Waterlands

UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN

Atlantic tarponCatch & release

Channel · Florida

Matanzas Inlet

29.71°N · 81.23°W · Channel · Coastal waters from St. Augustine to Flagler Beach FL out 20 NM

LOADING MAP

Best score today · 7 AM · Atlantic tarpon

82/100Great
Now
765 AM EDT
Best window
6 AM-12 PMEbb tide
Tide now
Flooding3.2 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.

Sign in to set an alert

14-day forecast

Best days to fish

Best: Tue · 83

24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 5 AM · now

Time5ANOW
Score76Great
Tide3.2 ft ▲Flooding
Current0.1 knmodeled · toward N
Wind3 kn Wgusts 5 · steady
Sea stateLight chop1.1 ft · 7 s
Air temp74°Warm
WeatherPartly cloudy43% cloud
Water83°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)

IN EFFECT NOW

Tarpon

Catch & release
Daily limit
No retention
Possession
Not published
Size
Not published
Season
No closed season on file
Annual quota
Not published
Other
Tarpon over 40 inches must stay in the water. Special gear rules apply year-round in Boca Grande Pass. Hook and line only. No snagging, snatch hooking, spearing, or multiple hooks with natural bait. Applies in state and federal waters of the Gulf and Atlantic.

From FWC Recreational Regulations: Tarpon, 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))
  • 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)
  • Wahoo Retention open (2 per day)
Always check with FWC ↗Fishing license ↗

Source: FWC · synced yesterday

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Atlantic tarpon is best here

Peak season for Atlantic tarpon · 1 more week at peak

Atlantic tarpon season by week of the year. Peak season for Atlantic tarpon · 1 more week at peak.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • Not here
  • This week

Atlantic tarpon in Florida →

Spot profile

Matanzas Inlet

Depth
1-10 ftSlope
Structure
Inlet · Outer · ExposedInlet · slope
Season
Peak seasonAtlantic tarpon

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 Atlantic croaker, Atlantic tarpon and spot. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, Atlantic tarpon, spot and crevalle jack, and shoulder season for black drum, Florida pompano, Spanish mackerel and weakfish. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September. Spot peak from September through October.

Tackle & technique

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.
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.
Spot
Spot school over mud and sand in bays, tidal creeks and channels and around piers and bridges, generally in less than 25 feet of water. Fish a two-hook bottom rig with small hooks and bits of bloodworm or shrimp, and move until you find a school. In fall the biggest fish run out of the sounds past piers and inlets, and the bite can go all day.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

View all on map →
  • Devils Elbow

    Bend · 2.8 mi

    79
    Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season
    • Atlantic croaker 79
    • Atlantic tarpon 76
    • Spot 74

    3 kt WH 7:31 AM · 4.3 ftL 1:42 PM · 0.9 ft

  • Murat Point

    Cape · 5.3 mi

    74
    Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season
    • Atlantic tarpon 74
    • Atlantic croaker 73
    • Spot 71

    3 kt WH 7:31 AM · 4.3 ftL 1:42 PM · 0.9 ft

  • French Cape

    Cape · 14 mi

    72
    Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season
    • Atlantic croaker 72
    • Atlantic tarpon 72
    • Spot 70

    3 kt NNWH 6:37 AM · 4.4 ftL 12:35 PM · 0.9 ft

  • Fox Cut

    Channel · 12 mi

    69
    Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season
    • Atlantic croaker 69
    • Atlantic tarpon 69
    • Spot 64

    3 kt WL 5:37 AM · 0.4 ftH 11:19 AM · 0.9 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.