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King mackerelShoulder 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 · 7 AM · King mackerel
- Now
- 526 PM EDT
- Best window
- 6-7 PMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding2.4 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 · 6 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
89Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.5 kn floodWind & pressure
ECMWF
56Wind: 15 kt ENEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
84Water temp: 80°F, primeLight: DuskSolunar: Between periodsSeason & habitat · King mackerel
Species seasonality
40Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: no rule on file
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
No rule for King 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 today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When King mackerel is best here
Shoulder season for King mackerel · 1 more week at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- Not here
- This week
Spot profile
Curtis Point
- Depth
- 2-4 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Point · Inner · Semi-exposedPoint · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonKing 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 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 Spanish mackerel. It is peak season now for little tunny, spot, Spanish mackerel and red drum, and shoulder season for bluefish, striped bass, black sea bass and Atlantic croaker. Little tunny peak from September through October. Spot peak from August through October. Spanish mackerel peak from July through September.
Tackle & technique
- King mackerel
- Kings roam from beaches and pier ends out to reefs, wrecks and ledges in 40 to 200 feet, usually feeding in the upper half of the water column. Slow-troll live menhaden, blue runners or cigar minnows on a light wire stinger rig, or pull spoons and ribbonfish past bait schools. Look for clean green water above 68 F with bait and birds on it.
- 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
- Thorofare70
Channel · 2.2 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 70
- Red drum 65
- Summer flounder 64
15 kt ENEH 8:01 PM · 3.0 ftL 2:35 AM · 0.6 ft
- Blunt Point70
Cape · 2.4 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 70
- Little tunny 66
- Spot 66
15 kt ENEH 8:01 PM · 3.0 ftL 2:35 AM · 0.6 ft
- Swash Hole70
Bay · 3.4 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 70
- Spanish mackerel 66
- Red drum 64
15 kt ENEH 8:34 PM · 2.5 ftL 2:58 AM · 0.6 ft
- Jail Point68
Cape · 0.4 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 68
- Little tunny 64
- Spot 64
15 kt ENEH 8:01 PM · 3.0 ftL 2:35 AM · 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.