Waterlands

UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN

Spotted seatroutShoulder season

Cape · Virginia

Factory Point

37.76°N · 75.77°W · Cape · Chesapeake Bay from Smith Point to Windmill Point VA

LOADING MAP

Best score today · 9 AM · Spotted seatrout

71/100Great
Now
344 PM EDT
Best window
5-7 PMFlood tide
Tide now
Low1.1 ft

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

Notify me when Factory Point scores 75+

Checked every morning against the 14-day forecast. Free by push and email.

Sign in to set an alert

24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 4 PM · now

Time4PNOW
Score34Fair
Tide1.1 ftLow
CurrentEbb0.3 kn · toward SSW
Wind16 kn ENEgusts 27 · steady
Sea stateModerate2.0 ft · 3 s
Air temp70°Warm
WeatherOvercast53% chance of rain
Water76°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

IN EFFECT NOW

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

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Spotted seatrout is best here

Shoulder season for Spotted seatrout · 1 more week at shoulder

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

Spotted seatrout in Virginia

Spot profile

Factory Point

Depth
Up to 2 ftNearest water
Structure
Point · Inner · ProtectedPoint · flat bottom
Season
Shoulder seasonSpotted seatrout

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 Factory Point

Factory Point is a cape in Chesapeake Bay from Smith Point to Windmill Point VA, Virginia. Depth in the nearest water is up to 2 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 sheepshead, and shoulder season for bluefish, black sea bass, striped bass and king mackerel. Little tunny peak from September through October. Scup peak from June through October. Spot peak from August through October.

Tackle & technique

Spotted seatrout
Trout hold over grass beds and sandy potholes in 2 to 8 feet of water most of the year and slide into channels, deep creek bends and canals during cold snaps. A live shrimp under a slip or popping cork, a paddle tail on a light jighead, or a topwater walked at first light covers most situations. Keep the drag light because their mouths tear easily.
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

  • Custis Cove

    Bay · 2.2 mi

    56
    Top: ScupPeak season
    • Scup 56
    • Spot 55
    • Little tunny 52

    16 kt ENEH 9:47 PM · 2.3 ftL 4:17 AM · 1.0 ft

  • Island Bay

    Bay · 2.2 mi

    56
    Top: ScupPeak season
    • Scup 56
    • Spot 55
    • Red drum 53

    16 kt ENEH 9:47 PM · 2.3 ftL 4:17 AM · 1.0 ft

  • Rainy Point

    Cape · 2.4 mi

    55
    Top: Little tunnyPeak season
    • Little tunny 55
    • Scup 51
    • Spot 50

    16 kt ENEH 9:47 PM · 2.3 ftL 4:17 AM · 1.0 ft

  • Custis Point

    Cape · 2.5 mi

    55
    Top: Little tunnyPeak season
    • Little tunny 55
    • Scup 51
    • Spot 50

    16 kt ENEH 9:47 PM · 2.3 ftL 4:17 AM · 1.0 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.