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King mackerelShoulder seasonBar · New York
Hatch Rock
40.97°N · 73.07°W · Bar · Long Island Sound West of New Haven CT/Port Jefferson NY
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 8 AM · King mackerel
- Now
- 595 PM EDT
- Best window
- 5 PM-12 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding1.5 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Hatch Rock 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 · 5 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
89Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.8 kn floodWind & pressure
ECMWF
55Wind: 16 kt NEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
73Water temp: 70°F, coolLight: DuskSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 3.6 ftSeason & habitat · King mackerel
Species seasonality
65Season: ShoulderHabitat: Prime structureDepth: 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 NYSDEC before you keep a fish.
Source: NYSDEC · synced today
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
Hatch Rock
- Depth
- 10-20 ftSlope
- Structure
- Ledge · Inner · Semi-exposedLedge · 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 Hatch Rock
Hatch Rock is a bar in Long Island Sound West of New Haven CT/Port Jefferson NY, New York. Depth is 10-20 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads ledge, inner water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 17 species here; the best right now are scup, little tunny and black sea bass. It is peak season now for scup, little tunny, summer flounder and sheepshead, and shoulder season for black sea bass, bluefish, king mackerel and striped bass. Scup peak from June through October. Little tunny peak from September through October. Black sea bass peak from May through June and from October through November.
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.
- 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.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Moneyhollow Rock66
Bar · 0.6 mi
Top: ScupPeak season- Scup 66
- Little tunny 63
- Black sea bass 60
16 kt NEH 9:55 PM · 6.6 ftL 4:13 AM · 0.6 ft
- Mount Misery Point66
Cape · 0.7 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 66
- Striped bass 58
- Bluefish 57
16 kt NEH 9:54 PM · 6.9 ftL 4:08 AM · 0.6 ft
- Mount Misery Shoal65
Bar · 1.3 mi
Top: ScupPeak season- Scup 65
- Little tunny 60
- Black sea bass 59
16 kt NEH 9:54 PM · 6.9 ftL 4:08 AM · 0.6 ft
- Port Jefferson Harbor64
Bay · 1.3 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 64
- Scup 64
- Spot 63
16 kt NEH 9:54 PM · 6.9 ftL 4:08 AM · 0.6 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 NYSDEC before you keep a fish.