Waterlands

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King mackerelRetention open

Gut · Florida

Deep Creek

30.42°N · 81.45°W · Gut · Coastal waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM

LOADING MAP

Best score today · 5 AM · King mackerel

82/100Great
Now
669 AM EDT
Best window
9 AM-12 PMEbb tide
Tide now
Ebbing3.8 ft ▼

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

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14-day forecast

Best days to fish

Best: Wed · 84

24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 9 AM · now

Time9ANOW
Score66Great
Tide3.8 ft ▼Ebbing
CurrentSlack0.1 kn
Wind7 kn NNEgusts 15 · steady
Sea stateLight chop1.8 ft · 5 s
Air temp77°Warm
WeatherPartly cloudy57% chance of rain
Water84°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)

IN EFFECT NOW

King mackerel

Retention open
Daily limit
2 per day
Possession
Not published
Size
Minimum 24 in, fork length
Season
No closed season on file
Annual quota
Not published
Other
Hook and line and spearing only. Open year-round.

From FWC Recreational Regulations: King Mackerel, 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)
  • 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)
Always check with FWC ↗Fishing license ↗

Source: FWC · synced yesterday

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When King mackerel is best here

Peak season for King mackerel · 5 more weeks at peak

King mackerel season by week of the year. Peak season for King mackerel · 5 more weeks at peak.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

King mackerel in Florida →

Spot profile

Deep Creek

Depth
4-9 ftFlat bottom
Structure
Estuary · Inner · ProtectedEstuary · flat bottom
Season
Peak seasonKing mackerel

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 croaker, crevalle jack and Atlantic tarpon. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, crevalle jack, Atlantic tarpon and gray snapper, and shoulder season for Florida pompano, black sea bass, Spanish mackerel and black drum. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Crevalle jack peak from July through October. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September.

Tackle & technique

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.
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

View all on map →
  • Fort George River

    Gut · 2.1 mi

    80
    Top: Crevalle jackPeak season
    • Crevalle jack 80
    • Atlantic croaker 79
    • Atlantic tarpon 79

    7 kt NNEL 1:15 PM · 0.9 ftH 7:27 PM · 5.3 ft

  • Hannah Mills Creek

    Gut · 1.4 mi

    78
    Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season
    • Atlantic tarpon 78
    • Crevalle jack 76
    • Red drum 76

    7 kt NNEL 1:24 PM · 1.0 ftH 7:45 PM · 4.9 ft

  • Horseshoe Creek

    Bay · 1.7 mi

    78
    Top: Crevalle jackPeak season
    • Crevalle jack 78
    • Southern flounder 78
    • Atlantic tarpon 78

    7 kt NNEL 1:15 PM · 0.9 ftH 7:27 PM · 5.3 ft

  • Mayport Cut Range

    Channel · 1.9 mi

    77
    Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season
    • Atlantic croaker 77
    • Crevalle jack 75
    • Atlantic tarpon 74

    7 kt NNEL 12:39 PM · 1.0 ftH 7:16 PM · 5.2 ft

Open in the tide map

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.