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Little tunnyShoulder seasonChannel · Florida
Matanzas Inlet
29.71°N · 81.23°W · Channel · Coastal waters from St. Augustine to Flagler Beach FL out 20 NM
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Crevalle jack75
- Atlantic croaker73
- King mackerel69
- Spot68
- Atlantic tarpon67
- Florida pompano67
- Gray snapper67
- Summer flounder67
- Red drum64
- Black sea bass63
- Spanish mackerel63
- Black drum58
- Gray triggerfish57
- Little tunny57
- Red grouper56
- Red snapper56
- Southern flounder56
- Sheepshead55
- Weakfish55
- Spotted seatrout54
- Cobia52
- Greater amberjack51
- Wahoo50
- Mahi-mahi49
- Bluefish35
- Sailfish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 7 AM · Little tunny
- Now
- 573 PM EDT
- Best window
- 3 PM-12 AMHigh slack
- Tide now
- Flooding1.8 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Matanzas Inlet 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 · 3 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
82Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.3 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
68Wind: 10 kt NEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
48Water temp: 83°F, hotLight: OvercastSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 2.2 ftSeason & habitat · Little tunny
Species seasonality
79Season: ShoulderHabitat: Prime structureDepth: In rangeRegulations: no rule on file
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
No rule for Little tunny is on file here yet, so its status is unknown, not closed. Confirm limits with FWC before you keep a fish.
Species rules 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))
- 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 today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Little tunny is best here
Shoulder season for Little tunny · 1 more week at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Matanzas Inlet
- Depth
- 1-10 ftSlope
- Structure
- Inlet · Outer · ExposedInlet · slope
- Season
- Shoulder seasonLittle tunny
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 Matanzas Inlet
Matanzas Inlet is a channel in Coastal waters from St. Augustine to Flagler Beach FL out 20 NM, Florida. Depth is 1-10 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads inlet, outer water and exposed.
Waterlands scores 28 species here; the best right now are crevalle jack, Atlantic croaker and king mackerel. It is peak season now for crevalle jack, Atlantic croaker, king mackerel and spot, and shoulder season for Florida pompano, black sea bass, Spanish mackerel and black drum. Crevalle jack peak from July through October. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. King mackerel peak in May and from September through October.
Tackle & technique
- Little tunny
- Little tunny travel fast in schools that pin bait against inlets, points, jetties and tide rips, usually within a few miles of shore and often in less than 60 feet. Stay off the school's path, wait for it to surface within range, and cast small metal or epoxy jigs with a fast retrieve. When fish stay down, troll small feathers along bait edges and color changes to find them.
- 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.
- 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
- Fox Cut76
Channel · 12 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 76
- Crevalle jack 72
- Spot 71
10 kt NEL 5:42 PM · 0.4 ftH 11:50 PM · 1.0 ft
- French Cape71
Cape · 14 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 71
- Atlantic croaker 69
- King mackerel 68
7 kt NEH 7:01 PM · 4.9 ftL 1:15 AM · 0.9 ft
- Devils Elbow70
Bend · 2.8 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 70
- Crevalle jack 69
- King mackerel 67
10 kt NEH 7:57 PM · 4.8 ftL 2:22 AM · 0.9 ft
- Murat Point68
Cape · 5.3 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 68
- Atlantic croaker 65
- King mackerel 65
10 kt NEH 7:57 PM · 4.8 ftL 2:22 AM · 0.9 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.
