Waterlands

UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN

Atlantic croakerRetention open

Channel · Florida

West Pass

29.63°N · 85.10°W · Channel · Coastal Waters from Mexico Beach to Apalachicola out 20 NM

LOADING MAP

Best score today · 1 AM · Atlantic croaker

74/100Great
Now
712 PM EDT
Best window
2-8 PMEbb tide
Tide now
Ebbing1.4 ft ▼

Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine

Notify me when West Pass scores 75+

Checked every morning against the 14-day forecast. Free by push and email.

Sign in to set an alert

14-day forecast

Best days to fish

Best: Sun · 81

24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 2 PM · now

Time2PNOW
Score71Great
Tide1.4 ft ▼Ebbing
Current0.6 knmodeled · toward W
Wind7 kn ESEgusts 15 · easing
Sea stateLight chop1.1 ft · 4 s
Air temp86°Hot
WeatherPartly cloudy98% chance of rain
Water87°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Gulf state waters (Escambia through Collier counties)

IN EFFECT NOW

Atlantic croaker

Retention open
Daily limit
Not published
Possession
Not published
Size
Not published
Season
No closed season on file
Annual quota
Not published
Other
100 pounds per person per day. No minimum size. Open year-round.

From FWC Recreational Regulations: Spot and Atlantic croaker, read Sep 13

Other species here

  • Black drum Retention open (5 per day)
  • Bluefish Retention open (10 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 Retention open (2 per day (4 Gulf grouper combined))
  • Gray snapper Retention open (5 per day (10 snapper combined))
  • Gray triggerfish Retention open (1 per day)
  • Greater amberjack Retention open (1 per day)
  • King mackerel Retention open (3 per day)
  • Mahi-mahi Retention open (10 per day)
  • Permit Retention open (2 per day)
  • Red drum Retention open (1 per day)
  • Red grouper Retention open (2 per day (4 Gulf grouper combined))
  • Red snapper Retention open (2 per day (10 snapper combined))
  • 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
  • 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 Atlantic croaker is best here

Peak season for Atlantic croaker · 1 more week at peak

Atlantic croaker season by week of the year. Peak season for Atlantic croaker · 1 more week at peak.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

Atlantic croaker in Florida →

Spot profile

West Pass

Depth
10-50 ftSlope
Structure
Pass · Outer · ExposedPass · slope
Season
Peak seasonAtlantic croaker

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 West Pass

West Pass is a channel in Coastal Waters from Mexico Beach to Apalachicola out 20 NM, Florida. Depth is 10-50 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads pass, outer water and exposed.

Waterlands scores 23 species here; the best right now are Atlantic croaker, gray snapper and Atlantic tarpon. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, gray snapper and red drum, and shoulder season for Atlantic tarpon, crevalle jack, Spanish mackerel and permit. Atlantic croaker peak from July through September. Gray snapper peak from June through September. Atlantic tarpon peak from May through July.

Tackle & technique

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.
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.
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.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

View all on map →
  • Big Bayou

    Bay · 3.5 mi

    71
    Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season
    • Atlantic croaker 71
    • Red drum 68
    • Florida pompano 65

    3 kt SEL 10:13 PM · 0.5 ftH 6:05 AM · 1.6 ft

  • Sheepshead Bayou

    Bay · 3.2 mi

    70
    Top: Red drumPeak season
    • Red drum 70
    • Atlantic croaker 67
    • Permit 67

    7 kt ESEL 8:29 PM · 0.4 ftH 3:22 AM · 1.5 ft

  • Saint Vincent Point

    Cape · 3.4 mi

    68
    Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season
    • Atlantic croaker 68
    • Red drum 67
    • Atlantic tarpon 65

    7 kt ESEL 8:29 PM · 0.4 ftH 3:22 AM · 1.5 ft

  • Paradise Point

    Cape · 3.8 mi

    68
    Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season
    • Atlantic croaker 68
    • Red drum 67
    • Atlantic tarpon 65

    7 kt ESEL 8:29 PM · 0.4 ftH 3:22 AM · 1.5 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.