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SailfishRetention openBay · Florida
Fort George Inlet
30.42°N · 81.41°W · Bay · Coastal waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Crevalle jack80
- Atlantic tarpon77
- Atlantic croaker75
- Summer flounder74
- Spot73
- Red drum72
- King mackerel70
- Spanish mackerel70
- Gray snapper69
- Southern flounder68
- Little tunny64
- Weakfish62
- Black sea bass61
- Gray triggerfish59
- Red snapper59
- Cobia58
- Red grouper58
- Florida pompano57
- Black drum56
- Sheepshead55
- Greater amberjack54
- Spotted seatrout54
- Wahoo52
- Mahi-mahi48
- Bluefish35
- Sailfish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 2 AM · Sailfish
- Now
- 359 AM EDT
- Best window
- 9 AM-12 PMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing3.7 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Fort George Inlet 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 · 9 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
84Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.4 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
100Wind: 7 kt NNEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
76Water temp: 84°F, warmLight: DawnSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 1.8 ftSeason & habitat · Sailfish
Species seasonality
43Off season · capped at 35Season: Off seasonHabitat: Prime structureDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
Sailfish
Retention open- Daily limit
- 1 per day (1 billfish combined)
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Minimum 63 in, lower jaw fork length
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- Report landed billfish to NOAA within 24 hours. A federal HMS Angling Permit is needed in federal waters, not in state waters. Sailfish you plan to release may not be removed from the water in federal waters, or in state waters if you hold an HMS permit. 1 billfish per person per day. Open year-round.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: Billfish, Tuna, and Swordfish, 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
- 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 Sailfish is best here
Out of season for Sailfish · shoulder season starts in 6 weeks
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Fort George Inlet
- Depth
- 1-6 ftNearest water
- Structure
- Inlet · Inner · ProtectedInlet · flat bottom
- Season
- Off seasonSailfish
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 Fort George Inlet
Fort George Inlet is a bay in Coastal waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM, Florida. Depth in the nearest water is 1-6 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads inlet, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 28 species here; the best right now are crevalle jack, Atlantic tarpon and Atlantic croaker. It is peak season now for crevalle jack, Atlantic tarpon, Atlantic croaker and summer flounder, and shoulder season for Spanish mackerel, little tunny, weakfish and black sea bass. Crevalle jack peak from July through October. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October.
Tackle & technique
- Sailfish
- Sailfish feed along reef edges and color changes, usually in 80 to 240 feet off Southeast Florida and farther out along the Gulf and Carolina shelf edge. Fly live goggle-eyes, pilchards or threadfins from kites, or slow-troll live ballyhoo, on non-offset circle hooks. In winter the best bite often comes the day or two after a cold front, when north wind stacks bait along the edge.
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Fort George River80
Gut · 1.7 mi
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
- Saint Johns Point77
Cape · 1.8 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 77
- Atlantic croaker 75
- Gray snapper 74
7 kt NNEL 12:28 PM · 1.1 ftH 6:52 PM · 5.5 ft
- Mayport Cut Range77
Channel · 2.2 mi
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
- Deep Creek75
Gut · 2.1 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 75
- Crevalle jack 73
- Atlantic tarpon 72
7 kt NNEL 1:24 PM · 1.0 ftH 7:45 PM · 4.9 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.