NWS zone GMZ636 · Eastern Gulf
Eastern Choctawhatchee Bay fishing forecast
Florida · Gulf coast
Score now
- Named spots
- 13
- Species scored
- 19
- Tide stations
- 2
Overview
Eastern Choctawhatchee Bay is NWS marine zone GMZ636 on the Florida Gulf coast, in the Eastern Gulf species region. The Waterlands engine treats it as inland water (bays, sounds, straits). It holds 13 named features from the USGS Geographic Names Information System and has 2 NOAA tide stations nearby.
19 species are scored here in this forecast; Red drum, Atlantic croaker and Gray snapper are at peak season now.
At 7:00 PM it scores 69 (great), led by Red drum. The best window for the rest of today is 7 PM-12 AM (flood tide), peaking at 73 for Red drum. Over the next 14 days the best hour is Thu, Sep 17 at 5 PM, scoring 81.
Best times to fish
Waterlands engine forecast computed 6:00 PM CDT.
Best window today
7 PM-12 AM · Flood tide
Top species: Red drum
Best hour of each day, next 14 days
Wed, Sep 16
74
6 AM
Atlantic croaker
Thu, Sep 17
81
5 PM
Red drum
Best day
Fri, Sep 18
81
5 PM
Red drum
Sat, Sep 19
80
5 PM
Red drum
Sun, Sep 20
78
5 PM
Red drum
Mon, Sep 21
79
6 PM
Red drum
Tue, Sep 22
77
6 PM
Red drum
Wed, Sep 23
78
6 PM
Red drum
Thu, Sep 24
74
6 AM
Red drum
Fri, Sep 25
71
7 AM
Red drum
Sat, Sep 26
70
7 PM
Red drum
Sun, Sep 27
73
8 PM
Red drum
Mon, Sep 28
74
7 PM
Red drum
Tue, Sep 29
74
7 AM
Red drum
Species · 19
Listed for the Eastern Gulf region. Scores are this hour; season is where the species is in its year.
Peak season, about 10 more weeks · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 5 PM (81)
Peak season, about 2 more weeks · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 7 AM (78)
Peak season, about 2 more weeks · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 6 PM (74)
Shoulder season, about 2 more weeks · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 6 AM (70)
Shoulder season, about 2 more weeks · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 6 AM (69)
Shoulder season, about 6 more weeks · Best day Wed, Sep 23 at 5 PM (66)
Shoulder season, about 1 more week · Best day Wed, Sep 23 at 6 PM (66)
Shoulder season, about 1 more week · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 8 AM (67)
Shoulder season, about 19 more weeks · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 6 AM (63)
Shoulder season, about 1 more week · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 7 PM (62)
Shoulder season, about 1 more week · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 7 AM (63)
Shoulder season, about 10 more weeks · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 7 PM (59)
Shoulder season, about 27 more weeks · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 7 PM (59)
Shoulder season, about 32 more weeks · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 7 PM (59)
Shoulder season, about 2 more weeks · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 5 PM (55)
Shoulder season, about 1 more week · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 5 PM (62)
Shoulder season, about 1 more week · Best day Thu, Sep 24 at 6 AM (56)
Shoulder season, about 10 more weeks · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 7 PM (54)
Off season, about 1 more week · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 12 AM (35)
Named spots · 13
Ranked by score this hour. Each spot has its own hourly forecast, tide, current and regulations.
- Bunker CoveBay · 2 to 4 ft · ProtectedTop now: Red drum69Great
- Mallet BayouBay · 3 ft · ProtectedTop now: Red drum69Great
- Motes PointCape · 1 to 3 ft · Semi-exposedTop now: Red drum69Great
- Alaqua BayouBay · 3 to 5 ft · ProtectedTop now: Red drum67Great
- Grassy CoveBay · 3 to 16 ft · Semi-exposedTop now: Red drum67Great
- Horseshoe BayouBay · 1 to 6 ft · ProtectedTop now: Red drum67Great
- LaGrange BayouBay · 3 to 7 ft · ProtectedTop now: Red drum67Great
- Choctawhatchee BayBay · 22 ft · Semi-exposedTop now: Gray snapper66Great
- Hogtown BayouBay · 8 to 11 ft · ProtectedTop now: Red drum65Great
- Duck LakeBay · 2 to 10 ft · ProtectedTop now: Red drum64Good
- Jolly BayBay · 3 to 5 ft · ProtectedTop now: Red drum64Good
- Live Oak PointCape · 1 to 4 ft · Semi-exposedTop now: Red drum59Good
1 more spot, A to Z
Nearest tide stations
Regulations
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Synced with FWC Sep 16, 2026.
This bay system’s spots fall in Gulf (13 spots), Panhandle (red drum) (13 spots), Panhandle (snook) (13 spots) and Panhandle (seatrout) (13 spots).
No reviewed rules for the species listed here are on file yet. Check with FWC before you keep a fish.
Other Florida bay systems
- Apalachee Bay or Coastal Waters From Keaton Beach to Ochlockonee River Fl out to 20 Nm49
- Bayside and Gulfside from Craig Key to West End of Seven Mile Bridge199
- Biscayne Bay82
- Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound126
- Coastal Waters From Ochlockonee River to Apalachicola FL out to 20 Nm39
- Coastal waters from Suwannee River to Keaton Beach out 20 NM20
- Coastal waters from Chokoloskee to Bonita Beach FL out 20 NM81
- Coastal waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM22
- Coastal waters from Jupiter Inlet to Deerfield Beach FL out 20 NM6
- Coastal Waters from Mexico Beach to Apalachicola out 20 NM24
- Coastal waters from St. Augustine to Flagler Beach FL out 20 NM4
- Coastal waters from Tarpon Springs to Suwannee River FL out 20 NM131
- Flagler Beach to Volusia-Brevard County Line 0-20 nm21
- Florida Bay including Barnes Sound, Blackwater Sound, and Buttonwood Sound109
- Gulf of America including Dry Tortugas and Rebecca Shoal Channel16
- Lake Okeechobee11
- Pensacola Bay Area including Santa Rosa Sound46
- Sebastian Inlet to Jupiter Inlet 0-20 nm88
- St. Andrews Bay Waterways79
- Straits of Florida from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile Bridge out 20 NM
- Straits of Florida from Ocean Reef to Craig Key out 20 NM
- Tampa Bay waters195
- Volusia-Brevard County Line to Sebastian Inlet 0-20 nm92
- Western Choctawhatchee Bay23