UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN
CobiaRetention openBay · Florida
Chicopit Bay
30.38°N · 81.46°W · Bay · Coastal waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Atlantic tarpon75
- Red drum68
- Crevalle jack64
- Atlantic croaker63
- Gray snapper62
- Southern flounder62
- Summer flounder62
- Spot61
- King mackerel60
- Florida pompano59
- Weakfish57
- Spanish mackerel56
- Spotted seatrout55
- Cobia49
- Little tunny48
- Black drum46
- Red snapper45
- Black sea bass44
- Greater amberjack44
- Gray triggerfish42
- Red grouper42
- Sheepshead39
- Mahi-mahi38
- Bluefish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Wahoo34
- Sailfish29
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 10 AM · Cobia
- Now
- 492 AM EDT
- Best window
- 2 AM-12 PMHigh slack
- Tide now
- Flooding1.1 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Chicopit Bay 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 · 2 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
77Tide: FloodingCurrent: 1.4 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
99Wind: 3 kt NEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
15Water temp: 85°F, warmLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeason & habitat · Cobia
Species seasonality
58Season: ShoulderHabitat: Usable structureDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
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 (50 per day)
- Black drum Retention open (5 per day)
- Bluefish Retention open (3 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 (2 per day)
- Mahi-mahi Retention open (5 per day)
- 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 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 Retention open (5 per day)
- Spanish mackerel Retention open (15 per day)
- Spot Retention open (50 per day)
- 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
Shoulder season for Cobia · 1 more week at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Chicopit Bay
- Depth
- 8-30 ftSlope
- Structure
- Bay · Inner · ProtectedBay · slope
- Season
- Shoulder 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 Chicopit Bay
Chicopit Bay is a bay in Coastal waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM, Florida. Depth is 8-30 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads bay, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 28 species here; the best right now are Atlantic tarpon, red drum and crevalle jack. It is peak season now for Atlantic tarpon, red drum, crevalle jack and Atlantic croaker, and shoulder season for Florida pompano, weakfish, Spanish mackerel and cobia. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September. Red drum peak from August through November. Crevalle jack peak from July through October.
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.
- 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.
- Red drum
- Redfish feed on shallow grass flats, oyster bars and marsh edges, often in 1 to 4 feet of water, and drop into channels, deep holes and tidal creeks when the water turns very hot or cold. Work a live shrimp under a popping cork or a soft plastic along the grass line on a rising tide, then fish creek mouths and drains as the tide falls. Bull reds over 30 inches school in the surf, passes and jetties in late summer and fall, where cut mullet or a live crab on the bottom is the standard approach.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Sherman Cut Range80
Channel · 1.2 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 80
- Atlantic croaker 73
- Gray snapper 72
3 kt NEH 6:47 AM · 4.7 ftL 12:39 PM · 1.0 ft
- Mile Point Lower Range and Turn78
Channel · 0.5 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 78
- Red drum 70
- Gray snapper 69
3 kt NEH 7:12 AM · 4.0 ftL 1:07 PM · 0.8 ft
- Training Wall Reach77
Channel · 1.0 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 77
- Atlantic croaker 69
- Red drum 68
3 kt NEH 7:12 AM · 4.0 ftL 1:07 PM · 0.8 ft
- Mayport Cut Range77
Channel · 1.6 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 77
- Atlantic croaker 74
- Gray snapper 69
3 kt NEH 6:47 AM · 4.7 ftL 12:39 PM · 1.0 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.