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SheepsheadRetention openChannel · Florida
Seaboard Reach
30.68°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
- Crevalle jack77
- Atlantic croaker76
- Gray snapper74
- Red drum74
- Summer flounder74
- Southern flounder72
- King mackerel71
- Spot71
- Spanish mackerel67
- Spotted seatrout66
- Weakfish65
- Black drum62
- Black sea bass62
- Little tunny61
- Cobia58
- Sheepshead57
- Florida pompano56
- Gray triggerfish56
- Greater amberjack56
- Red snapper56
- Red grouper55
- Mahi-mahi45
- Wahoo41
- Bluefish35
- Sailfish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 3 AM · Sheepshead
- Now
- 5710 AM EDT
- Best window
- 7 PM-12 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing3.3 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Seaboard 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 · 10 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
94Tide: EbbingCurrent: 1.2 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
97Wind: 8 kt NNEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
34Water temp: 84°F, warmLight: OvercastSolunar: Near a majorSeason & habitat · Sheepshead
Species seasonality
62Season: ShoulderHabitat: Usable structureDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
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)
Source: FWC · synced yesterday
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Sheepshead is best here
Shoulder season for Sheepshead · 18 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Seaboard Reach
- Depth
- 20-45 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 Seaboard Reach
Seaboard Reach is a channel in Coastal waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM, Florida. Depth is 20-45 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads channel, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 28 species here; the best right now are Atlantic tarpon, crevalle jack and Atlantic croaker. It is peak season now for Atlantic tarpon, crevalle jack, Atlantic croaker and gray snapper, and shoulder season for Spanish mackerel, weakfish, black drum and black sea bass. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September. Crevalle jack peak from July through October. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October.
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.
- 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
- City Front Reach78
Channel · 0.7 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 78
- Crevalle jack 77
- Atlantic tarpon 77
8 kt NNEL 12:42 PM · 1.2 ftH 7:17 PM · 6.7 ft
- Rayonier Reach78
Channel · 1.3 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 78
- Crevalle jack 77
- Atlantic tarpon 77
8 kt NNEL 12:42 PM · 1.2 ftH 7:17 PM · 6.7 ft
- Old Town Reach77
Channel · 0.4 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 77
- Atlantic tarpon 77
- Atlantic croaker 76
8 kt NNEL 12:42 PM · 1.2 ftH 7:17 PM · 6.7 ft
- Saint Marys Entrance77
Channel · 2.9 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 77
- Gray snapper 74
- Summer flounder 74
8 kt NNEL 12:39 PM · 1.1 ftH 6:41 PM · 6.4 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.