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Atlantic croakerShoulder seasonBay · New York
Shellbank Basin
40.65°N · 73.84°W · Bay · South Shore Bays from Jones Inlet through Shinnecock Bay
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 6 AM · Atlantic croaker
- Now
- 552 AM EDT
- Best window
- 2-9 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding1.5 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Shellbank Basin 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 · 2 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
96Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.6 kn floodWind & pressure
ECMWF
95Wind: 8 kt NEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
49Water temp: 71°F, primeLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 3.6 ftSeason & habitat · Atlantic croaker
Species seasonality
55Season: ShoulderHabitat: Usable structureDepth: 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 NYSDEC before you keep a fish.
Source: NYSDEC · synced yesterday
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
Shellbank Basin
- Depth
- 7-20 ft
- Structure
- Bay · Inner · Protected
- 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 Shellbank Basin
Shellbank Basin is a bay in South Shore Bays from Jones Inlet through Shinnecock Bay, New York. Depth is 7-20 ft. Its profile reads bay, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 17 species here; the best right now are spot, scup and little tunny. It is peak season now for spot, scup, little tunny and red drum, and shoulder season for bluefish, weakfish, striped bass and Atlantic croaker. Spot peak from August through October. Scup peak from June through October. Little tunny peak from September 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.
- 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.
- 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
- Pumpkin Patch Channel69
Channel · 2.2 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 69
- Scup 67
- Red drum 64
8 kt NEH 6:15 AM · 5.2 ftL 12:29 PM · 1.0 ft
- Hawtree Basin68
Bay · 0.5 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 68
- Scup 67
- Little tunny 63
8 kt NEH 6:15 AM · 5.2 ftL 12:29 PM · 1.0 ft
- North Channel68
Channel · 2.1 mi
Top: ScupPeak season- Scup 68
- Spot 68
- Summer flounder 65
8 kt NEH 6:31 AM · 5.0 ftL 12:17 PM · 1.1 ft
- Grassy Bay62
Bay · 2.0 mi
Top: ScupPeak season- Scup 62
- Spot 62
- Red drum 57
8 kt NEH 6:29 AM · 5.1 ftL 12:54 PM · 1.1 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.