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Black sea bassShoulder seasonCape · Virginia
Curtis Point
37.08°N · 76.55°W · Cape · James River from Jamestown to the James River Bridge
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 8 AM · Black sea bass
- Now
- 527 AM EDT
- Best window
- 7 AM-2 PMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Flooding2.5 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Curtis 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 · 7 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
89Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.5 kn floodWind & pressure
ECMWF
57Wind: 15 kt NEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
58Water temp: 78°F, warmLight: DawnSolunar: Between periodsSeason & habitat · Black sea bass
Species seasonality
53Season: 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 yesterday
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
Curtis Point
- Depth
- 2-4 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Point · Inner · Semi-exposedPoint · 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 Curtis Point
Curtis Point is a cape in James River from Jamestown to the James River Bridge, Virginia. Depth is 2-4 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, spot and red drum. It is peak season now for little tunny, spot, red drum and Spanish mackerel, and shoulder season for bluefish, spotted seatrout, striped bass and black sea bass. Little tunny peak from September through October. Spot peak from August through October. Red drum peak in May and from September through October.
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.
- 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.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Thorofare69
Channel · 2.2 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 69
- Red drum 64
- Summer flounder 63
15 kt NEH 8:26 AM · 2.8 ftL 2:45 PM · 0.6 ft
- Swash Hole69
Bay · 3.4 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 69
- Red drum 65
- Spanish mackerel 65
15 kt NEH 8:55 AM · 2.3 ftL 3:09 PM · 0.6 ft
- Jail Point67
Cape · 0.4 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 67
- Little tunny 64
- Spot 63
15 kt NEH 8:26 AM · 2.8 ftL 2:45 PM · 0.6 ft
- Blunt Point66
Cape · 2.4 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 66
- Little tunny 65
- Spot 62
15 kt NEH 8:26 AM · 2.8 ftL 2:45 PM · 0.6 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.
