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Spanish mackerelPeak seasonCape · Virginia
East Point
37.83°N · 75.98°W · Cape · Chesapeake Bay from Smith Point to Windmill Point VA
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 8 AM · Spanish mackerel
- Now
- 538 AM EDT
- Best window
- 8-10 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding1.0 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when East 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 · 8 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
88Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.5 kn floodWind & pressure
ECMWF
39Wind: 16 kt NEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
59Water temp: 71°F, coolLight: DawnSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 3.6 ftSeason & habitat · Spanish mackerel
Species seasonality
68Season: PeakHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In rangeRegulations: no rule on file
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
No rule for Spanish mackerel is on file here yet, so its status is unknown, not closed. Confirm limits with VMRC before you keep a fish.
Source: VMRC · synced yesterday
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Spanish mackerel is best here
Peak season for Spanish mackerel · 1 more week at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- Not here
- This week
Spot profile
East Point
- Depth
- 1-6 ftNearest water
- Structure
- Point · Inner · Semi-exposedPoint · flat bottom
- Season
- Peak seasonSpanish 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 East Point
East Point is a cape in Chesapeake Bay from Smith Point to Windmill Point VA, Virginia. Depth in the nearest water is 1-6 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads point, inner water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 17 species here; the best right now are little tunny, scup and striped bass. It is peak season now for little tunny, scup, spot and sheepshead, and shoulder season for striped bass, bluefish, black sea bass and king mackerel. Little tunny peak from September through October. Scup peak from June through October. Striped bass peak from April through May and from October through December.
Tackle & technique
- Spanish mackerel
- Spanish mackerel school along beaches and around inlets, jetties, piers and bridge-tunnel structures, and along tide rips in 5 to 40 feet of water once the water climbs above about 68 degrees F. Troll small spoons or cast metal jigs and retrieve fast, or look for birds diving on bait and cast into the school. FWC calls for a 30 to 60 pound monofilament leader because their teeth cut light line.
- 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
- West Point66
Cape · 0.2 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 66
- Scup 59
- Striped bass 59
16 kt NEH 10:15 AM · 1.4 ftL 4:37 PM · 0.2 ft
- Mailboat Harbor66
Bay · 0.6 mi
Top: ScupPeak season- Scup 66
- Spot 66
- Sheepshead 65
16 kt NEH 10:15 AM · 1.4 ftL 4:37 PM · 0.2 ft
- Fishing Gut64
Bay · 0.6 mi
Top: ScupPeak season- Scup 64
- Spot 63
- Red drum 62
16 kt NEH 10:15 AM · 1.4 ftL 4:37 PM · 0.2 ft
- Tangier North Channel64
Channel · 1.0 mi
Top: ScupPeak season- Scup 64
- Spot 64
- Sheepshead 61
16 kt NEH 10:15 AM · 1.4 ftL 4:37 PM · 0.2 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 VMRC before you keep a fish.
