Waterlands

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Atlantic croakerShoulder season

Cape · New York

Jones Point

40.37°N · 74.06°W · Cape · New York Harbor

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Best score today · 7 PM · Atlantic croaker

84/100Great
Now
592 PM EDT
Best window
6-9 PMEbb tide
Tide now
Flooding3.6 ft ▲

Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 2 PM · now

Time2PNOW
Score59Good
Tide3.6 ft ▲Flooding
CurrentFlood1.1 kn · toward S
Wind5 kn NEgusts 12 · steady
Sea stateLight chop0.9 ft · 7 s
Air temp78°Warm
WeatherPartly cloudy38% cloud
Water75°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

IN EFFECT NOW

No rule for Atlantic croaker is on file here yet, so its status is unknown, not closed. Confirm limits with NYSDEC before you keep a fish.

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Atlantic croaker is best here

Shoulder season for Atlantic croaker · 1 more week at shoulder

Atlantic croaker season by week of the year. Shoulder season for Atlantic croaker · 1 more week at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • Not here
  • This week

Atlantic croaker in New York

Spot profile

Jones Point

Depth
3-10 ftFlat bottom
Structure
Point · Inner · ProtectedPoint · flat bottom
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 Jones Point

Jones Point is a cape in New York Harbor. Depth is 3-10 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads point, inner water and protected.

Waterlands scores 17 species here; the best right now are little tunny, scup and spot. It is peak season now for little tunny, scup, spot and summer flounder, and shoulder season for bluefish, Atlantic croaker, cobia and king mackerel. Little tunny peak from September through October. Scup peak from June through October. Spot peak from August through October.

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.
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

  • Fair Haven Reach

    Channel · 0.6 mi

    76
    Top: SpotPeak season
    • Spot 76
    • Scup 75
    • Summer flounder 75

    5 kt NEH 3:09 PM · 3.9 ftL 10:22 PM · 0.9 ft

  • Blossom Cove

    Bay · 0.4 mi

    75
    Top: ScupPeak season
    • Scup 75
    • Spot 75
    • Summer flounder 72

    5 kt NEH 3:09 PM · 3.9 ftL 10:22 PM · 0.9 ft

  • Haven Reach

    Channel · 2.5 mi

    75
    Top: ScupPeak season
    • Scup 75
    • Spot 75
    • Summer flounder 73

    4 kt NH 3:04 PM · 3.4 ftL 10:07 PM · 0.9 ft

  • Barley Point Reach

    Channel · 3.3 mi

    75
    Top: ScupPeak season
    • Scup 75
    • Spot 75
    • Summer flounder 73

    4 kt NH 3:04 PM · 3.4 ftL 10:07 PM · 0.9 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.