Waterlands

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Atlantic tarponCatch & release

Bay · Florida

Fort George Inlet

30.42°N · 81.41°W · Bay · Coastal waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM

LOADING MAP

Best score today · 10 AM · Atlantic tarpon

81/100Great
Now
355 PM EDT
Best window
8 PM-12 AMEbb tide
Tide now
Flooding5.2 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: Fri · 86

24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 5 PM · now

Time5PNOW
Score35Fair
Tide5.2 ft ▲Flooding
CurrentFlood0.3 kn · toward N
Wind11 kn NEgusts 26 · steady
Sea stateModerate3.2 ft · 5 s
Air temp78°Warm
WeatherMostly cloudy100% chance of rain
Water84°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)

IN EFFECT NOW

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)
Always check with FWC ↗Fishing license ↗

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

Atlantic tarpon season by week of the year. Peak season for Atlantic tarpon · 1 more week at peak.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • Not here
  • This week

Atlantic tarpon in Florida →

Spot profile

Fort George Inlet

Depth
1-6 ftNearest water
Structure
Inlet · Inner · ProtectedInlet · 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 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, king mackerel and Atlantic croaker. It is peak season now for crevalle jack, king mackerel, Atlantic croaker and summer flounder, and shoulder season for Florida pompano, Spanish mackerel, black sea bass and gray triggerfish. Crevalle jack peak from July through October. King mackerel peak in May and from September through October. Atlantic croaker peak from August 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.
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.
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.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

View all on map →
  • Saint Johns Point

    Cape · 1.8 mi

    70
    Top: Crevalle jackPeak season
    • Crevalle jack 70
    • King mackerel 68
    • Florida pompano 65

    11 kt NEH 6:52 PM · 5.5 ftL 1:00 AM · 1.0 ft

  • Deep Creek

    Gut · 2.1 mi

    70
    Top: Crevalle jackPeak season
    • Crevalle jack 70
    • King mackerel 66
    • Florida pompano 65

    11 kt NEH 7:45 PM · 4.9 ftL 1:58 AM · 1.0 ft

  • Mayport Cut Range

    Channel · 2.2 mi

    70
    Top: Crevalle jackPeak season
    • Crevalle jack 70
    • King mackerel 67
    • Gray snapper 65

    11 kt NEH 7:16 PM · 5.2 ftL 1:13 AM · 0.9 ft

  • Fort George River

    Gut · 1.7 mi

    65
    Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season
    • Atlantic croaker 65
    • Crevalle jack 65
    • King mackerel 61

    11 kt NEH 7:27 PM · 5.3 ftL 1:54 AM · 0.8 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.