The grounds · 180 ft · banks, ledges and wrecks
Blueline Tilefish
Caulolatilus microps. Prime water reaches Montauk in Mid-Atlantic right now (58°F on the bottom).
LaneThe grounds · 30 fa (180 ft)
Depth it holds295–787 ft
Prime water52–63°F (workable 52–68°F)
Holds in the column295–787 ft down (on the bottom)
Judged onseabed temperature (RTOFS at depth)
Structureprefers rough bottom on the upper slope
The water column off Montauk
The strip is the water itself, coloured by temperature from the surface down to the 181 ft surveyed bottom at that spot — one band per RTOFS model level. The outlined stretch is where Blueline Tilefish's temperature band (52–68°F) and the depth it holds actually overlap. That thickness is the number that matters: it is how much water you can work, not just whether the spot is warm enough somewhere. One model cycle, not a weekly archive — this holds still while the surface map scrubs.
How it's fished
Deep-drop on rough bottom just up-slope of the golden tilefish grounds.
Region by region — right now
| Region | Season | Prime water | Temp | Fish it at | Months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-Atlantic | in season | reaches Montauk | 58°F | — | J F M A M J J A |
| Southeast Atlantic | in season | reaches Savannah | 68°F | — | J F M A M J J A S |
"Fish it at" is where this species' temperature band and its holding depth overlap in the water column, from the RTOFS profile (13 levels, 0–300 m) — the depth to actually put a bait, not just the place. "Prime water" is the furthest sampled station on the 30-fathom lane whose seabed temperature sits inside this species' band. It is water, not a sighting report.
Charted grounds on the 30-fathom lane