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King mackerelShoulder seasonChannel · New Jersey
Cross Ledge Range
39.21°N · 75.29°W · Channel · Delaware Bay waters north of East Point NJ to Slaughter Beach DE
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 8 AM · King mackerel
- Now
- 529 AM EDT
- Best window
- 9 AM-12 PMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing5.3 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Cross Ledge 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 · 9 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
66Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.3 kn floodWind & pressure
ECMWF
78Wind: 12 kt NNEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
87Water temp: 73°F, primeLight: MorningSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 2.0 ftSeason & 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
Cross Ledge Range
- Depth
- 35-50 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 Cross Ledge Range
Cross Ledge Range is a channel in Delaware Bay waters north of East Point NJ to Slaughter Beach DE, New Jersey. Depth is 35-50 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads channel, inner water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 17 species here; the best right now are scup, spot and sheepshead. It is peak season now for scup, spot, sheepshead and summer flounder, and shoulder season for black sea bass, Atlantic croaker, weakfish and bluefish. Scup peak from June through October. Spot peak from August through October. Sheepshead peak from July 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Cross Ledge73
Bar · 3.3 mi
Top: ScupPeak season- Scup 73
- Little tunny 67
- Black sea bass 66
12 kt NNEL 1:34 PM · 0.7 ftH 7:54 PM · 6.1 ft
- Elbow of Cross Ledge73
Bar · 3.7 mi
Top: ScupPeak season- Scup 73
- Little tunny 67
- Black sea bass 66
12 kt NNEL 1:34 PM · 0.7 ftH 7:54 PM · 6.1 ft
- Ben Davis Point Shoal69
Bar · 3.1 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 69
- Scup 68
- Little tunny 67
12 kt NNEL 2:10 PM · 0.8 ftH 8:16 PM · 6.4 ft
- Brandywine Range69
Channel · 4.0 mi
Top: ScupPeak season- Scup 69
- Spot 69
- Sheepshead 66
12 kt NNEL 1:34 PM · 0.7 ftH 7:54 PM · 6.1 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.