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SheepsheadRetention openChannel · 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 jack64
- Atlantic croaker63
- King mackerel58
- Spot58
- Summer flounder58
- Atlantic tarpon57
- Florida pompano56
- Gray snapper56
- Red drum55
- Spanish mackerel54
- Black sea bass52
- Black drum50
- Mahi-mahi50
- Wahoo50
- Southern flounder49
- Little tunny47
- Gray triggerfish46
- Spotted seatrout46
- Weakfish46
- Red snapper45
- Sheepshead45
- Red grouper44
- Cobia43
- Greater amberjack39
- Bluefish35
- Sailfish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 9 AM · Sheepshead
- Now
- 451 PM EDT
- Best window
- 3 PM-12 AMHigh slack
- Tide now
- Low0.9 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 · 1 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
37Tide: Low slackCurrent: 0.2 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
81Wind: 10 kt NEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
58Water temp: 83°F, warmLight: OvercastSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 1.8 ftSeason & 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 today
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
Matanzas Inlet
- Depth
- 1-10 ftSlope
- Structure
- Inlet · Outer · ExposedInlet · 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 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, Spanish mackerel, black sea bass 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
- 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.
- 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 Cut77
Channel · 12 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 77
- Spot 72
- Crevalle jack 70
10 kt NEL 5:42 PM · 0.4 ftH 11:50 PM · 1.0 ft
- Devils Elbow68
Bend · 2.8 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 68
- Crevalle jack 65
- Spot 63
10 kt NEL 1:42 PM · 0.9 ftH 7:57 PM · 4.8 ft
- Murat Point64
Cape · 5.3 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 64
- Atlantic croaker 63
- Spot 61
10 kt NEL 1:42 PM · 0.9 ftH 7:57 PM · 4.8 ft
- French Cape59
Cape · 14 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 59
- Crevalle jack 59
- King mackerel 59
8 kt NEH 7:01 PM · 4.9 ftL 1:15 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.