Waterlands

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Atlantic croakerShoulder season

Channel · Virginia

Port Norfolk Reach

36.86°N · 76.32°W · Channel · James River from JRB to HRBT, Including the Elizabeth River

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Best score today · 11 PM · Atlantic croaker

72/100Great
Now
607 AM EDT
Best window
10 PM-12 AMEbb tide
Tide now
Flooding2.9 ft ▲

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

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14-day forecast

Best days to fish

Best: Wed · 84

24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 7 AM · now

Time7ANOW
Score60Good
Tide2.9 ft ▲Flooding
CurrentSlack0.1 kn
Wind12 kn NEgusts 24 · steady
Sea stateModerate2.2 ft · 4 s
Air temp70°Warm
WeatherOvercast68% chance of rain
Water80°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

IN EFFECT NOW

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

Always check with VMRC ↗Fishing license ↗

Source: VMRC · synced yesterday

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Atlantic croaker is best here

Shoulder season for Atlantic croaker · 1 more week at shoulder

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

Atlantic croaker in Virginia →

Spot profile

Port Norfolk Reach

Depth
10-50 ftDrop-off
Structure
Channel · Inner · ProtectedChannel · drop-off
Season
Shoulder seasonAtlantic croaker

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 Port Norfolk Reach

Port Norfolk Reach is a channel in James River from JRB to HRBT, Including the Elizabeth River, Virginia. Depth is 10-50 ft, with a drop-off. Its profile reads channel, inner water and protected.

Waterlands scores 17 species here; the best right now are spot, scup and Atlantic croaker. It is peak season now for spot, scup, red drum and summer flounder, and shoulder season for Atlantic croaker, black sea bass, king mackerel and weakfish. Spot peak from August through October. Scup peak from June through October. Atlantic croaker peak from June through August.

Tackle & technique

Atlantic croaker
Croaker feed on mud and sand bottom along channel edges, oyster bars, piers and deeper holes in bays and sounds, mostly in 5 to 30 feet of water. A two-hook bottom rig with small hooks and shrimp, bloodworm or squid catches them from piers, the surf and small boats. Fish the hours around high tide and into the evening.
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.
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

View all on map →
  • Lambert Bend

    Bend · 1.3 mi

    70
    Top: SpotPeak season
    • Spot 70
    • Scup 67
    • Atlantic croaker 60

    12 kt NEL 1:30 PM · 0.6 ftH 7:58 PM · 3.0 ft

  • Lamberts Point

    Cape · 1.3 mi

    67
    Top: ScupPeak season
    • Scup 67
    • Spot 64
    • Little tunny 56

    12 kt NEL 1:30 PM · 0.6 ftH 7:58 PM · 3.0 ft

  • Hospital Point

    Cape · 1.1 mi

    64
    Top: ScupPeak season
    • Scup 64
    • Spot 64
    • Black sea bass 56

    12 kt NEL 1:46 PM · 0.6 ftH 8:03 PM · 3.3 ft

  • Ludlow Flats

    Flat · 1.2 mi

    63
    Top: SpotPeak season
    • Spot 63
    • Red drum 60
    • Scup 56

    12 kt NEL 1:46 PM · 0.6 ftH 8:03 PM · 3.3 ft

Open in the tide map

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.