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King mackerelRetention openChannel · Florida
Old Town Reach
30.69°N · 81.46°W · Channel · Coastal waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Atlantic tarpon77
- Atlantic croaker75
- Gray snapper72
- Red drum72
- Southern flounder72
- Spot71
- Crevalle jack70
- Spotted seatrout68
- Summer flounder68
- King mackerel66
- Florida pompano65
- Weakfish64
- Black drum61
- Spanish mackerel60
- Black sea bass57
- Cobia54
- Little tunny54
- Red snapper54
- Sheepshead53
- Gray triggerfish52
- Greater amberjack51
- Red grouper50
- Mahi-mahi44
- Wahoo37
- Bluefish35
- Sailfish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 3 AM · King mackerel
- Now
- 665 AM EDT
- Best window
- 5 AM-12 PMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Flooding5.2 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Old Town Reach 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 · 5 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
94Tide: FloodingCurrent: 1.1 kn floodWind & pressure
ECMWF
98Wind: 5 kt NNEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
29Water temp: 83°F, warmLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeason & habitat · King mackerel
Species seasonality
90Season: PeakHabitat: Usable structureDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
King mackerel
Retention open- Daily limit
- 2 per day
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Minimum 24 in, fork length
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- Hook and line and spearing only. Open year-round.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: King Mackerel, 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)
- 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 King mackerel is best here
Peak season for King mackerel · 5 more weeks at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Old Town Reach
- Depth
- 4-40 ftSlope
- Structure
- Channel · Inner · ProtectedChannel · slope
- Season
- Peak seasonKing mackerel
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 Old Town Reach
Old Town Reach is a channel in Coastal waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM, Florida. Depth is 4-40 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads channel, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 28 species here; the best right now are Atlantic tarpon, Atlantic croaker and gray snapper. It is peak season now for Atlantic tarpon, Atlantic croaker, gray snapper and red drum, and shoulder season for Florida pompano, weakfish, black drum and Spanish mackerel. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Gray snapper peak from June through September.
Tackle & technique
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- Saint Marys Entrance79
Channel · 2.6 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 79
- Atlantic tarpon 77
- Spot 74
5 kt NNEH 6:10 AM · 5.8 ftL 12:39 PM · 1.1 ft
- Seaboard Reach77
Channel · 0.4 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 77
- Atlantic croaker 75
- Gray snapper 72
5 kt NNEH 6:46 AM · 6.1 ftL 12:42 PM · 1.2 ft
- City Front Reach77
Channel · 1.1 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 77
- Atlantic croaker 76
- Spot 72
5 kt NNEH 6:46 AM · 6.1 ftL 12:42 PM · 1.2 ft
- Rayonier Reach77
Channel · 1.7 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 77
- Atlantic croaker 76
- Spot 72
5 kt NNEH 6:46 AM · 6.1 ftL 12:42 PM · 1.2 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.