Wachapreague spearfishing forecast — wind, swell, visibility, tides & live cameras

spearo.app / United States / Wachapreague
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◈Wachapreague · United States
2.5
💧 Water looks set to clear by Friday (~6d) — tentative
visibility~1m

Nottoday

Today — sit it out — wave, wind and surge pounding. 💧 Water looks set to clear by Friday (~6d) — tentative

Sources: NWS · NDBC · Open-Meteo · Copernicus — high confidence · data 17:14

Sources & confidence

Sources
NWS · NDBC · Open-Meteo · Copernicus
Method
spearo sea-state engine: consensus of up to 6 models + satellite clarity (ZSD) + buoy-bias checks
Freshness
Re-read every hour, per coast

Compiled by the spearo sea-state engine · How it works →

The verdict comes from seven water factors and hard safety gates — not ten tabs. Go or stay.

How we score the water

Our own model

Our own forecast engine — not a third-party widget. It weighs these water factors into one go-or-stay verdict for this coast; the 0–10 dial is that verdict, read out as a number.

01
Swell & wave memory
Height, period and direction of the swell, plus the wake of recent storms — an old storm still stirs the water, and the engine remembers.
02
Wind & gusts
Speed and gusts, hour by hour — wind speed and an onshore push chop the surface and cut visibility.
03
Tide phase
Timing and range of the tide, calibrated per coast — big spring tides pull the verdict toward caution.
04
Water temperature
Sea-surface temperature — sharply cold water vetoes a green verdict.
05
Currents & outflow
Direction and drift of the current — it pushes you, and it drags turbid coastal water across where you dive.
06
Rain runoff & air clarity
Rain muddies the water inshore through land runoff, while fog and haze cut visibility at the surface.
07
Coast shape & exposure
How the coast faces the swell — a sheltered cove keeps the water clean; an exposed, head-on point takes a penalty.

Safety gates

  • Thunderstorm forecast — an instant red, no exceptions.
  • An official warning (MeteoAlarm / IPMA) — yellow, or red for the higher ranks.
  • Missing input data — a would-be green is capped to yellow rather than overstated.
  • Strong disagreement between forecast models — a green day is pulled back to yellow.
  • Night hours — where night spearfishing is banned by law the window is forced red; where it is legal (Australia outside NSW, New Zealand, South Africa) it is capped at yellow, never green.

It all folds into a single 0–10 score and one verdict: go or stay.

A forecast, not a guarantee — the sea has the last word.

Entry pointsNo-take zonesLive cams

Where to get in, where to hunt

Entry points with coordinates
Seabed relief — promising ground

This verdict — in your pocket. Open the app for the week's window.

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Spots in United States

🇺🇸United States

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Nearby towns

  • Chincoteague
  • Cape Charles
  • Kiptopeke
  • Point Lookout
  • Poquoson

Virginia

  • Hampton
  • Norfolk
  • Virginia Beach
  • Cherry Hill

Maryland

  • Ocean City
  • Solomons
  • Cambridge
  • Annapolis Neck
  • Annapolis
  • Arnold
  • Riviera Beach
  • Havre de Grace

Delaware

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spearo.app · a private marine instrument · Wachapreague · a planner, not a safety guaranteePrivacy
Today
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0 m

Surface

Wind, wave and the swell windows — when to go and the best hours.

spearo.app
Small Craft Advisory · NWSupdated 17:14
Offshore marks — solo, off the rocks
DON'T GO
don't go · wave 1.5 m (occasionally up to ~3.0 m)
wave 1.5 m head-onwind 14 km/hsurge pounding the rocksvisibility ~1 m
today, best window 06:00–09:00
fish · Visibility 1 m · Water 16.7°C
confidence low · verdict for the selected day
Best window · next 3 days
borderlineMonday · 15:00–18:00
you can see ~2 m ahead fish

💧 Water looks set to clear by Friday (~6d) — tentative

Tell me when it's on

Just your email — nothing else needed.

Before entering, check the camera and the surge
Whole week — tap a day. is driving swell right now.
›
Solo risk: carry a float · tell someone your plan and exit time · doubt = don't go. A model-based planner; the call is made on site.
Selected day

Windows, hours
and the day's trends.

The day is picked above, in the hero. Here are that day's windows, the hour-by-hour map and the trends. Tap a window to break down the conditions.

Sunday · today2026-10-25
07:20–18:12 · full moon
▼ 00:00▲ 07:00▼ 13:00▲ 19:00mid-range tides · 1.6 m
Hours (06→20)
06
09
12
15
18
Day's trends
Tide-0.83 m
Wave1.34 m
Wind8 km/h
Water17 °C
fish activity: moonset 06:42 · moderate · moon underfoot 12:10 · high · moonrise 17:39 · moderate · moon overhead 00:00 · high
Conditions window06:00–09:00
don't go fish
Hs 1.50 m · roughperiod 9.4 s head-onwind 14→22surge 6.6viz 1 m
1.50 mrough · up to ~3.00 · 75° head-on
9.4 sswell moderate
14→22gusts 22 km/h
6.6pounding the rocks
0.19m/s
1 mrecent swell
16.7°C5 mm + hood
▼13:00tide turn near
Atmosphere25 kmlandmarks visible
moderatemoonset
  • wave 1.5 m (occasionally up to ~3.0 m)
  • steep wind-wave — choppy surface, careful on entry
  • just after high water
confidence lowtwilight
Open the seafloor map with entry points →

Your best window — with you. Forecast in your pocket.

Download on theApp StoreGET IT ONGoogle Play
Google Play — QR code
point your camera
−10 m

The water column

Visibility and what drives it — post-storm clearing, river plume, temperature and the thermocline.

What it is

A marine instrument,
go / no-go for solo hunting.

spearo.app folds wind, wave, swell period, visibility, tides, water temperature and risk into a single verdict — go to the spot or not. It computes 7 days ahead from open marine models (Open-Meteo, IPMA), with no sign-up and no accounts. Built for solo spearfishing off the rocks, where any mistake costs dearly.

Now live: 3016 spots across 406 stretches of coast — mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores.

See all spots →
−20 m

The seabed

Relief and bottom type, tides, and the depths of each spot.

On the rock

The forecast is the plan.
The call is on the rock.

The models set the window. Whether you go in is read only at the water: count the sets, watch the surge on the entry. If in doubt, you don't get in.

Entry points

Where to get in
off the rocks.

Scouted entries, coloured by today. The colour is the sea state at the spot, not a guarantee: the wash and a slippery entry you judge on site.

Open the seafloor map →
Parramore ReefOffshore marks
no data
⚠️ This point is inside the restricted zone “Atlantic Ocean off Wallops Island and Chincoteague Inlet Danger Zone”: fishing there is regulated (season, gear, permit), not banned outright. Read the zone's rules before you go.
window
—
Seabed depth of the selected area
≈16–18 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM, 9 m)

Liberty-ship reef off Parramore Island in about 17 m, deeper and with more relief than its neighbours. Black sea bass and flounder; clean water needs light wind.

Google Maps
Wachapreague ReefOuter marks
no data
window
—
Seabed depth of the selected area
≈11–13 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM, 3 m)

One morning glance — and you know.

Download on theApp StoreGET IT ONGoogle Play
Google Play — QR code
point your camera
≈

Surfacing

Cameras, map and reference — to hand as you come up.

Live cameras, map & reference
Cameras · live

Look at the water
right now.

Check the cam BEFORE you leave. Foam, brown/green murk, or waves washing the entry rocks = No-go. At night/in fog the cam is useless — treat it as «unknown», NOT «green».

connecting to the stream…
● LIVE↗
VIMS CSALT Oyster Research Farm Cam — Wachapreague Channel (VIMS)YouTube live — VIMS CSALT Oyster Research Farm Cam — Wachapreague Channel (VIMS). Embedded live stream; if the ID rotates it opens the source page. Read the water before you go.camera: youtube ↗
Open the seafloor map →
Reference

What's in season,
what the law says.

In season now
  • bluefish
    Pomatomus saltatrix · 0–20 m · legal
    Open all year in every state. No minimum size except Maryland (8″). Bag 5/day from shore or a private boat, 7 for for-hire passengers.
  • pollock
    Pollachius virens · 5–45 m · legal
    Essentially unregulated: open all year in MA, NY and RI with no bag limit. No minimum in MA; 19″ (48 cm) in NY and RI; NH 19″ in federal water. Maine names pollock as spearable.
  • cunner (bergall)
    Tautogolabrus adspersus · 1–15 m · legal
    The default first fish for a New England diver: on every jetty, ledge and wreck in 1–15 m. No season, no minimum size and no bag limit in any façade state. Explicitly on Maine's spearable list.
  • weakfish (grey trout)
    Cynoscion regalis · 1–20 m · legal
    Open all year from MA to VA, but the bag is hard: 1 fish per day coastwide. Min 16″ (41 cm) MA/RI/CT/NY, 13″ NJ/DE/MD, 12″ VA. No gear restriction.
  • sheepshead
    Archosargus probatocephalus · 2–15 m · legal
    The northern edge of its range: a bridge-piling and jetty fish in the Chesapeake. Open all year in MD and VA. Min 12″ (30 cm) in MD, none in VA. Bag 4 per person in both.
  • Atlantic spadefish
    Chaetodipterus faber · 3–30 m · legal
    The signature summer fish on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel structures and Virginia's offshore towers. Open all year in VA, no minimum size, bag 4 per person. Not on Virginia's spear-prohibited list.
  • Indian River Inlet
  • Rehoboth Beach
  • Lewes
  • Cape Henlopen

New Jersey

  • Cape May
  • Wildwood
  • Ocean City
  • Atlantic City
  • Beach Haven
  • Barnegat Light
  • Point Pleasant Beach
  • Manasquan Inlet
  • Belmar
  • Asbury Park
  • Long Branch
  • Perth Amboy
  • Sandy Hook

North Carolina

  • Kill Devil Hills
  • Nags Head
  • Oregon Inlet
  • Buxton
  • Hatteras
  • Ocracoke
  • Beaufort
  • Morehead City
  • Atlantic Beach
  • Swansboro
  • Emerald Isle

All 367 spots → · spearo.app — All countries

Atlantic hurricane season (Jun–Nov) — check the NHC forecast

buoy York Spit, VA: 17.0° · wave 0.6 m/4 s · 26 min ago

Kite-shaped experimental reef 4 nautical miles off Wachapreague Inlet in about 14 m. Black sea bass and flounder over scattered structure; boat access only.

Google Maps

SOLO is the biggest risk: underwater you can black out from lack of oxygen silently and fatally, with no one around. Solo is never truly «safe». Below are the best weather windows; carry a buoy, tell someone your plan and exit time, and any doubt — don't go.

  • red drum
    Sciaenops ocellatus · 0–10 m · ⚠️ closed season/limit
    The trap is a MAXIMUM, not a minimum: no fish over 27″ (69 cm) may be possessed. Slot VA 18–26″, NJ 18–27″, CT max 27″, NY no minimum but nothing over 27″. Bag VA 3, CT/NJ 1 per person.
    • Regulated — check your state
    • tautog📋 season by state
      Closed or 1 fish for much of the summer in most states. Min 16″ (41 cm), 15″ in NJ. Bag 1–5/day by state and window.
    • black sea bass📋 season by state
      PROHIBITED by spear in Maine (DMR). Closed Jan–mid-May everywhere. Min ranges 12.5″ (NJ/DE/MD) to 16.5″ (NH); the tail filament never counts.
    • summer flounder (fluke)📋 season by state
      The widest size spread in the façade: 15″ (NH) … 19.5″ (CT/NY from Aug 2). DE/MD/VA and NH open all year; MA/RI/CT/NY/NJ run windows. Bag 2–6/day.
    • scup (porgy)📋 season by state
      MA/RI/CT/NY 11″ from a vessel, 9.5″ from shore; NJ 10″ (closed Jul–Aug), DE/MD/VA 9″ year-round. 30/day. Not in the ME or NH tables.
    • striped bass📋 season by state
      Spearable in RI/NJ/DE/VA, BANNED in ME/MA/CT/MD; no ban in NH; NY could not be confirmed from a primary source — treat as unverified. Slot 28–31″, 1 fish/day (Hudson above the GW Bridge: 23–28″). Never gaff.
    • winter flounder📋 season by state
      Maine names it first on its spearable list. 12″ (30 cm) min in every state. Bag: MA Gulf of Maine 8 / Southern NE 2; NH 8; RI/CT/NY/NJ 2. NY window is only Apr 1–May 30.
    • Atlantic cod📋 season by state
      A narrow window: MA (W. Gulf of Maine) Sep 1–Oct 31 only, NH open Sep–Oct, NY Sep 1–May 31. Min 23″ (58 cm). Bag 1/day MA and NH, 5 NY. Maine names cod as spearable.
    • haddock📋 season by state
      A deep fish — boat work for most divers. MA (Gulf of Maine) Apr 1–Feb 28, NH closed in March, NY all year. Min 17″ (43 cm) MA-GoM/NH, 18″ (46 cm) MA-SNE/NY. Bag 15/day in MA/NH. Maine names haddock as spearable.
    • cobia📋 season by state
      Virginia's premier summer bluewater target, but the window is tight: VA Jun 15–Sep 20 only, NY all year. Min 43″ (109 cm) in both. VA 1 per person and 2 per vessel; NY 1 per angler, max 2 per vessel. Gaffing cobia is expressly prohibited.
    Law
    • ✓License/registry per state: ME registry $1–2, MA permit $10 (60+ free), NY/NJ registry FREE, RI $7/$10, VA $17.50/$25.
    • ✓Spearable in RI/NJ/DE/VA, BANNED in ME/MA/CT/MD; no ban in NH; NY could not be confirmed from a primary source — treat as unverified. Slot 28–31″, 1 fish/day (Hudson above the GW Bridge: 23–28″). Never gaff.
    • ✓Often must be fully submerged (NJ/DE); muscle-power guns only (NY). Lobster never by spear.
    • •Sharks may NOT be speared in Virginia (recreational take by handline or rod and reel only) or Maryland (all shark species on the no-spear list). NY and MA manage sharks by permit and prohibited-species list rather than by gear.
    • •Maryland: bow, gig, spear and speargun are legal tidal gear but may not be used within 100 yards (91 m) of any person, swimming area, dive flag or occupied duck blind. New Jersey requires the diver to be COMPLETELY submerged; New York allows muscle-powered guns only.
    • ⛔ 🚫 American lobster — NEVER by spear anywhere on the coast (hand-take only, under a separate dive permit).
    • ⛔ 🚫 Sturgeon — total ban; sharks in many states (VA/NJ/NC) not by spear. Striped bass: see the species note.
    • ⛔ 🚫 Total possession moratorium — never take: Atlantic sturgeon (every state), sea-run Atlantic salmon, American shad (except the Connecticut and Merrimack river systems), river herring (banned in CT and in NY south of the George Washington Bridge), Atlantic wolffish, ocean pout and windowpane flounder (MA/NH).

    US spearfishing law is state-by-state. License, spearable species, powerhead rules and distances vary; federal sanctuaries (Gray's Reef, the Keys, Flower Garden Banks) ban spearfishing. Always confirm with the state agency and local ordinances.

    Safety protocol
    • Sets: watch the wave trains ≥15 min before entering; Hmax ≈ 2×Hs, the wash can run 50 m past the foam line. A lull >10 min with period >12 s = a big set «overdue», do NOT enter; enter right after a full set passes and re-check at minute 30.
    • Exit FIRST: find your exit AND a backup before entering. On a rocky/boulder shore a 0.5 m rise in swell can make the exit impossible — getting pinned/unable to climb out is the main killer.
    • Headland rip: prominent points often have a permanent topographic rip regardless of the model — locate it, enter/exit on the windward side, never swim against it.
    • Cold: wetsuit per the SST chip; the first shiver = a metabolic surge and a drop in breath-hold → get out at the first steady shiver. Cap the session at 45–60 min below 15 °C.
    • Solo discipline: buoy up; tell someone the spot and exit time; conservative breath-hold (never push it in cold/murky/surfy water); visibility <3 m — don't enter.
    • Afternoon wind: on many coasts the wind builds from midday — plan to be out of the water by midday; the chop builds — get out.
    • UV 11:00–15:00 (UVI ≥6): sunscreen and cover up on the surface interval.
    • Solo is a fundamental risk (hypoxic blackout with no buddy). Any doubt = No-go.

    FAQ — spearfishing in Wachapreague

    Where can I spearfish in Wachapreague?

    Wachapreague has rock entry points such as Wachapreague Reef and Parramore Reef. Wachapreague runs out its barrier-island inlet to the kite-shaped Wachapreague Reef and the deeper Parramore Liberty-ship reef for sea bass and flounder. Below you'll find each spot (access, shelter and hazards) and today's forecast.

    When is the best season in Wachapreague?

    May–Nov; the CBBT pilings are the classic spot, striped bass is spearable.

    How cold is the water in Wachapreague?

    18–26 °C; CBBT pilings give structure, viz best on the incoming tide.

    Is Wachapreague good for a beginner?

    Intermediate: CBBT pilings are legendary structure, the most spear-friendly Chesapeake state.

    Do I need a licence in Wachapreague?

    Yes — in Wachapreague almost certainly, but the licence is the STATE's, not a federal one: nearly every coastal state requires its own saltwater fishing licence, and several add a free registration or an extra endorsement on top (Florida's free State Reef Fish Survey for reef fish, Texas's saltwater endorsement, California's Ocean Enhancement Validation). Hawaii asks nothing of residents and charges visitors the NRMFL. What may be speared, and with what gear, is state law too — the price and the details depend on the state, so read the «Law» block below.

    Full guide: spearfishing on the US East Coast →
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