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Atlantic tarponCatch & releaseGut · Florida
Deep Creek
30.42°N · 81.45°W · Gut · Coastal waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all77
- Atlantic tarpon77
- Atlantic croaker76
- Crevalle jack76
- Gray snapper74
- Red drum74
- Summer flounder74
- Spot71
- Southern flounder70
- King mackerel69
- Florida pompano68
- Spanish mackerel65
- Black sea bass64
- Black drum63
- Weakfish63
- Little tunny60
- Spotted seatrout60
- Sheepshead58
- Cobia57
- Gray triggerfish56
- Red grouper56
- Red snapper56
- Greater amberjack55
- Mahi-mahi42
- Wahoo40
- Bluefish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Sailfish33
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 9 AM · Atlantic tarpon
- Now
- 774 PM EDT
- Best window
- 9 PM-12 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Flooding3.1 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Deep Creek 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 · 4 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
100Tide: FloodingCurrent: 1.0 kn floodWind & pressure
ECMWF
86Wind: 8 kt NEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
69Water temp: 85°F, primeLight: Partly cloudySolunar: Between periodsSeas: 1.4 ftSeason & habitat · Atlantic tarpon
Species seasonality
91Season: PeakHabitat: Usable structureDepth: In rangeRegulations: Catch & release
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 (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)
- Wahoo Retention open (2 per day)
Source: FWC · synced today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Atlantic tarpon is best here
Peak season for Atlantic tarpon · 1 more week at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- Not here
- This week
Spot profile
Deep Creek
- Depth
- 4-9 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Estuary · Inner · ProtectedEstuary · flat bottom
- Season
- Peak 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 Deep Creek
Deep Creek is a gut in Coastal waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM, Florida. Depth is 4-9 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads estuary, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 28 species here; the best right now are Atlantic tarpon, Atlantic croaker and crevalle jack. It is peak season now for Atlantic tarpon, Atlantic croaker, crevalle jack and gray snapper, and shoulder season for Florida pompano, Spanish mackerel, black sea bass and black drum. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Crevalle jack peak from July through October.
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.
- 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
- Mayport Cut Range77
Channel · 1.9 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 77
- Atlantic croaker 76
- Crevalle jack 76
8 kt NEH 6:32 PM · 5.1 ftL 12:35 AM · 1.2 ft
- Fort George River76
Gut · 2.1 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 76
- Atlantic tarpon 72
- Crevalle jack 71
8 kt NEH 6:40 PM · 5.1 ftL 1:10 AM · 1.1 ft
- Hannah Mills Creek74
Gut · 1.4 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 74
- Atlantic tarpon 73
- Crevalle jack 72
8 kt NEH 7:05 PM · 4.8 ftL 1:13 AM · 1.2 ft
- Horseshoe Creek70
Bay · 1.7 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 70
- Crevalle jack 69
- Atlantic tarpon 69
8 kt NEH 6:40 PM · 5.1 ftL 1:10 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.