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SEVEN CASTS
Coastal Companionby Seven Casts · Coastal Virginia
Plate 45 of 79SaltwaterSurf & pier

Spot

Leiostomus xanthurus — also called Norfolk spot, yellow belly (fall run)

The Norfolk spot — a small, silver panfish with one dark shoulder spot, whose late-summer run fills the piers and bank spots from Ocean View to the York.

Typically present

beginnerShore-accessibleBoat recommendedEstuarineBrackish
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Practice this species

Try a simulated catch in Seven Casts. Use this guide and its official sources to plan a real trip.

This profile has not yet been checked against an official regional data source — confirm identification, seasons, and regulations before you rely on it.

Spot (Leiostomus xanthurus)
  1. 1Shoulder spot — A single dark spot just behind the gill cover
  2. 2Forked tail — forked tail
  3. 3Faint diagonal bars — faint dark diagonal bars on the upper sides
  4. 4No chin barbels — No chin barbels
Fig. 45. Leiostomus xanthurus

Photo: Brandi Noble / NOAA Fisheries Collection, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — Public domain

Habitat
Fishing piers, Bridges & shorelines
Methods
Surf, Pier, Shore
Typical size
6–10 in
Eating
good

Identification

Look for

  1. A single dark spot just behind the gill cover, above the pectoral fin
  2. Deep, silvery body with faint dark diagonal bars on the upper sides; forked tail
  3. No chin barbels (unlike its close relative Atlantic croaker)
Typical size here
6–10 in
Notable fish
12 in 'yellow belly' spot on the fall run

Tell them apart

Look first: Barbels and a shoulder spot settle it before the fish is off the hook.

Spot

Spot (Leiostomus xanthurus)
Croaker
Croaker (Micropogonias undulatus)

The 3–5 pairs of tiny chin barbels are too small to show at this size; feel for them under the chin.

Look at
Spot
Croaker
ChinNo barbels3–5 pairs of tiny barbels
ShoulderOne dark spot just behind the gill cover, above the pectoral finNo single dark spot
TailForkedSlightly pointed, wedge-shaped
SidesSilvery with faint diagonal bars on the upper sidesIrregular brownish bars or spots with a pinkish sheen
In the handUsually silentCroaks loudly
Numbers on the figures match the rows; a grey number has no mark on either figure. Chesapeake Bay Program field guide — spot

Local waters

  • Piers, bridges, and open Bay bottom
  • Tidal creeks

Catchable both from shore (surf, pier) and by boat (inshore boat, kayak). 7 spots in this guide document it — see water to try below.

Show on the map

When to fish

Typically present: summer, fall

Late summer into fall — a classic pier and bank run.

Tide stage for this kind of water

Moving water, either direction

Bottom rigs fished straight down beside the pilings on a moving tide is the first trip this guide recommends; slack water is the slow hour.

From: Getting started fishing in Hampton Roads

Water temperature

The water, not the calendar, sets the season here — a warm October or a cold snap moves these bands.

Water temperature and the seasons

Bite Windows shows the predicted tide stage, daylight, and forecast for a spot where this species is documented — planning context, never a catch forecast.

How to catch it

  • Small hooks (#6 to #2) and tiny pieces of bloodworm or artificial bloodworm on a high-low rig, held still on the bottom; the run is late summer into fall.
  • Bites are a quick rattle — a light rod tip shows them better than a heavy one.
  • Spot make excellent live bait for striped bass and flounder; keep a few in an aerated bucket.

Bait & lures

  • Bloodworms or small bits of shrimp on a bottom rig

Tackle to start with

Ranges, not rules — match the day, the water, and the fish in front of you.

Rod
6–7 ft light spinning
Line
8–10 lb mono or braid
Leader
12–15 lb mono on a pre-tied rig
Hooks
#6–#2 long-shank

Rigs for spot

All rigs

Also: Chesapeake-style bottom rig.

Packing lists written for it

Terms usedPresentationStructureCurrent seamFalling tideRising tide

On the table

Small, sweet, and rich — scaled, gutted, and fried whole; a fall-run spot dinner is a Tidewater tradition. Confirm current limits with VMRC.

  • Tiny mouths and quick bites — small hooks and a gentle unhook; spot survive release well if handled fast, and ice at once if kept.

Recipes written for it

Cleaning, chilling, and cooking a legal catch covers the steps between the cooler and the pan.

Where to try

Water that suits spot

On the mapAll fishing spots