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King mackerelRetention openBar · Florida
Eastern Dry Rocks
24.46°N · 81.84°W · Bar · Bayside and Gulfside from Craig Key to West End of Seven Mile Bridge
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 11 AM · King mackerel
- Now
- 3511 AM EDT
- Best window
- 11 AM-2 PMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing1.3 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Eastern Dry Rocks 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 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
76Tide: EbbingCurrent: SlackWind & pressure
ECMWF
100Wind: 4 kt WSWPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
64Water temp: 86°F, hotLight: OvercastSolunar: Major periodSeas: 1.1 ftSeason & habitat · King mackerel
Species seasonality
52Off season · capped at 35Season: Off seasonHabitat: Prime structureDepth: In 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 (10 per day)
- Greater amberjack Retention open (1 per day)
- Mahi-mahi Retention open (5 per day)
- Permit Retention open (1 per day)
- Red drum Retention open (1 per day)
- Red grouper Retention open (3 per day (3 Atlantic grouper and tilefish combined))
- Red snapper Check regulations
- 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 yesterday
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
Eastern Dry Rocks
- Depth
- About 80 ft
- Structure
- Ledge · Outer · Exposed
- Season
- Off seasonKing mackerel
NOAA NCEI DEM, sampled Sep 13 on a 464 m grid. Depths are feet below mean sea level, not chart datum (MLLW), so they can differ from a chart by a few feet. Not for navigation.
About this spot
Fishing Eastern Dry Rocks
Eastern Dry Rocks is a bar in Bayside and Gulfside from Craig Key to West End of Seven Mile Bridge, Florida. Depth is about 80 ft. Its profile reads ledge, outer water and exposed.
Waterlands scores 18 species here; the best right now are gray snapper, red grouper and crevalle jack. It is peak season now for crevalle jack and common snook, and shoulder season for gray snapper, red grouper, permit and Atlantic tarpon. Gray snapper peak from May through August. Red grouper peak from April 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.
- Gray snapper
- Mangrove snapper hold tight to mangrove roots, bridge pilings, jetties and reef ledges, from a few feet deep inshore to 150 feet offshore. Chum to pull them out of cover, then freeline or lightly weight a live shrimp or pilchard on fluorocarbon leader, since they shy away from heavy line in clear water. The bite improves at dusk and after dark.
- Red grouper
- Red grouper live on low limestone ledges and potholed live bottom across the West Florida Shelf, mostly in 60 to 250 feet. Drift to find hard bottom, then anchor and fish live pinfish, grunts or squid on the bottom with stout conventional tackle. Reel hard right after the bite, because they dive into holes, and use a descending device on fish released from deep water.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Main Ship Channel77
Channel · 4.9 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 77
- Atlantic tarpon 74
- Common snook 73
4 kt WSWL 2:44 PM · 0.6 ftH 9:09 PM · 1.7 ft
- Sand Key Channel74
Channel · 4.6 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 74
- Atlantic tarpon 74
- Common snook 73
3 kt WSWL 2:18 PM · 0.5 ftH 8:32 PM · 1.6 ft
- Middle Ground72
Bar · 4.0 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 72
- Common snook 71
- Atlantic tarpon 69
3 kt WSWL 2:18 PM · 0.5 ftH 8:32 PM · 1.6 ft
- Sand Key69
Bar · 2.4 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 69
- Atlantic tarpon 66
- Common snook 63
3 kt WSWL 2:18 PM · 0.5 ftH 8:32 PM · 1.6 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.