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King mackerelRetention openBend · Florida
Chatham Bend
25.69°N · 81.29°W · Bend · Bayside and Gulfside from Craig Key to West End of Seven Mile Bridge
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 9 AM · King mackerel
- Now
- 3511 PM EDT
- Best window
- 11 PM-12 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding3.4 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Chatham Bend 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 · 11 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
73Tide: FloodingCurrent: WeakWind & pressure
ECMWF
100Wind: 3 kt ENEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
Open-Meteo Marine
41Water temp: 87°F, hotLight: NightSolunar: Major periodSeas: 0.7 ftSeason & habitat · King mackerel
Species seasonality
25Off season · capped at 35Season: Off seasonHabitat: Poor fitDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Monroe County state waters (Florida Keys)
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. FWC applies the Gulf king mackerel rules to all of Monroe County. 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 Closed (No retention)
- 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 Check regulations
- Permit Retention open (2 per day)
- Red drum Retention open (1 per day)
- Red grouper Retention open (3 per day (3 Atlantic grouper and tilefish 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 Catch & release (No retention)
- Southern flounder Retention open (5 per day)
- Spanish mackerel Retention open (15 per day)
- Spot Retention open
- Spotted seatrout Retention open (3 per day)
- Summer flounder Retention open (5 per day)
- Tarpon Catch & release (No retention)
- Wahoo Retention open (2 per day)
Source: FWC · synced today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When King mackerel is best here
Out of season for King mackerel · shoulder season starts in 2 weeks
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Chatham Bend
- Depth
- 4-8 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Channel · Inner · Semi-exposedChannel · flat bottom
- Season
- Off 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 Chatham Bend
Chatham Bend is a bend in Bayside and Gulfside from Craig Key to West End of Seven Mile Bridge, Florida. Depth is 4-8 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads channel, inner water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 18 species here; the best right now are common snook, Atlantic tarpon and crevalle jack. It is peak season now for common snook and crevalle jack, and shoulder season for Atlantic tarpon, gray snapper, permit and red drum. Common snook peak from April through May and from September through November. Atlantic tarpon peak from March through June. Crevalle jack peak from April through May and 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.
- Common snook
- Snook ambush bait around mangrove shorelines, bridge and dock lights, jetties and the mouths of passes and inlets, generally in 2 to 15 feet of water. Fish moving water, especially the outgoing tide, with a live pilchard, pinfish or shrimp, or a jerkbait or soft plastic swum past the structure. In summer they spawn along beaches and inlets, and in winter they crowd into rivers, canals and deep backcountry creeks where the water stays warmer.
- 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
- Huston Cove75
Bay · 1.5 mi
Top: Common snookPeak season- Common snook 75
- Atlantic tarpon 69
- Crevalle jack 68
3 kt ENEH 12:21 AM · 3.9 ftL 6:43 AM · 1.1 ft
- Crab Key Bight75
Bay · 2.0 mi
Top: Common snookPeak season- Common snook 75
- Atlantic tarpon 69
- Crevalle jack 68
3 kt ENEH 12:21 AM · 3.9 ftL 6:43 AM · 1.1 ft
- Gun Rock Point70
Cape · 0.8 mi
Top: Common snookPeak season- Common snook 70
- Atlantic tarpon 65
- Crevalle jack 62
3 kt ENEH 12:21 AM · 3.9 ftL 6:43 AM · 1.1 ft
- Clam Point70
Cape · 2.2 mi
Top: Common snookPeak season- Common snook 70
- Atlantic tarpon 65
- Crevalle jack 62
3 kt ENEH 12:21 AM · 3.9 ftL 6:43 AM · 1.1 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.