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Greater amberjackRetention 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 all
- Atlantic croaker58
- Gray snapper55
- Red drum55
- Atlantic tarpon52
- Southern flounder49
- Black drum48
- Spanish mackerel48
- Crevalle jack46
- Florida pompano45
- Yellowfin tuna45
- Permit42
- Gag grouper41
- Spotted seatrout41
- Red snapper40
- Cobia39
- King mackerel39
- Sailfish39
- Gray triggerfish38
- Red grouper38
- Mahi-mahi35
- Wahoo35
- Sheepshead33
- Greater amberjack32
Best score today · 11 AM · Greater amberjack
- Now
- 326 AM EDT
- Best window
- 8 AM-3 PMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Low1.8 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 · 6 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
12Tide: Low slackCurrent: WeakWind & pressure
ECMWF
96Wind: 4 kt NEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
45Water temp: 87°F, hotLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 0.3 ftSeason & habitat · Greater amberjack
Species seasonality
40Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Gulf state waters (Escambia through Collier counties)
Greater amberjack
Retention open- Daily limit
- 1 per day
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Minimum 34 in, fork length
- Season
- Sep 1 to Oct 13, 2026
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Changes
- Closed from Oct 14
- Other
- Private-vessel anglers need the State Reef Fish Angler designation. Reef fish gear rules apply. Land with head and fins intact. FWC set the 2026 Gulf season to September 1 through October 13 by executive order, matching the federal season.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: Amberjack, 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)
- 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 Greater amberjack is best here
Shoulder season for Greater amberjack · 9 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
East Pass
- Depth
- Up to 4 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Pass · Outer · Semi-exposedPass · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonGreater amberjack
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, southern flounder, black drum 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
- Greater amberjack
- Amberjack school around wrecks, oil rigs, towers and high-relief reefs in 60 to 250 feet, often suspended well above the bottom. Drop a live blue runner or work a heavy jig through the school, then pump hard, because a big AJ runs straight back into the structure. Heavy conventional gear with 50 to 80 pound line is standard.
- 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.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Compass Point60
Cape · 1.2 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 60
- Atlantic croaker 58
- Atlantic tarpon 55
4 kt NEL 7:03 AM · 1.7 ftH 12:15 PM · 3.5 ft
- Waccasassa Bay60
Bay · 2.0 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 60
- Atlantic croaker 58
- Atlantic tarpon 55
4 kt NEL 7:03 AM · 1.7 ftH 12:15 PM · 3.5 ft
- West Pass58
Channel · 0.7 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 58
- Gray snapper 55
- Red drum 55
4 kt NEH 12:08 PM · 3.8 ftL 7:04 PM · 0.8 ft
- Kelly Creek Point55
Cape · 1.7 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 55
- Red drum 55
- Gray snapper 50
5 kt NEH 12:08 PM · 3.8 ftL 7:04 PM · 0.8 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.