 35
- Bluefish 35
- Striped bass 35
21 kt ENEL 4:50 PM · 0.1 ftH 10:42 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.