Waterlands

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Atlantic bluefin tunaShoulder season

Cape · New Jersey

Meadow Point

40.09°N · 74.08°W · Cape · Coastal waters from Manasquan Inlet to Little Egg Inlet NJ out 20 NM

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Best score today · 3 AM · Atlantic bluefin tuna

66/100Great
Now
3512 PM EDT
Best window
11 PM-12 AMEbb tide
Tide now
Ebbing0.8 ft ▼

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

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 12 PM · now

Time12PNOW
Score35Fair
Tide0.8 ft ▼Ebbing
CurrentEbb1.0 kn · toward N
Wind21 kn ENEgusts 35 · steady
Air temp64°Mild
WeatherOvercast100% cloud
Water68°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

IN EFFECT NOW

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

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Atlantic bluefin tuna is best here

Shoulder season for Atlantic bluefin tuna · 9 more weeks at shoulder

Atlantic bluefin tuna season by week of the year. Shoulder season for Atlantic bluefin tuna · 9 more weeks at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • Not here
  • This week

Atlantic bluefin tuna in New Jersey

Spot profile

Meadow Point

Depth
3-6 ftFlat bottom
Structure
Point · Inner · ProtectedPoint · flat bottom
Season
Shoulder seasonAtlantic bluefin tuna

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 Meadow Point

Meadow Point is a cape in Coastal waters from Manasquan Inlet to Little Egg Inlet NJ out 20 NM, New Jersey. Depth is 3-6 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads point, 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

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.
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

  • Ellis Point

    Cape · 1.2 mi

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

    21 kt ENEH 6:13 PM · 4.2 ftL 12:20 AM · 0.4 ft

  • Long Point

    Cape · 1.5 mi

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

    21 kt ENEH 6:13 PM · 4.2 ftL 12:20 AM · 0.4 ft

  • Sand Bar Point

    Cape · 1.5 mi

    35
    Top: Atlantic bluefin tunaShoulder season
    • Atlantic bluefin tuna 35
    • Atlantic croaker 35
    • Black drum 35

    21 kt ENEH 6:27 PM · 3.7 ftL 1:18 AM · 0.4 ft

  • Turkey Point

    Cape · 1.7 mi

    35
    Top: Atlantic bluefin tunaShoulder season
    • Atlantic bluefin tuna 35
    • Atlantic croaker 35
    • Black drum 35

    21 kt ENEH 6:27 PM · 3.7 ftL 1:18 AM · 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.