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Black sea bassShoulder seasonCape · Virginia
Black Point
37.20°N · 76.73°W · Cape · James River from Jamestown to the James River Bridge
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 8 PM · Black sea bass
- Now
- 495 PM EDT
- Best window
- 6 PM-12 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding0.6 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Black 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 · 5 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
49Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.6 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
87Wind: 11 kt NEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
63Water temp: 76°F, warmLight: Late afternoonSolunar: Between periodsSeason & habitat · Black sea bass
Species seasonality
54Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: no rule on file
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
No rule for Black sea bass is on file here yet, so its status is unknown, not closed. Confirm limits with VMRC before you keep a fish.
Source: VMRC · synced today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Black sea bass is best here
Shoulder season for Black sea bass · 1 more week at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Black Point
- Depth
- 2-7 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Point · Inner · ProtectedPoint · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonBlack sea bass
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 Black Point
Black Point is a cape in James River from Jamestown to the James River Bridge, Virginia. Depth is 2-7 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 Spanish mackerel. It is peak season now for little tunny, scup, Spanish mackerel and spot, and shoulder season for bluefish, spotted seatrout, weakfish and king mackerel. Little tunny peak from September through October. Scup peak from June through October. Spanish mackerel peak from July through September.
Tackle & technique
- Black sea bass
- Black sea bass hold tight to wrecks, reefs, rock piles and jetties, from 15 feet inshore in late spring to well over 100 feet on offshore wrecks in late fall. Anchor or drift right over the structure and fish a two-hook high-low rig with squid or clam, or bounce a small jig on the bottom. The biggest males sit on the highest relief.
- 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
- The Thorofare67
Channel · 0.6 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 67
- Scup 66
- Summer flounder 65
11 kt NEH 10:31 PM · 2.4 ftL 5:03 AM · 0.6 ft
- Goose Hill Channel65
Channel · 1.0 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 65
- Scup 64
- Summer flounder 64
11 kt NEH 10:24 PM · 2.3 ftL 4:59 AM · 0.5 ft
- Lower Point63
Cape · 1.2 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 63
- Scup 59
- Spanish mackerel 58
11 kt NEH 10:24 PM · 2.3 ftL 4:59 AM · 0.5 ft
- Drewry Point63
Cape · 3.1 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 63
- Scup 59
- Spanish mackerel 58
11 kt NEH 10:24 PM · 2.3 ftL 4:59 AM · 0.5 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.
