UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN
Greater amberjackRetention 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 croaker65
- Crevalle jack65
- Spot63
- Red drum61
- King mackerel59
- Florida pompano58
- Summer flounder58
- Gray snapper55
- Spanish mackerel53
- Black sea bass52
- Spotted seatrout51
- Gray triggerfish50
- Red grouper49
- Red snapper49
- Black drum47
- Little tunny47
- Weakfish47
- Cobia45
- Greater amberjack44
- Sheepshead44
- Mahi-mahi38
- Atlantic tarpon35
- Bluefish35
- Southern flounder35
- Sailfish33
- Wahoo33
- Yellowfin tuna32
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 9 AM · Greater amberjack
- Now
- 444 PM EDT
- Best window
- 8 PM-12 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Flooding2.7 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 · 4 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
77Tide: FloodingCurrent: SlackWind & pressure
ECMWF
68Wind: 11 kt NEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
32Water temp: 84°F, warmLight: OvercastSolunar: Between periodsSeason & habitat · Greater amberjack
Species seasonality
41Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
Greater amberjack
Retention open- Daily limit
- 1 per day
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Minimum 28 in, fork length
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Changes
- Closed from Apr 1
- Other
- Private-vessel anglers need the State Reef Fish Angler designation. Special rules apply in Biscayne National Park. Reef fish gear rules apply. Land with head and fins intact. Open January through March and May through December. Closed in April.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: Amberjack, 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)
- 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 Greater amberjack is best here
Shoulder season for Greater amberjack · 9 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Horseshoe Creek
- Depth
- 1-10 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Estuary · Inner · ProtectedEstuary · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonGreater amberjack
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 spot. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, crevalle jack, spot and red drum, and shoulder season for Florida pompano, Spanish mackerel, black sea bass and gray triggerfish. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Crevalle jack peak from July through October. Spot peak from September through October.
Tackle & technique
- Greater amberjack
- Amberjack school around wrecks, oil rigs, towers and high-relief reefs in 60 to 250 feet, often suspended well above the bottom. Drop a live blue runner or work a heavy jig through the school, then pump hard, because a big AJ runs straight back into the structure. Heavy conventional gear with 50 to 80 pound line is standard.
- 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
- Hannah Mills Creek70
Gut · 2.3 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 70
- Atlantic croaker 69
- Red drum 66
11 kt NEH 7:45 PM · 4.9 ftL 1:58 AM · 1.0 ft
- Broward Creek65
Bay · 1.3 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 65
- Crevalle jack 65
- Spot 63
11 kt NEH 7:21 PM · 5.6 ftL 1:38 AM · 0.7 ft
- Deep Creek65
Gut · 1.7 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 65
- Atlantic croaker 63
- Gray snapper 60
11 kt NEH 7:45 PM · 4.9 ftL 1:58 AM · 1.0 ft
- Fort George River63
Gut · 2.0 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 63
- Crevalle jack 63
- King mackerel 59
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.