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King mackerelShoulder seasonChannel · New Jersey
Baker Range
39.48°N · 75.56°W · Channel · Delaware Bay waters north of East Point NJ to Slaughter Beach DE
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 10 AM · King mackerel
- Now
- 576 AM EDT
- Best window
- 6 AM-1 PMHigh slack
- Tide now
- Flooding3.3 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Baker Range 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 · 6 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
99Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.8 kn floodWind & pressure
ECMWF
91Wind: 11 kt NNEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
71Water temp: 75°F, primeLight: DawnSolunar: Between periodsSeason & habitat · King mackerel
Species seasonality
40Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In 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
Baker Range
- Depth
- 30-50 ftSlope
- Structure
- Channel · Inner · Semi-exposedChannel · slope
- 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 Baker Range
Baker Range is a channel in Delaware Bay waters north of East Point NJ to Slaughter Beach DE, New Jersey. Depth is 30-50 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads channel, inner water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 17 species here; the best right now are spot, scup and summer flounder. It is peak season now for spot, scup, summer flounder and red drum, and shoulder season for weakfish, Atlantic croaker, black sea bass and spotted seatrout. Spot peak from August through October. Scup peak from June through October. Summer flounder peak from June through September.
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.
- Spot
- Spot school over mud and sand in bays, tidal creeks and channels and around piers and bridges, generally in less than 25 feet of water. Fish a two-hook bottom rig with small hooks and bits of bloodworm or shrimp, and move until you find a school. In fall the biggest fish run out of the sounds past piers and inlets, and the bite can go all day.
- Scup
- Scup school over hard and mixed bottom, rock piles, mussel beds, piers and jetties, usually in 10 to 60 feet of water. Fish a high-low rig with small hooks and squid or clam strips on the bottom, and chum with clam to hold a school under the boat. If nothing bites within 15 minutes, move to the next piece of structure.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Marsh Point76
Cape · 7.8 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 76
- Bluefish 67
- Red drum 66
11 kt NNEH 9:32 AM · 5.2 ftL 4:03 PM · 0.7 ft
- Baker Shoal75
Bar · 1.0 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 75
- Spanish mackerel 73
- Summer flounder 71
11 kt NNEH 8:53 AM · 5.8 ftL 3:11 PM · 0.8 ft
- Alder Cove75
Bay · 5.7 mi
Top: ScupPeak season- Scup 75
- Spot 75
- Little tunny 73
11 kt NNEH 9:08 AM · 5.7 ftL 2:57 PM · 0.8 ft
- Stony Inlet74
Bay · 4.7 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 74
- Scup 74
- Spot 74
11 kt NNEH 9:03 AM · 5.6 ftL 3:08 PM · 0.7 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.