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Atlantic croakerShoulder seasonCape · New Jersey
Kelly Point
39.65°N · 75.54°W · Cape · Delaware Bay waters north of East Point NJ to Slaughter Beach DE
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 7 PM · Atlantic croaker
- Now
- 5412 PM EDT
- Best window
- 7-10 PMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing4.2 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Kelly 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 · 12 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
100Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.4 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
59Wind: 11 kt NEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC
77Water temp: 73°F, primeLight: OvercastSolunar: Near a majorSeason & habitat · Atlantic croaker
Species seasonality
40Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In rangeRegulations: no rule on file
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
No rule for Atlantic croaker is on file here yet, so its status is unknown, not closed. Confirm limits with NJFW before you keep a fish.
Source: NJFW · synced today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Atlantic croaker is best here
Shoulder season for Atlantic croaker · 1 more week at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- Not here
- This week
Spot profile
Kelly Point
- Depth
- Up to 30 ftNearest water
- Structure
- Point · Inner · ProtectedPoint · slope
- Season
- Shoulder seasonAtlantic croaker
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 Kelly Point
Kelly 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 up to 30 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads point, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 17 species here; the best right now are little tunny, spot and sheepshead. It is peak season now for little tunny, spot, sheepshead and Spanish mackerel, and shoulder season for bluefish, black sea bass, striped bass and weakfish. Little tunny peak from September through October. Spot peak from August through October. Sheepshead peak from July through September.
Tackle & technique
- 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.
- 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
- Marsh Point77
Cape · 4.3 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 77
- Bluefish 69
- Spanish mackerel 67
10 kt NEL 4:03 PM · 0.7 ftH 9:49 PM · 5.8 ft
- Baker Shoal77
Bar · 11 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 77
- Spanish mackerel 75
- Summer flounder 72
10 kt NEL 3:11 PM · 0.8 ftH 9:10 PM · 6.5 ft
- Baker Range75
Channel · 12 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 75
- Summer flounder 73
- Red drum 72
10 kt NEL 3:11 PM · 0.8 ftH 9:10 PM · 6.5 ft
- Deepwater Point71
Cape · 4.0 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 71
- Scup 69
- Spot 66
11 kt NEL 4:36 PM · 0.7 ftH 10:21 PM · 6.0 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.
