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Greater amberjackRetention openChannel · Florida
Number Four Channel
29.15°N · 83.08°W · Channel · Coastal waters from Tarpon Springs to Suwannee River FL out 20 NM
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Atlantic croaker73
- Gray snapper71
- Red drum71
- Atlantic tarpon66
- Crevalle jack64
- Spanish mackerel64
- Black drum62
- Gag grouper61
- King mackerel60
- Permit60
- Southern flounder58
- Gray triggerfish57
- Red grouper57
- Red snapper57
- Spotted seatrout56
- Florida pompano54
- Cobia53
- Greater amberjack53
- Yellowfin tuna48
- Wahoo42
- Mahi-mahi41
- Sailfish39
- Sheepshead35
Best score today · 9 AM · Greater amberjack
- Now
- 535 PM EDT
- Best window
- 9 PM-12 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing1.4 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Number Four Channel 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 · 5 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
86Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.4 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
100Wind: 7 kt ENEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
62Water temp: 86°F, hotLight: Late afternoonSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 0.6 ftSeason & habitat · Greater amberjack
Species seasonality
41Season: 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 today
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
Number Four Channel
- Depth
- 8-10 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Channel · Outer · Semi-exposedChannel · 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 Number Four Channel
Number Four Channel is a channel in Coastal waters from Tarpon Springs to Suwannee River FL out 20 NM, Florida. Depth is 8-10 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads channel, 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, crevalle jack, Spanish mackerel and black drum. 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
- Pelican Reef74
Bar · 1.1 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 74
- Gray snapper 73
- Atlantic croaker 72
7 kt ENEL 6:47 PM · 0.5 ftH 1:14 AM · 3.6 ft
- Northwest Channel73
Channel · 1.3 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 73
- Gray snapper 71
- Red drum 70
7 kt ENEL 7:04 PM · 0.8 ftH 1:21 AM · 3.4 ft
- North Bank70
Bar · 1.0 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 70
- Red drum 70
- Gag grouper 67
7 kt ENEL 7:04 PM · 0.8 ftH 1:21 AM · 3.4 ft
- South Bank70
Bar · 1.4 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 70
- Red drum 70
- Gag grouper 67
7 kt ENEL 7:04 PM · 0.8 ftH 1:21 AM · 3.4 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.