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King mackerelRetention openBay · Florida
Grass Inlet
30.07°N · 84.31°W · Bay · Apalachee Bay or Coastal Waters From Keaton Beach to Ochlockonee River Fl out to 20 Nm
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Atlantic croaker70
- Atlantic tarpon63
- Red drum62
- Florida pompano58
- Southern flounder56
- Gray snapper55
- Spanish mackerel54
- Crevalle jack50
- Black drum47
- Permit47
- Yellowfin tuna46
- Gag grouper45
- Red snapper45
- Cobia44
- King mackerel44
- Wahoo43
- Gray triggerfish42
- Red grouper42
- Spotted seatrout41
- Sailfish37
- Greater amberjack36
- Mahi-mahi35
- Sheepshead32
Best score today · 6 PM · King mackerel
- Now
- 441 AM EDT
- Best window
- 3-7 PMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Flooding3.4 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Grass Inlet scores 75+
Checked every morning against the 14-day forecast. Free by push and email.
14-day forecast
Best days to fish
24-hour conditions · rolling from now
Conditions · 1 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
45Tide: FloodingCurrent: SlackWind & pressure
ECMWF
93Wind: 3 kt NEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
Open-Meteo Marine
33Water temp: 86°F, hotLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 0.4 ftSeason & habitat · King mackerel
Species seasonality
68Season: ShoulderHabitat: Usable structureDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Gulf state waters (Escambia through Collier counties)
King mackerel
Retention open- Daily limit
- 3 per day
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Minimum 24 in, fork length
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- Hook and line and spearing only. Open year-round.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: King Mackerel, read Sep 13
Other species here
- Atlantic croaker Retention open
- Black drum Retention open (5 per day)
- Bluefish Retention open (10 per day)
- Bonefish Catch & release (No retention)
- Cobia Retention open (1 per day)
- Crevalle jack Retention open
- Florida pompano Retention open (6 per day)
- Gag grouper Retention open (2 per day (4 Gulf grouper combined))
- Gray snapper Retention open (5 per day (10 snapper combined))
- Gray triggerfish Retention open (1 per day)
- Greater amberjack Retention open (1 per day)
- Mahi-mahi Retention open (10 per day)
- Permit Retention open (2 per day)
- Red drum Retention open (1 per day)
- Red grouper Retention open (2 per day (4 Gulf grouper combined))
- Red snapper Retention open (2 per day (10 snapper combined))
- Sailfish Retention open (1 per day (1 billfish combined))
- Sheepshead Retention open (8 per day)
- Snook Retention open (1 per day)
- Southern flounder Retention open (5 per day)
- Spanish mackerel Retention open (15 per day)
- Spot Retention open
- Spotted seatrout Retention open (5 per day)
- Summer flounder Retention open (5 per day)
- Tarpon Catch & release (No retention)
- Wahoo Retention open (2 per day)
Source: FWC · synced yesterday
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When King mackerel is best here
Shoulder season for King mackerel · 1 more week at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Grass Inlet
- Depth
- 1-7 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Inlet · Outer · Semi-exposedInlet · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonKing mackerel
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 Grass Inlet
Grass Inlet is a bay in Apalachee Bay or Coastal Waters From Keaton Beach to Ochlockonee River Fl out to 20 Nm, Florida. Depth is 1-7 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads inlet, outer water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 23 species here; the best right now are Atlantic croaker, Atlantic tarpon and red drum. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, red drum and gray snapper, and shoulder season for Atlantic tarpon, Florida pompano, southern flounder and Spanish mackerel. Atlantic croaker peak from July through September. Atlantic tarpon peak from May through July. Red drum peak from September through November.
Tackle & technique
- King mackerel
- Kings roam from beaches and pier ends out to reefs, wrecks and ledges in 40 to 200 feet, usually feeding in the upper half of the water column. Slow-troll live menhaden, blue runners or cigar minnows on a light wire stinger rig, or pull spoons and ribbonfish past bait schools. Look for clean green water above 68 F with bait and birds on it.
- Atlantic croaker
- Croaker feed on mud and sand bottom along channel edges, oyster bars, piers and deeper holes in bays and sounds, mostly in 5 to 30 feet of water. A two-hook bottom rig with small hooks and shrimp, bloodworm or squid catches them from piers, the surf and small boats. Fish the hours around high tide and into the evening.
- Atlantic tarpon
- Tarpon roll along beaches, in passes and channels, and under bridges from late spring through fall, and in South Florida some fish stay through winter in warm canals and backcountry rivers. Live crabs, mullet or pinfish drifted through a pass on the outgoing tide, or a fly or soft plastic cast ahead of a rolling string of fish, are the main approaches. Use a long heavy leader, bow to the jumps, and keep big fish in the water for release.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Shell Point70
Cape · 1.1 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 70
- Red drum 62
- Atlantic tarpon 60
3 kt NEL 7:03 AM · 1.7 ftH 1:08 PM · 3.8 ft
- Stuart Cove70
Bay · 1.2 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 70
- Red drum 62
- Atlantic tarpon 60
3 kt NEL 7:03 AM · 1.7 ftH 1:08 PM · 3.8 ft
- Oyster Bay70
Bay · 1.3 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 70
- Red drum 62
- Atlantic tarpon 60
3 kt NEL 7:03 AM · 1.7 ftH 1:08 PM · 3.8 ft
- Goose Creek Bay70
Bay · 2.8 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 70
- Red drum 62
- Atlantic tarpon 60
3 kt NEL 7:03 AM · 1.7 ftH 1:08 PM · 3.8 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 FWC before you keep a fish.