When wahoo are off Belmar
Wahoo fishing out of Belmar starts in summer, when water temperatures reach the high 70s. The fish are a pelagic visitor to the Mud Hole, and most trips from Belmar head there through Shark River Inlet.
This page covers the temperature trigger, where boats run, the structure on the way out and inside the hole, and who fishes for wahoo from this port.
Water temperature
Boats looking for wahoo here wait for the water to warm. Regional reporting describes pelagic visitors in summertime at the Mud Hole when temperatures hit the high 70s. Use that number as the trigger for a run rather than a calendar date.
For timing across the wider range, see the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic picture (see also the Atlantic Northeast fishing guide). Before leaving the dock, check the official NWS marine forecast for wind, wave height and period.
A visitor, not a resident
Wahoo are a pelagic visitor to the Mud Hole. They are not resident and not a regular catch on every trip, so a run is a decision about where to look and carries no promise of fish.
Where boats run: the Mud Hole
The Mud Hole, 240 ft
Boats looking for wahoo out of Shark River Inlet run to the Mud Hole, which drops to 240 ft. Wrecks sit along its edges and inside it, which makes the structure on the way out and inside the hole the place to look.
Grounds and structure near Belmar
The grounds below run from the nearshore reefs to the wrecks inside the hole. Some sit closer to Manasquan or Sea Girt than to Belmar, and the table keeps each reference point as listed.
Sea Girt Reef and the Klondike
Sea Girt Reef lies in 60 ft, 3.6 nm off Sea Girt, with a depth range of 60 to 75 ft. It sits atop the Klondike, an underwater ridge, and serves as nearshore structure on the way out.
Shark River Reef and the Stolt Dagali
Shark River Reef lies in 125 ft, 15.6 nm off Manasquan. The Stolt Dagali is a wreck in 130 ft, near the Shark River Reef and close to the Mud Hole edge.
Wrecks in the Mud Hole
Inside and along the hole, the wrecks are arranged by position:
- Arundo: at the eastern end of the Mud Hole. It is listed at 90 ft and lies in 90 to 150 ft.
- IP Goulandris: midway through the Mud Hole, lying in 190 ft.
- Oil Wreck (Ayuruoca): in the Mud Hole area, at 170 ft.
Load these wrecks against the Chart Contours layer in Breakpoint to see how they sit on the Mud Hole edges. Chart layers are not for navigation.
Grounds at a glance
| Name | Depth (ft) | Location note |
|---|---|---|
| Sea Girt Reef | 60 (60 to 75) | 3.6 nm off Sea Girt, atop the Klondike |
| Klondike | n/a | Underwater ridge under the Sea Girt Reef |
| Shark River Reef | 125 | 15.6 nm off Manasquan |
| Stolt Dagali | 130 | Near the Shark River Reef, close to the Mud Hole edge |
| Mud Hole | 240 | Destination for wahoo, a pelagic visitor |
| Arundo | 90 (lies in 90 to 150) | Eastern end of the Mud Hole |
| Oil Wreck (Ayuruoca) | 170 | In the Mud Hole area |
| IP Goulandris | 190 | Midway through the Mud Hole |
How wahoo are fished from Belmar
Boats watch for water in the high 70s, when wahoo show up as a summer visitor around the Mud Hole, its wrecks and its edges.
Working the structure
For lures, tackle and methods, use the wahoo fishing guide. Other pelagics share this water, and the offshore gamefish guides cover them.
Who fishes for them
Fin-ominal Charters out of Belmar lists wahoo. The operation runs with Capt. Jared, a 55 foot Custom Carman and a 101 foot Custom Sport Yacht.
FAQ: wahoo fishing out of Belmar
When do wahoo show up off Belmar?
In summer, when water temperatures reach the high 70s. They are a pelagic visitor, not a resident fish.
How deep is the Mud Hole?
The Mud Hole is 240 ft at its deepest.
Which wrecks are in the Mud Hole?
The Arundo sits at the eastern end. The IP Goulandris lies midway through in 190 ft. The Oil Wreck (Ayuruoca) is in the Mud Hole area at 170 ft.
Are there wahoo charters out of Belmar?
Fin-ominal Charters lists wahoo. The operation runs with Capt. Jared, a 55 foot Custom Carman and a 101 foot Custom Sport Yacht.
Where are the rules for wahoo?
On the state rules page and the federal dolphin and wahoo rules page. Check both before you fish.
