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King mackerelShoulder seasonCape · New Jersey
Dunks Point
39.36°N · 75.39°W · Cape · Delaware Bay waters north of East Point NJ to Slaughter Beach DE
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 7 AM · King mackerel
- Now
- 556 AM EDT
- Best window
- 6-8 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding3.3 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Dunks 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 · 6 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
94Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.7 kn floodWind & pressure
ECMWF
72Wind: 13 kt NNEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
80Water temp: 74°F, primeLight: DawnSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 1.2 ftSeason & habitat · King mackerel
Species seasonality
40Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: 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
Dunks Point
- Depth
- 3-15 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Point · Inner · Semi-exposedPoint · 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 Dunks Point
Dunks Point is a cape in Delaware Bay waters north of East Point NJ to Slaughter Beach DE, New Jersey. Depth is 3-15 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads point, inner water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 17 species here; the best right now are little tunny, spot and scup. It is peak season now for little tunny, spot, scup and Spanish mackerel, and shoulder season for bluefish, striped bass, weakfish and black sea bass. Little tunny peak from September through October. Spot peak from August through October. Scup peak from June through October.
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.
- 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.
- 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
- Oyster Cove76
Bay · 1.9 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 76
- Scup 75
- Little tunny 73
11 kt NNEH 9:06 AM · 4.7 ftL 3:07 PM · 0.6 ft
- Cut Through73
Channel · 2.0 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 73
- Scup 71
- Summer flounder 69
13 kt NNEH 8:46 AM · 5.3 ftL 2:50 PM · 0.7 ft
- Dunks Bar71
Bar · 0.6 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 71
- Spanish mackerel 69
- Spot 67
13 kt NNEH 8:46 AM · 5.3 ftL 2:50 PM · 0.7 ft
- Arnold Point Shoal70
Bar · 2.0 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 70
- Spanish mackerel 68
- Spot 67
13 kt NNEH 8:21 AM · 5.9 ftL 2:34 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.
