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Atlantic tarponCatch & releaseSpecies here · tap to switch
Best score today · 6 PM · Atlantic tarpon
- Now
- 3011 PM EST
- Best window
- 11 PM-12 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding1.0 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Safety Valve 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
Wednesday, Nov 4 · 8 AM
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
82Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.3 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
100Wind: 5 kt NNEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
80Water temp: 80°F, primeLight: DawnSolunar: Major periodSeas: 2.7 ftSeason & habitat · Atlantic tarpon
Species seasonality
70Season: ShoulderHabitat: Usable structureDepth: In range
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
Tarpon
Catch & release- Daily limit
- No retention
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Not published
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- Tarpon over 40 inches must stay in the water. Special gear rules apply year-round in Boca Grande Pass. Hook and line only. No snagging, snatch hooking, spearing, or multiple hooks with natural bait. Applies in state and federal waters of the Gulf and Atlantic.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: Tarpon, read Sep 13
Other species here
- Atlantic croaker Retention open (50 per day)
- Black drum Retention open (5 per day)
- Bluefish Retention open (3 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)
- King mackerel Retention open (2 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 Retention open (1 per day)
- Southern flounder Closed (No retention)
- Spanish mackerel Retention open (15 per day)
- Spot Retention open (50 per day)
- Spotted seatrout Retention open (3 per day)
- Summer flounder Closed (No retention)
- Wahoo Retention open (2 per day)
Source: FWC · synced today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Atlantic tarpon is best here
Shoulder season for Atlantic tarpon · 16 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Safety Valve
- Depth
- 6-10 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Channel · Outer · ExposedChannel · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonAtlantic tarpon
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 Safety Valve
Safety Valve is a gut in Biscayne Bay, Florida. Depth is 6-10 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads channel, outer water and exposed.
Waterlands scores 19 species here; the best right now are crevalle jack, gray snapper and king mackerel. It is peak season now for crevalle jack, king mackerel, bonefish and common snook, and shoulder season for gray snapper, Florida pompano, red grouper and greater amberjack. Crevalle jack peak from April through May and from September through November. Gray snapper peak from May through August. King mackerel peak from November through March.
Tackle & technique
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Lewis Cut67
Bay · 4.5 mi
Top: Common snookPeak season- Common snook 67
- Red drum 67
- Crevalle jack 64
4 kt EH 3:02 AM · 1.9 ftL 9:43 AM · 0.5 ft
- Biscayne Channel64
Channel · 4.8 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 64
- Gray snapper 59
- King mackerel 57
6 kt EH 2:19 AM · 2.4 ftL 8:47 AM · 0.5 ft
- Biscayne Bay63
Bay · 4.3 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 63
- Gray snapper 57
- Florida pompano 55
4 kt EH 2:38 AM · 2.2 ftL 9:26 AM · 0.4 ft
- Biscayne Flats59
Bar · 3.8 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 59
- Florida pompano 59
- King mackerel 57
6 kt EH 2:19 AM · 2.4 ftL 8:47 AM · 0.5 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.