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King mackerelRetention openChannel · Florida
West Pass
29.63°N · 85.10°W · Channel · Coastal Waters from Mexico Beach to Apalachicola out 20 NM
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Atlantic croaker74
- Atlantic tarpon71
- Gray snapper71
- Red drum70
- Southern flounder63
- Black drum62
- Crevalle jack61
- Spanish mackerel61
- Permit60
- Florida pompano58
- Red snapper57
- Spotted seatrout56
- Gag grouper55
- Gray triggerfish53
- King mackerel53
- Red grouper53
- Cobia52
- Greater amberjack49
- Yellowfin tuna48
- Mahi-mahi38
- Wahoo38
- Sailfish35
- Sheepshead35
Best score today · 6 PM · King mackerel
- Now
- 5310 PM EDT
- Best window
- 10 PM-12 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding0.5 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.
14-day forecast
Best days to fish
24-hour conditions · rolling from now
Conditions · 10 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
74Tide: FloodingCurrent: WeakWind & pressure
ECMWF
97Wind: 3 kt NNEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
38Water temp: 87°F, hotLight: NightSolunar: Near a majorSeas: 0.8 ftSeason & habitat · King mackerel
Species seasonality
68Season: ShoulderHabitat: Usable structureDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Gulf state waters (Escambia through Collier counties)
King mackerel
Retention open- Daily limit
- 3 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
- 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)
- 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)
Source: FWC · synced today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When King mackerel is best here
Shoulder season for King mackerel · 1 more week at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
West Pass
- Depth
- 10-50 ftSlope
- Structure
- Pass · Outer · ExposedPass · slope
- Season
- Shoulder 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 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, Atlantic tarpon and gray snapper. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, gray snapper and red drum, and shoulder season for Atlantic tarpon, southern flounder, black drum and crevalle jack. Atlantic croaker peak from July through September. Atlantic tarpon peak from May through July. 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 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.
- 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
- Sheepshead Bayou74
Bay · 3.2 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 74
- Atlantic croaker 71
- Atlantic tarpon 68
3 kt NNEH 3:22 AM · 1.5 ftL 8:15 AM · 1.3 ft
- Saint Vincent Point72
Cape · 3.4 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 72
- Red drum 71
- Atlantic tarpon 69
3 kt NNEH 3:22 AM · 1.5 ftL 8:15 AM · 1.3 ft
- Paradise Point72
Cape · 3.8 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 72
- Red drum 71
- Atlantic tarpon 69
3 kt NNEH 3:22 AM · 1.5 ftL 8:15 AM · 1.3 ft
- Big Bayou62
Bay · 3.5 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 62
- Atlantic croaker 59
- Atlantic tarpon 57
3 kt NEH 6:05 AM · 1.6 ftL 10:47 AM · 1.4 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.