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Greater amberjackRetention openGut · 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 all
- Crevalle jack78
- Gray snapper75
- Red drum74
- Summer flounder74
- Atlantic tarpon73
- King mackerel73
- Atlantic croaker72
- Southern flounder67
- Spanish mackerel67
- Spot67
- Weakfish63
- Black sea bass61
- Little tunny61
- Spotted seatrout61
- Florida pompano60
- Black drum58
- Cobia56
- Greater amberjack56
- Sheepshead55
- Gray triggerfish54
- Red snapper54
- Red grouper53
- Mahi-mahi47
- Wahoo42
- Bluefish35
- Sailfish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 5 AM · Greater amberjack
- Now
- 5610 AM EDT
- Best window
- 10 AM-12 PMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing3.0 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 · 10 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
100Tide: EbbingCurrent: 1.5 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
97Wind: 8 kt NNEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
68Water temp: 84°F, warmLight: MorningSolunar: Near a majorSeas: 2.0 ftSeason & habitat · Greater amberjack
Species seasonality
41Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
Greater amberjack
Retention open- Daily limit
- 1 per day
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Minimum 28 in, fork length
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Changes
- Closed from Apr 1
- Other
- Private-vessel anglers need the State Reef Fish Angler designation. Special rules apply in Biscayne National Park. Reef fish gear rules apply. Land with head and fins intact. Open January through March and May through December. Closed in April.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: Amberjack, 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)
- 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 Greater amberjack is best here
Shoulder season for Greater amberjack · 9 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Deep Creek
- Depth
- 4-9 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Estuary · Inner · ProtectedEstuary · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonGreater amberjack
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 crevalle jack, gray snapper and red drum. It is peak season now for crevalle jack, gray snapper, red drum and summer flounder, and shoulder season for Spanish mackerel, weakfish, black sea bass and little tunny. Crevalle jack peak from July through October. Gray snapper peak from June through September. Red drum peak from August through November.
Tackle & technique
- Greater amberjack
- Amberjack school around wrecks, oil rigs, towers and high-relief reefs in 60 to 250 feet, often suspended well above the bottom. Drop a live blue runner or work a heavy jig through the school, then pump hard, because a big AJ runs straight back into the structure. Heavy conventional gear with 50 to 80 pound line is standard.
- 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
- Mayport Cut Range78
Channel · 1.9 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 78
- Gray snapper 75
- Summer flounder 74
8 kt NNEL 12:39 PM · 1.0 ftH 7:16 PM · 5.2 ft
- Hannah Mills Creek77
Gut · 1.4 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 77
- Crevalle jack 76
- Red drum 74
8 kt NNEL 1:24 PM · 1.0 ftH 7:45 PM · 4.9 ft
- Fort George River77
Gut · 2.1 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 77
- Atlantic croaker 76
- Gray snapper 74
8 kt NNEL 1:15 PM · 0.9 ftH 7:27 PM · 5.3 ft
- Horseshoe Creek76
Bay · 1.7 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 76
- Red drum 74
- Atlantic croaker 73
8 kt NNEL 1:15 PM · 0.9 ftH 7:27 PM · 5.3 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.
