Waterlands

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SheepsheadRetention open

Bar · Florida

Triumph Reef

25.49°N · 80.12°W · Bar · Biscayne Bay

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Best score today · 12 PM · Sheepshead

71/100Great
Now
4612 PM EST
Best window
12-1 PMFlood tide
Tide now
Flooding2.7 ft ▲

Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine

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24-hour conditions

Saturday, Nov 14 · 4 PM

Time4P
Score51Good
Tide1.2 ft ▼Ebbing
Wind8 kn SEgusts 18 · steady
Air temp79°Warm
WeatherPartly cloudy47% cloud
Water83°FPersisted

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)

IN EFFECT NOW

Sheepshead

Retention open
Daily limit
8 per day
Possession
Not published
Size
Minimum 12 in, total length
Season
No closed season on file
Annual quota
Not published
Other
State rules extend into federal waters. Special rules apply in Biscayne National Park. Hook and line, cast net, seine, spear or gig. No multiple hooks with natural bait. No snatching. Open year-round. A 50-fish vessel limit applies in March and April.

From FWC Recreational Regulations: Sheepshead, 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))
  • 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)
  • Tarpon Catch & release (No retention)
  • Wahoo Retention open (2 per day)

Source: FWC · synced yesterday

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Sheepshead is best here

Shoulder season for Sheepshead · 13 more weeks at shoulder

Sheepshead season by week of the year. Shoulder season for Sheepshead · 13 more weeks at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

Sheepshead in Florida →

Spot profile

Triumph Reef

Depth
20-25 ftFlat bottom
Structure
Reef · Outer · ExposedReef · flat bottom
Season
Shoulder seasonSheepshead

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 Triumph Reef

Triumph Reef is a bar in Biscayne Bay, Florida. Depth is 20-25 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads reef, outer water and exposed.

Waterlands scores 19 species here; the best right now are king mackerel, crevalle jack and Florida pompano. It is peak season now for king mackerel, crevalle jack, common snook and red drum, and shoulder season for Florida pompano, red grouper, gray snapper and greater amberjack. King mackerel peak from November through March. Crevalle jack peak from April through May and from September through November. Florida pompano peak from December through March.

Tackle & technique

Sheepshead
Sheepshead graze barnacles and crabs off pilings, jetty rocks, bridge supports, oyster bars and nearshore reefs, from a few feet deep out to about 50 feet. Drop a fiddler crab, sand flea or piece of shrimp on a small, strong hook straight down next to the structure with just enough weight to hold bottom. The bite is a light tap, so keep the line tight and set the hook fast.
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.
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.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Sands Cut

    Channel · 4.1 mi

    74
    Top: Crevalle jackPeak season
    • Crevalle jack 74
    • Common snook 73
    • Red drum 67

    8 kt EH 3:11 PM · 1.8 ftL 10:07 PM · 0.5 ft

  • Legare Anchorage

    Channel · 1.1 mi

    73
    Top: Crevalle jackPeak season
    • Crevalle jack 73
    • King mackerel 70
    • Common snook 69

    8 kt EH 1:21 PM · 2.9 ftL 7:36 PM · 0.8 ft

  • Bowles Bank

    Bar · 3.0 mi

    72
    Top: King mackerelPeak season
    • King mackerel 72
    • Crevalle jack 69
    • Florida pompano 68

    8 kt EH 2:45 PM · 2.0 ftL 9:19 PM · 0.7 ft

  • Bache Shoal

    Bar · 2.4 mi

    68
    Top: Crevalle jackPeak season
    • Crevalle jack 68
    • Common snook 67
    • King mackerel 66

    8 kt EH 1:21 PM · 2.9 ftL 7:36 PM · 0.8 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.