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SheepsheadRetention openChannel · Florida
City Front Reach
30.67°N · 81.47°W · Channel · Coastal waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Atlantic croaker70
- Crevalle jack66
- Spot65
- Gray snapper62
- Summer flounder62
- King mackerel61
- Red drum61
- Florida pompano59
- Black sea bass58
- Black drum56
- Spanish mackerel54
- Spotted seatrout53
- Gray triggerfish52
- Red grouper51
- Red snapper51
- Sheepshead51
- Weakfish51
- Little tunny48
- Cobia46
- Greater amberjack46
- Mahi-mahi40
- Atlantic tarpon35
- Bluefish35
- Sailfish35
- Southern flounder35
- Wahoo34
- Yellowfin tuna33
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 4 AM · Sheepshead
- Now
- 513 PM EDT
- Best window
- 7 PM-12 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Flooding2.7 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when City Front Reach 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 · 3 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
100Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.3 kn floodWind & pressure
ECMWF
59Wind: 12 kt NEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
24Water temp: 84°F, warmLight: Partly cloudySolunar: Between periodsSeason & habitat · Sheepshead
Species seasonality
62Season: ShoulderHabitat: Usable structureDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
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 (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))
- 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 today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Sheepshead is best here
Shoulder season for Sheepshead · 18 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
City Front Reach
- Depth
- 15-25 ftSlope
- Structure
- Channel · Inner · ProtectedChannel · slope
- 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 City Front Reach
City Front Reach is a channel in Coastal waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM, Florida. Depth is 15-25 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads channel, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 28 species here; the best right now are Atlantic croaker, crevalle jack and spot. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, crevalle jack, spot and gray snapper, and shoulder season for Florida pompano, black sea bass, black drum and Spanish mackerel. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Crevalle jack peak from July through October. Spot peak from September through October.
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.
- Atlantic croaker
- Croaker feed on mud and sand bottom along channel edges, oyster bars, piers and deeper holes in bays and sounds, mostly in 5 to 30 feet of water. A two-hook bottom rig with small hooks and shrimp, bloodworm or squid catches them from piers, the surf and small boats. Fish the hours around high tide and into the evening.
- 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
- Seaboard Reach71
Channel · 0.7 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 71
- Atlantic croaker 70
- Gray snapper 66
12 kt NEH 7:17 PM · 6.7 ftL 1:21 AM · 1.1 ft
- Old Town Reach71
Channel · 1.1 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 71
- Atlantic croaker 70
- Gray snapper 66
12 kt NEH 7:17 PM · 6.7 ftL 1:21 AM · 1.1 ft
- Rayonier Reach70
Channel · 0.7 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 70
- Crevalle jack 66
- Spot 65
12 kt NEH 7:17 PM · 6.7 ftL 1:21 AM · 1.1 ft
- Saint Marys Entrance68
Channel · 3.5 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 68
- King mackerel 64
- Atlantic croaker 63
12 kt NEH 6:41 PM · 6.4 ftL 1:18 AM · 1.1 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.