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Spotted seatroutRetention openChannel · Florida
East Pass
29.77°N · 84.69°W · Channel · Coastal Waters From Ochlockonee River to Apalachicola FL out to 20 Nm
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Atlantic croaker66
- Atlantic tarpon62
- Gray snapper62
- Red drum62
- Southern flounder57
- Black drum56
- Spanish mackerel55
- Crevalle jack53
- Permit50
- Gag grouper49
- Red snapper49
- Spotted seatrout49
- Florida pompano48
- Gray triggerfish46
- King mackerel46
- Red grouper46
- Cobia45
- Yellowfin tuna45
- Greater amberjack41
- Sailfish39
- Mahi-mahi36
- Wahoo36
- Sheepshead35
Best score today · 11 PM · Spotted seatrout
- Now
- 495 AM EDT
- Best window
- 10 PM-12 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing1.9 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when East 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 · 5 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
56Tide: EbbingCurrent: WeakWind & pressure
ECMWF
64Wind: 5 kt NNEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
46Water temp: 87°F, hotLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 0.6 ftSeason & habitat · Spotted seatrout
Species seasonality
75Season: ShoulderHabitat: Usable structureDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Gulf state waters (Escambia through Collier counties)
Spotted seatrout
Retention open- Daily limit
- 3 per day
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Slot 15 to 19 in, total length. One fish over 19 inches per vessel, or per person when fishing from shore, counted in the bag limit.
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Changes
- Closed from Feb 1
- Other
- Must stay whole until landed ashore. For-hire captain and crew may not keep a bag limit. Hook and line or cast net only. No multiple hooks with natural bait. No snatching. Open March 1 through January 31. Closed in February. Regional rules apply in inland, state and adjacent federal waters. New regional rules took effect April 1, 2026.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: Spotted Seatrout, 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)
- 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
- 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 Spotted seatrout is best here
Shoulder season for Spotted seatrout · 1 more week at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
East Pass
- Depth
- 10-20 ftSlope
- Structure
- Pass · Outer · ExposedPass · slope
- Season
- Shoulder seasonSpotted seatrout
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 East Pass
East Pass is a channel in Coastal Waters From Ochlockonee River to Apalachicola FL out to 20 Nm, Florida. Depth is 10-20 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 Spanish mackerel. Atlantic croaker peak from July through September. Atlantic tarpon peak from May through July. Gray snapper peak from June through September.
Tackle & technique
- Spotted seatrout
- Trout hold over grass beds and sandy potholes in 2 to 8 feet of water most of the year and slide into channels, deep creek bends and canals during cold snaps. A live shrimp under a slip or popping cork, a paddle tail on a light jighead, or a topwater walked at first light covers most situations. Keep the drag light because their mouths tear easily.
- 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
- Pilot Harbor66
Bay · 2.9 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 66
- Atlantic croaker 64
- Gray snapper 63
5 kt NNEL 8:15 AM · 1.5 ftH 1:28 PM · 2.3 ft
- Dickerman Cut65
Bay · 4.7 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 65
- Red drum 64
- Atlantic tarpon 61
5 kt NNEL 6:29 AM · 2.1 ftH 12:31 PM · 3.0 ft
- Marsh Point64
Cape · 6.6 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 64
- Red drum 63
- Atlantic tarpon 60
5 kt NNEL 7:47 AM · 1.6 ftH 12:59 PM · 2.4 ft
- Saint George Sound62
Bay · 3.1 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 62
- Red drum 62
- Atlantic tarpon 59
5 kt NNEL 8:15 AM · 1.5 ftH 1:28 PM · 2.3 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.