Waterlands

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SheepsheadRetention open

Channel · Florida

Mayport Cut Range

30.39°N · 81.43°W · Channel · Coastal waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM

LOADING MAP

Best score today · 10 PM · Sheepshead

86/100Epic
Now
5210 PM EDT
Best window
10 PM-12 AMEbb tide
Tide now
Ebbing2.7 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: today · 86

24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 10 PM · now

Time10PNOW
Score52Good
Tide2.7 ft ▼Ebbing
CurrentEbb1.7 kn · toward NNE
Wind4 kn ENEgusts 7 · steady
Sea stateLight chop1.2 ft · 6 s
Air temp78°Warm
WeatherPartly cloudy36% cloud
Water86°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)

IN EFFECT NOW

Sheepshead

Retention open
Daily limit
8 per day
Possession
Not published
Size
Minimum 12 in, total length
Season
No closed season on file
Annual quota
Not published
Other
State rules extend into federal waters. Special rules apply in Biscayne National Park. Hook and line, cast net, seine, spear or gig. No multiple hooks with natural bait. No snatching. Open year-round. A 50-fish vessel limit applies in March and April.

From FWC Recreational Regulations: Sheepshead, 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))
  • 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)
Always check with FWC ↗Fishing license ↗

Source: FWC · synced today

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Sheepshead is best here

Shoulder season for Sheepshead · 18 more weeks at shoulder

Sheepshead season by week of the year. Shoulder season for Sheepshead · 18 more weeks at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

Sheepshead in Florida →

Spot profile

Mayport Cut Range

Depth
40-50 ftSlope
Structure
Channel · Inner · ProtectedChannel · slope
Season
Shoulder seasonSheepshead

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 Mayport Cut Range

Mayport Cut Range is a channel in Coastal waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM, Florida. Depth is 40-50 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads channel, inner water and protected.

Waterlands scores 28 species here; the best right now are Atlantic tarpon, gray snapper and red drum. It is peak season now for Atlantic tarpon, gray snapper, red drum and crevalle jack, and shoulder season for weakfish, Spanish mackerel, black drum and little tunny. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September. Gray snapper peak from June through September. Red drum peak from August through November.

Tackle & technique

Sheepshead
Sheepshead graze barnacles and crabs off pilings, jetty rocks, bridge supports, oyster bars and nearshore reefs, from a few feet deep out to about 50 feet. Drop a fiddler crab, sand flea or piece of shrimp on a small, strong hook straight down next to the structure with just enough weight to hold bottom. The bite is a light tap, so keep the line tight and set the hook fast.
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.
Gray snapper
Mangrove snapper hold tight to mangrove roots, bridge pilings, jetties and reef ledges, from a few feet deep inshore to 150 feet offshore. Chum to pull them out of cover, then freeline or lightly weight a live shrimp or pilchard on fluorocarbon leader, since they shy away from heavy line in clear water. The bite improves at dusk and after dark.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

View all on map →
  • Sherman Cut Range

    Channel · 0.5 mi

    86
    Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season
    • Atlantic tarpon 86
    • Gray snapper 78
    • Red drum 76

    4 kt ENEL 12:35 AM · 1.2 ftH 6:47 AM · 4.7 ft

  • Mile Point Lower Range and Turn

    Channel · 1.1 mi

    86
    Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season
    • Atlantic tarpon 86
    • Atlantic croaker 80
    • Gray snapper 78

    4 kt ENEL 1:02 AM · 0.9 ftH 7:12 AM · 4.0 ft

  • Training Wall Reach

    Channel · 1.9 mi

    83
    Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season
    • Atlantic tarpon 83
    • Atlantic croaker 78
    • Gray snapper 75

    4 kt ENEL 1:02 AM · 0.9 ftH 7:12 AM · 4.0 ft

  • Chicopit Bay

    Bay · 1.6 mi

    82
    Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season
    • Atlantic tarpon 82
    • Atlantic croaker 74
    • Red drum 74

    4 kt ENEL 1:02 AM · 0.9 ftH 7:12 AM · 4.0 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.