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King mackerelShoulder seasonChannel · New York
The Narrows
40.97°N · 73.11°W · Channel · Long Island Sound West of New Haven CT/Port Jefferson NY
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 11 PM · King mackerel
- Now
- 418 PM EDT
- Best window
- 9 PM-12 AMHigh slack
- Tide now
- Flooding5.6 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when The Narrows 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 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
70Tide: FloodingCurrent: SlackWind & pressure
ECMWF
58Wind: 16 kt NEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
53Water temp: 69°F, coolLight: DuskSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 3.9 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 NYSDEC before you keep a fish.
Source: NYSDEC · synced today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When King mackerel is best here
Last week of shoulder season for King mackerel · the off season next
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- Not here
- This week
Spot profile
The Narrows
- Depth
- 2-15 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 The Narrows
The Narrows is a channel in Long Island Sound West of New Haven CT/Port Jefferson NY, New York. Depth is 2-15 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, weakfish, striped bass and Atlantic croaker. 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
- Port Jefferson Harbor64
Bay · 1.4 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 64
- Spot 64
- Scup 63
16 kt NEH 9:54 PM · 6.9 ftL 4:08 AM · 0.6 ft
- Setauket Harbor64
Bay · 1.4 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 64
- Spot 64
- Scup 63
16 kt NEH 9:57 PM · 6.8 ftL 4:14 AM · 0.6 ft
- Little Bay62
Bay · 1.3 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 62
- Scup 61
- Spot 60
16 kt NEH 9:54 PM · 6.9 ftL 4:08 AM · 0.6 ft
- Conscience Bay59
Bay · 1.0 mi
Top: ScupPeak season- Scup 59
- Spot 58
- Red drum 56
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.