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Greater amberjackRetention openBar · Florida
Suwannee Reef
29.27°N · 83.18°W · Bar · Coastal waters from Tarpon Springs to Suwannee River FL out 20 NM
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Atlantic croaker65
- Red drum65
- Gray snapper64
- Atlantic tarpon59
- Black drum58
- Red snapper57
- Gag grouper56
- Gray triggerfish54
- Red grouper54
- Permit52
- Spanish mackerel52
- Southern flounder50
- Crevalle jack49
- King mackerel48
- Spotted seatrout48
- Greater amberjack47
- Yellowfin tuna46
- Florida pompano45
- Cobia42
- Sailfish41
- Mahi-mahi36
- Wahoo36
- Sheepshead35
Best score today · 11 PM · Greater amberjack
- Now
- 475 AM EDT
- Best window
- 9 PM-12 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing1.9 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Suwannee Reef 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 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
45Tide: EbbingCurrent: WeakWind & pressure
ECMWF
98Wind: 5 kt NEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
43Water temp: 87°F, hotLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 0.7 ftSeason & habitat · Greater amberjack
Species seasonality
63Season: ShoulderHabitat: Usable structureDepth: 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
Suwannee Reef
- Depth
- 5-8 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Reef · Outer · Semi-exposedReef · 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 Suwannee Reef
Suwannee Reef is a bar in Coastal waters from Tarpon Springs to Suwannee River FL out 20 NM, Florida. Depth is 5-8 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads reef, outer water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 23 species here; the best right now are Atlantic croaker, red drum and gray snapper. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, red drum and gray snapper, and shoulder season for Atlantic tarpon, black drum, red snapper and gag grouper. Atlantic croaker peak from July through September. Red drum peak from September through November. Gray snapper peak from June through September.
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.
- 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
- White Shell Bar Gap67
Channel · 2.7 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 67
- Gray snapper 63
- Red drum 63
5 kt NEL 6:26 AM · 1.7 ftH 12:14 PM · 3.4 ft
- Ranch Bar Gap66
Channel · 1.1 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 66
- Gray snapper 62
- Red drum 62
5 kt NEL 6:26 AM · 1.7 ftH 12:14 PM · 3.4 ft
- Wadley Pass66
Channel · 2.6 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 66
- Gray snapper 62
- Red drum 62
5 kt NEL 6:26 AM · 1.7 ftH 12:14 PM · 3.4 ft
- Halfmoon Reef65
Bar · 2.0 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 65
- Atlantic croaker 64
- Gray snapper 64
5 kt NEL 6:26 AM · 1.7 ftH 12:14 PM · 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.