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Black sea bassShoulder seasonBay · Florida
Nassau Sound
30.51°N · 81.44°W · Bay · Coastal waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Crevalle jack77
- King mackerel72
- Red drum70
- Summer flounder69
- Atlantic tarpon68
- Gray snapper67
- Atlantic croaker66
- Spanish mackerel65
- Spot64
- Florida pompano60
- Little tunny59
- Greater amberjack57
- Weakfish57
- Black sea bass56
- Gray triggerfish55
- Southern flounder55
- Cobia54
- Red grouper54
- Red snapper54
- Spotted seatrout51
- Black drum48
- Mahi-mahi48
- Sheepshead48
- Wahoo43
- Bluefish35
- Sailfish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 4 AM · Black sea bass
- Now
- 5611 AM EDT
- Best window
- 11 AM-12 PMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing2.1 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Nassau Sound 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 · 11 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
77Tide: EbbingCurrent: 1.5 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
93Wind: 10 kt NNEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
69Water temp: 84°F, hotLight: OvercastSolunar: Major periodSeas: 2.2 ftSeason & habitat · Black sea bass
Species seasonality
55Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In rangeRegulations: no rule on file
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
No rule for Black sea bass is on file here yet, so its status is unknown, not closed. Confirm limits with FWC before you keep a fish.
Species rules 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)
- Tarpon Catch & release (No retention)
- Wahoo Retention open (2 per day)
Source: FWC · synced yesterday
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Black sea bass is best here
Shoulder season for Black sea bass · 1 more week at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Nassau Sound
- Depth
- 5-20 ftSlope
- Structure
- Bay · Outer · ExposedBay · slope
- Season
- Shoulder seasonBlack sea bass
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 Nassau Sound
Nassau Sound is a bay in Coastal waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM, Florida. Depth is 5-20 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads bay, outer water and exposed.
Waterlands scores 28 species here; the best right now are crevalle jack, king mackerel and red drum. It is peak season now for crevalle jack, king mackerel, red drum and summer flounder, and shoulder season for Spanish mackerel, Florida pompano, little tunny and greater amberjack. Crevalle jack peak from July through October. King mackerel peak in May and from September through October. Red drum peak from August through November.
Tackle & technique
- Black sea bass
- Black sea bass hold tight to wrecks, reefs, rock piles and jetties, from 15 feet inshore in late spring to well over 100 feet on offshore wrecks in late fall. Anchor or drift right over the structure and fish a two-hook high-low rig with squid or clam, or bounce a small jig on the bottom. The biggest males sit on the highest relief.
- 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
- Seymour Point77
Cape · 5.2 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 77
- King mackerel 72
- Red drum 72
10 kt NNEL 1:44 PM · 0.4 ftH 7:36 PM · 4.8 ft
- Fort George River75
Gut · 4.8 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 75
- Atlantic croaker 74
- Gray snapper 71
10 kt NNEL 1:15 PM · 0.9 ftH 7:27 PM · 5.3 ft
- Broward Creek74
Bay · 3.4 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 74
- Atlantic croaker 73
- Red drum 71
10 kt NNEL 12:59 PM · 0.8 ftH 7:21 PM · 5.6 ft
- Horseshoe Creek74
Bay · 4.7 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 74
- Atlantic croaker 73
- Red drum 71
10 kt NNEL 1:15 PM · 0.9 ftH 7:27 PM · 5.3 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.