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Spanish mackerelRetention 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
- Atlantic croaker64
- Crevalle jack64
- Florida pompano63
- Spot62
- King mackerel59
- Atlantic tarpon58
- Summer flounder58
- Spanish mackerel55
- Red drum53
- Gray snapper50
- Black sea bass47
- Wahoo47
- Gray triggerfish45
- Little tunny45
- Red snapper45
- Weakfish45
- Mahi-mahi44
- Red grouper44
- Cobia40
- Black drum39
- Greater amberjack39
- Sheepshead37
- Bluefish35
- Sailfish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Southern flounder30
- Spotted seatrout30
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 10 AM · Spanish mackerel
- Now
- 556 PM EDT
- Best window
- 8 PM-12 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Flooding5.9 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 · 6 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
53Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.3 kn floodWind & pressure
ECMWF
64Wind: 11 kt NEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
71Water temp: 84°F, warmLight: DuskSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 3.3 ftSeason & habitat · Spanish mackerel
Species seasonality
72Season: ShoulderHabitat: Prime structureDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
Spanish mackerel
Retention open- Daily limit
- 15 per day
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Minimum 12 in, fork length
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- Beach or haul seine, cast net, hook and line, or spear. Open year-round.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: Spanish 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)
- 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)
- 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 Spanish mackerel is best here
Shoulder season for Spanish mackerel · 5 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Fort George Inlet
- Depth
- 1-6 ftNearest water
- Structure
- Inlet · Inner · ProtectedInlet · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonSpanish 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 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 Atlantic croaker, crevalle jack and Florida pompano. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, crevalle jack, spot and king mackerel, and shoulder season for Florida pompano, Spanish mackerel, black sea bass and wahoo. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Crevalle jack peak from July through October. Florida pompano peak from March through April and from October through November.
Tackle & technique
- Spanish mackerel
- Spanish mackerel school along beaches and around inlets, jetties, piers and bridge-tunnel structures, and along tide rips in 5 to 40 feet of water once the water climbs above about 68 degrees F. Troll small spoons or cast metal jigs and retrieve fast, or look for birds diving on bait and cast into the school. FWC calls for a 30 to 60 pound monofilament leader because their teeth cut light line.
- 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
- Deep Creek73
Gut · 2.1 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 73
- King mackerel 69
- Gray snapper 68
11 kt NEH 7:45 PM · 4.9 ftL 1:58 AM · 1.0 ft
- Mayport Cut Range68
Channel · 2.2 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 68
- King mackerel 66
- Gray snapper 64
11 kt NEH 7:16 PM · 5.2 ftL 1:13 AM · 0.9 ft
- Saint Johns Point67
Cape · 1.8 mi
Top: Florida pompanoShoulder season- Florida pompano 67
- King mackerel 66
- Crevalle jack 65
11 kt NEH 6:52 PM · 5.5 ftL 1:00 AM · 1.0 ft
- Fort George River66
Gut · 1.7 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 66
- Atlantic croaker 65
- King mackerel 62
11 kt NEH 7:27 PM · 5.3 ftL 1:54 AM · 0.8 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.