Waterlands

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King mackerelShoulder season

Cape · Virginia

Green Point

37.21°N · 76.41°W · Cape · York River

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Best score today · 5 PM · King mackerel

74/100Great
Now
506 PM EDT
Best window
6-8 PMEbb tide
Tide now
High2.4 ft

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

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 6 PM · now

Time6PNOW
Score50Good
Tide2.4 ftHigh
CurrentFlood0.5 kn · toward WSW
Wind9 kn Egusts 18 · steady
Sea stateLight chop1.4 ft · 3 s
Air temp76°Warm
WeatherOvercast40% chance of rain
Water81°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

IN EFFECT NOW

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.

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When King mackerel is best here

Shoulder season for King mackerel · 1 more week at shoulder

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

King mackerel in Virginia

Spot profile

Green Point

Depth
2-15 ftSlope
Structure
Point · Inner · Semi-exposedPoint · slope
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 Green Point

Green Point is a cape in York River, Virginia. Depth is 2-15 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads point, inner water and semi-exposed.

Waterlands scores 17 species here; the best right now are spot, scup and Atlantic croaker. It is peak season now for spot, scup, little tunny and Spanish mackerel, and shoulder season for Atlantic croaker, bluefish, king mackerel and striped bass. Spot peak from August through October. Scup peak from June through October. Atlantic croaker peak from June through August.

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.
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

  • Thorofare

    Channel · 0.4 mi

    80
    Top: SpotPeak season
    • Spot 80
    • Atlantic croaker 72
    • Scup 71

    9 kt EL 12:50 AM · 0.7 ftH 6:56 AM · 2.2 ft

  • Cabin Creek

    Gut · 1.9 mi

    80
    Top: SpotPeak season
    • Spot 80
    • Atlantic croaker 72
    • Scup 70

    9 kt EL 12:38 AM · 0.7 ftH 6:41 AM · 2.2 ft

  • Tue Point

    Cape · 1.8 mi

    74
    Top: SpotPeak season
    • Spot 74
    • Scup 65
    • Atlantic croaker 63

    9 kt EL 12:38 AM · 0.7 ftH 6:41 AM · 2.2 ft

  • York Point

    Cape · 2.5 mi

    74
    Top: SpotPeak season
    • Spot 74
    • Scup 65
    • Atlantic croaker 63

    9 kt EL 12:38 AM · 0.7 ftH 6:41 AM · 2.2 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.