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SheepsheadPeak seasonCape · New Jersey
Deepwater Point
39.70°N · 75.51°W · Cape · Delaware Bay waters north of East Point NJ to Slaughter Beach DE
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 7 PM · Sheepshead
- Now
- 608 AM EDT
- Best window
- 6-9 PMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding3.9 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Deepwater Point 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 · 8 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
67Tide: FloodingCurrent: 1.9 kn floodWind & pressure
ECMWF
84Wind: 11 kt NNEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC
82Water temp: 73°F, primeLight: DawnSolunar: Between periodsSeason & habitat · Sheepshead
Species seasonality
68Season: PeakHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In rangeRegulations: no rule on file
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
No rule for Sheepshead 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 Sheepshead is best here
Peak season for Sheepshead · 1 more week at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- Not here
- This week
Spot profile
Deepwater Point
- Depth
- 1-50 ftNearest water
- Structure
- Point · Inner · ProtectedPoint · drop-off
- Season
- Peak seasonSheepshead
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 Deepwater Point
Deepwater Point is a cape in Delaware Bay waters north of East Point NJ to Slaughter Beach DE, New Jersey. Depth in the nearest water is 1-50 ft, with a drop-off. Its profile reads point, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 17 species here; the best right now are little tunny, scup and bluefish. It is peak season now for little tunny, scup, red drum and Spanish mackerel, and shoulder season for bluefish, king mackerel, striped bass and weakfish. Little tunny peak from September through October. Scup peak from June through October. Bluefish peak in May and from October through November.
Tackle & technique
- Sheepshead
- Sheepshead graze barnacles and crabs off pilings, jetty rocks, bridge supports, oyster bars and nearshore reefs, from a few feet deep out to about 50 feet. Drop a fiddler crab, sand flea or piece of shrimp on a small, strong hook straight down next to the structure with just enough weight to hold bottom. The bite is a light tap, so keep the line tight and set the hook fast.
- Little tunny
- Little tunny travel fast in schools that pin bait against inlets, points, jetties and tide rips, usually within a few miles of shore and often in less than 60 feet. Stay off the school's path, wait for it to surface within range, and cast small metal or epoxy jigs with a fast retrieve. When fish stay down, troll small feathers along bait edges and color changes to find them.
- 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
- Kelly Point79
Cape · 4.0 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 79
- Bluefish 69
- Red drum 69
11 kt NNEH 9:57 AM · 5.2 ftL 4:24 PM · 0.7 ft
- Marsh Point78
Cape · 7.8 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 78
- Bluefish 69
- Spanish mackerel 69
11 kt NNEH 9:32 AM · 5.2 ftL 4:03 PM · 0.7 ft
- Baker Range75
Channel · 16 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 75
- Scup 73
- Summer flounder 70
11 kt NNEH 8:53 AM · 5.8 ftL 3:11 PM · 0.8 ft
- Baker Shoal72
Bar · 15 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 72
- Spanish mackerel 72
- Spot 71
11 kt NNEH 8:53 AM · 5.8 ftL 3:11 PM · 0.8 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.
