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Atlantic croakerRetention openChannel · Florida
East Pass
29.16°N · 82.85°W · Channel · Coastal waters from Tarpon Springs to Suwannee River FL out 20 NM
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all69
- Atlantic croaker69
- Gray snapper65
- Red drum64
- Atlantic tarpon63
- Black drum59
- Southern flounder59
- Spanish mackerel57
- Crevalle jack55
- Permit52
- Gag grouper51
- Red snapper51
- Spotted seatrout51
- Cobia48
- Gray triggerfish48
- King mackerel48
- Red grouper48
- Yellowfin tuna45
- Florida pompano44
- Greater amberjack42
- Sailfish39
- Mahi-mahi35
- Sheepshead35
- Wahoo35
Best score today · 9 AM · Atlantic croaker
- Now
- 694 AM EDT
- Best window
- 8 AM-7 PMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing2.3 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 · 4 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
85Tide: EbbingCurrent: WeakWind & pressure
ECMWF
94Wind: 3 kt NEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
60Water temp: 87°F, warmLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 0.3 ftSeason & habitat · Atlantic croaker
Species seasonality
93Season: PeakHabitat: Prime structureDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Gulf state waters (Escambia through Collier counties)
Atlantic croaker
Retention open- Daily limit
- Not published
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Not published
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- 100 pounds per person per day. No minimum size. Open year-round.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: Spot and Atlantic croaker, read Sep 13
Other species here
- 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
- Spotted seatrout Retention open (5 per day)
- 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 Atlantic croaker is best here
Peak season for Atlantic croaker · 1 more week at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
East Pass
- Depth
- Up to 4 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Pass · Outer · Semi-exposedPass · flat bottom
- Season
- Peak seasonAtlantic croaker
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 Tarpon Springs to Suwannee River FL out 20 NM, Florida. Depth is up to 4 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads pass, outer water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 23 species here; the best right now are Atlantic croaker, gray snapper and red drum. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, gray snapper and red drum, and shoulder season for Atlantic tarpon, black drum, southern flounder and Spanish mackerel. Atlantic croaker peak from July through September. Gray snapper peak from June through September. Red drum peak from September through November.
Tackle & technique
- 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.
- Gray snapper
- Mangrove snapper hold tight to mangrove roots, bridge pilings, jetties and reef ledges, from a few feet deep inshore to 150 feet offshore. Chum to pull them out of cover, then freeline or lightly weight a live shrimp or pilchard on fluorocarbon leader, since they shy away from heavy line in clear water. The bite improves at dusk and after dark.
- Red drum
- Redfish feed on shallow grass flats, oyster bars and marsh edges, often in 1 to 4 feet of water, and drop into channels, deep holes and tidal creeks when the water turns very hot or cold. Work a live shrimp under a popping cork or a soft plastic along the grass line on a rising tide, then fish creek mouths and drains as the tide falls. Bull reds over 30 inches school in the surf, passes and jetties in late summer and fall, where cut mullet or a live crab on the bottom is the standard approach.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- West Pass69
Channel · 0.7 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 69
- Gray snapper 65
- Red drum 64
3 kt NEL 6:08 AM · 1.8 ftH 12:08 PM · 3.8 ft
- Kelly Creek Point66
Cape · 1.7 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 66
- Red drum 65
- Atlantic tarpon 61
4 kt NEL 6:08 AM · 1.8 ftH 12:08 PM · 3.8 ft
- Compass Point64
Cape · 1.2 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 64
- Red drum 63
- Atlantic tarpon 60
3 kt NEL 7:03 AM · 1.7 ftH 12:15 PM · 3.5 ft
- Waccasassa Bay63
Bay · 2.0 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 63
- Red drum 63
- Atlantic tarpon 59
3 kt NEL 7:03 AM · 1.7 ftH 12:15 PM · 3.5 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.