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Spotted seatroutRetention openGut · Florida
Fort George River
30.44°N · 81.42°W · Gut · Coastal waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Crevalle jack80
- Atlantic croaker79
- Atlantic tarpon79
- Gray snapper78
- Red drum77
- Summer flounder77
- King mackerel74
- Spot74
- Southern flounder73
- Spanish mackerel70
- Florida pompano67
- Weakfish67
- Black sea bass66
- Spotted seatrout65
- Black drum64
- Little tunny64
- Sheepshead61
- Cobia59
- Gray triggerfish59
- Red snapper59
- Red grouper58
- Greater amberjack57
- Mahi-mahi48
- Wahoo44
- Bluefish35
- Sailfish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 9 AM · Spotted seatrout
- Now
- 659 AM EDT
- Best window
- 9-11 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing3.9 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Fort George River 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
100Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.8 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
64Wind: 7 kt NNEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
43Water temp: 84°F, warmLight: DawnSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 1.8 ftSeason & habitat · Spotted seatrout
Species seasonality
95Season: PeakHabitat: Usable structureDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
Spotted seatrout
Retention open- Daily limit
- 3 per day
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Slot 15 to 19 in, total length. May not possess fish larger than 19 inches total length.
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- Must stay whole until landed ashore. For-hire captain and crew may not keep a bag limit. Volusia County waters south of Lytle Avenue/South Causeway in New Smyrna Beach, including Mosquito Lagoon, are in the Indian River Lagoon region: 2 fish, closed November and December. Hook and line or cast net only. No multiple hooks with natural bait. No snatching. Open year-round. Regional rules apply in inland, state and adjacent federal waters. New regional rules took effect April 1, 2026.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: Spotted Seatrout, 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)
- 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 Spotted seatrout is best here
Peak season for Spotted seatrout · 9 more weeks at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Fort George River
- Depth
- 1-7 ftNearest water
- Structure
- Channel · Inner · ProtectedChannel · flat bottom
- Season
- Peak seasonSpotted seatrout
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 River
Fort George River is a gut in Coastal waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM, Florida. Depth in the nearest water is 1-7 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads channel, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 28 species here; the best right now are crevalle jack, Atlantic croaker and Atlantic tarpon. It is peak season now for crevalle jack, Atlantic croaker, Atlantic tarpon and gray snapper, and shoulder season for Spanish mackerel, Florida pompano, weakfish and black sea bass. Crevalle jack peak from July through October. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September.
Tackle & technique
- Spotted seatrout
- Trout hold over grass beds and sandy potholes in 2 to 8 feet of water most of the year and slide into channels, deep creek bends and canals during cold snaps. A live shrimp under a slip or popping cork, a paddle tail on a light jighead, or a topwater walked at first light covers most situations. Keep the drag light because their mouths tear easily.
- 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 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.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Fort George Inlet80
Bay · 1.7 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 80
- Atlantic tarpon 77
- Atlantic croaker 75
7 kt NNEL 12:29 PM · 1.2 ftH 6:41 PM · 6.1 ft
- Horseshoe Creek78
Bay · 2.0 mi
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
- Broward Creek78
Bay · 2.4 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 78
- Southern flounder 78
- Atlantic tarpon 78
7 kt NNEL 12:59 PM · 0.8 ftH 7:21 PM · 5.6 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.