Waterlands

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SheepsheadPeak season

Cape · Virginia

Sandy Point

37.26°N · 76.40°W · Cape · York River

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Best score today · 7 AM · Sheepshead

74/100Great
Now
536 PM EDT
Best window
6-11 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

Tuesday, Sep 29 · 7 AM

Time7A
Score68Great
Tide0.8 ft ▲Flooding
CurrentEbb0.9 kn · toward ENE
Wind5 kn NNWgusts 9 · steady
Sea stateLight chop0.7 ft · 3 s
Air temp64°Mild
WeatherMostly cloudy55% cloud
Water71°FModel

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

IN EFFECT NOW

No rule for Sheepshead 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 Sheepshead is best here

Peak season for Sheepshead · 1 more week at peak

Sheepshead season by week of the year. Peak season for Sheepshead · 1 more week at peak.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • Not here
  • This week

Sheepshead in Virginia

Spot profile

Sandy Point

Depth
2-5 ftFlat bottom
Structure
Point · Inner · Semi-exposedPoint · flat bottom
Season
Peak seasonSheepshead

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 Sandy Point

Sandy Point is a cape in York River, Virginia. Depth is 2-5 ft, with a flat bottom. 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, striped bass and king mackerel. Spot peak from August through October. Scup peak from June through October. Atlantic croaker peak from June through August.

Tackle & technique

Sheepshead
Sheepshead graze barnacles and crabs off pilings, jetty rocks, bridge supports, oyster bars and nearshore reefs, from a few feet deep out to about 50 feet. Drop a fiddler crab, sand flea or piece of shrimp on a small, strong hook straight down next to the structure with just enough weight to hold bottom. The bite is a light tap, so keep the line tight and set the hook fast.
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

  • Monday Creek

    Gut · 1.2 mi

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

    9 kt EL 12:32 AM · 1.4 ftH 6:27 AM · 2.4 ft

  • Thorofare

    Channel · 3.3 mi

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

    9 kt EH 6:27 PM · 2.4 ftL 12:50 AM · 0.7 ft

  • Tue Point

    Cape · 2.2 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

  • Bush Point

    Cape · 3.4 mi

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

    9 kt EL 12:32 AM · 1.4 ftH 6:27 AM · 2.4 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.