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CobiaRetention openChannel · Florida
West Channel
24.51°N · 81.91°W · Channel · Bayside and Gulfside from Craig Key to West End of Seven Mile Bridge
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 11 AM · Cobia
- 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 West Channel 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
91Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.6 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
97Wind: 3 kt WSWPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
62Water temp: 86°F, hotLight: OvercastSolunar: Major periodSeas: 1.1 ftSeason & habitat · Cobia
Species seasonality
20Off season · capped at 35Season: Off seasonHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Monroe County state waters (Florida Keys)
Cobia
Retention open- Daily limit
- 1 per day
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Minimum 36 in, fork length
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- 1 per person or 2 per vessel, whichever is less. Spears, gigs, hook and line, seine or cast net.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: Cobia, 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)
- 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)
- King mackerel Retention open (3 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 Cobia is best here
Out of season for Cobia · shoulder season starts in 6 weeks
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
West Channel
- Depth
- 30-35 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Channel · Outer · ExposedChannel · flat bottom
- Season
- Off seasonCobia
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 West Channel
West Channel is a channel in Bayside and Gulfside from Craig Key to West End of Seven Mile Bridge, Florida. Depth is 30-35 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads channel, outer water and exposed.
Waterlands scores 18 species here; the best right now are crevalle jack, Atlantic tarpon and common snook. It is peak season now for crevalle jack and common snook, and shoulder season for Atlantic tarpon, gray snapper, permit and red drum. Crevalle jack peak from April through May and from September through November. Atlantic tarpon peak from March through June. Common snook peak from April through May and from September through November.
Tackle & technique
- Cobia
- Cobia cruise inlets, beaches, buoys, wrecks and the backs of rays in 5 to 100 feet of water. On calm, sunny days sight-cast bucktails or live eels to fish near the surface. Otherwise anchor up-current of structure, chum, and fish live eels, crabs or menhaden near the bottom.
- Crevalle jack
- Jacks roam in schools through inlets, passes, bays, river mouths and along beaches, pushing bait to the surface, and big fish also hold on nearshore reefs and wrecks. Watch for birds and surface blowups, then cast a popper, a spoon or a bucktail into the school and retrieve fast. Bring heavy spinning tackle, because a jack over 15 pounds runs hard and fights for a long time.
- 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
- Lakes Passage80
Gut · 3.3 mi
Top: Common snookPeak season- Common snook 80
- Crevalle jack 80
- Atlantic tarpon 79
3 kt WSWL 2:44 PM · 0.6 ftH 9:09 PM · 1.7 ft
- West Channel77
Channel · 2.5 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 77
- Atlantic tarpon 77
- Common snook 74
3 kt WSWL 2:18 PM · 0.5 ftH 8:32 PM · 1.6 ft
- Middle Ground72
Bar · 1.8 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
- Parsonage Shoal72
Bar · 2.0 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 72
- Atlantic tarpon 69
- Common snook 67
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.