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CobiaRetention openBay · Florida
Horseshoe Creek
30.44°N · 81.46°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
- Red drum62
- Spot61
- Atlantic tarpon59
- Southern flounder59
- King mackerel58
- Summer flounder57
- Gray snapper54
- Spanish mackerel53
- Spotted seatrout51
- Black sea bass50
- Florida pompano50
- Gray triggerfish48
- Red grouper48
- Red snapper48
- Black drum47
- Little tunny47
- Weakfish46
- Cobia44
- Greater amberjack43
- Sheepshead43
- Mahi-mahi42
- Wahoo37
- Bluefish35
- Sailfish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 9 AM · Cobia
- Now
- 4412 PM EDT
- Best window
- 8 PM-12 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing1.3 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Horseshoe Creek 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 · 12 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
51Tide: EbbingCurrent: SlackWind & pressure
ECMWF
77Wind: 10 kt NEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
37Water temp: 84°F, warmLight: Partly cloudySolunar: Near a majorSeason & habitat · Cobia
Species seasonality
58Season: ShoulderHabitat: Usable structureDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
Cobia
Retention open- Daily limit
- 1 per day
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Minimum 36 in, fork length
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- 1 per person or 2 per vessel, whichever is less. Spears, gigs, hook and line, seine or cast net.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: Cobia, 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)
- 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)
- Tarpon Catch & release (No retention)
- Wahoo Retention open (2 per day)
Source: FWC · synced today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Cobia is best here
Shoulder season for Cobia · 1 more week at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Horseshoe Creek
- Depth
- 1-10 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Estuary · Inner · ProtectedEstuary · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonCobia
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 Horseshoe Creek
Horseshoe Creek is a bay in Coastal waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM, Florida. Depth is 1-10 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 red drum. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, crevalle jack, red drum and spot, and shoulder season for Spanish mackerel, black sea bass, Florida pompano and gray triggerfish. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Crevalle jack peak from July through October. Red drum peak from August through November.
Tackle & technique
- Cobia
- Cobia cruise inlets, beaches, buoys, wrecks and the backs of rays in 5 to 100 feet of water. On calm, sunny days sight-cast bucktails or live eels to fish near the surface. Otherwise anchor up-current of structure, chum, and fish live eels, crabs or menhaden near the bottom.
- 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 Creek69
Gut · 1.7 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 69
- Gray snapper 65
- King mackerel 65
10 kt NEL 1:24 PM · 1.0 ftH 7:45 PM · 4.9 ft
- Hannah Mills Creek69
Gut · 2.3 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 69
- Crevalle jack 66
- Spot 64
10 kt NEL 1:24 PM · 1.0 ftH 7:45 PM · 4.9 ft
- Fort George River65
Gut · 2.0 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 65
- Crevalle jack 64
- Gray snapper 60
10 kt NEL 1:15 PM · 0.9 ftH 7:27 PM · 5.3 ft
- Broward Creek63
Bay · 1.3 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 63
- Atlantic croaker 62
- Red drum 61
10 kt NEL 12:59 PM · 0.8 ftH 7:21 PM · 5.6 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.