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King mackerelRetention openBay · Florida
Bittersweet Cove
28.91°N · 80.86°W · Bay · Flagler Beach to Volusia-Brevard County Line 0-20 nm
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Atlantic croaker74
- Spot72
- Common snook69
- Atlantic tarpon67
- Crevalle jack65
- King mackerel64
- Gray snapper63
- Red drum62
- Summer flounder61
- Southern flounder60
- Black drum55
- Red snapper55
- Weakfish55
- Spotted seatrout54
- Black sea bass53
- Florida pompano53
- Gray triggerfish53
- Red grouper51
- Spanish mackerel51
- Cobia50
- Little tunny50
- Mahi-mahi49
- Sheepshead49
- Greater amberjack46
- Wahoo46
- Bluefish35
- Sailfish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 7 AM · King mackerel
- Now
- 644 AM EDT
- Best window
- 4 AM-1 PMHigh slack
- Tide now
- Flooding0.3 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Bittersweet Cove 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
70Tide: FloodingCurrent: WeakWind & pressure
ECMWF
91Wind: 2 kt NWPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
58Water temp: 82°F, warmLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 1.5 ftSeason & habitat · King mackerel
Species seasonality
90Season: PeakHabitat: Usable structureDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
King mackerel
Retention open- Daily limit
- 2 per day
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Minimum 24 in, fork length
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- Hook and line and spearing only. Open year-round.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: King Mackerel, read Sep 13
Other species here
- Atlantic croaker Retention open (50 per day)
- Black drum Retention open (5 per day)
- Bluefish Retention open (3 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 Closed (No retention)
- Gray snapper Retention open (5 per day (10 snapper combined))
- Gray triggerfish Retention open (10 per day)
- Greater amberjack Retention open (1 per day)
- Mahi-mahi Retention open (5 per day)
- Permit Retention open (2 per day)
- Red drum Catch & release (No retention)
- Red grouper Retention open (3 per day (3 Atlantic grouper and tilefish combined))
- Red snapper Check regulations
- 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 (50 per day)
- Spotted seatrout Retention open (2 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 King mackerel is best here
Peak season for King mackerel · 5 more weeks at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Bittersweet Cove
- Depth
- About 10 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Bay · Inner · ProtectedBay · flat bottom
- Season
- Peak seasonKing mackerel
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 Bittersweet Cove
Bittersweet Cove is a bay in Flagler Beach to Volusia-Brevard County Line 0-20 nm, Florida. Depth is about 10 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads bay, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 29 species here; the best right now are Atlantic croaker, spot and common snook. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, spot, common snook and Atlantic tarpon, and shoulder season for black drum, red snapper, weakfish and black sea bass. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Spot peak from September through October. Common snook peak from April through May and from September through October.
Tackle & technique
- King mackerel
- Kings roam from beaches and pier ends out to reefs, wrecks and ledges in 40 to 200 feet, usually feeding in the upper half of the water column. Slow-troll live menhaden, blue runners or cigar minnows on a light wire stinger rig, or pull spoons and ribbonfish past bait schools. Look for clean green water above 68 F with bait and birds on it.
- 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.
- Spot
- Spot school over mud and sand in bays, tidal creeks and channels and around piers and bridges, generally in less than 25 feet of water. Fish a two-hook bottom rig with small hooks and bits of bloodworm or shrimp, and move until you find a school. In fall the biggest fish run out of the sounds past piers and inlets, and the bite can go all day.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Brickhouse Cove74
Bay · 0.7 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 74
- Spot 72
- Common snook 69
2 kt NWH 8:09 AM · 0.9 ftL 2:38 PM · 0.1 ft
- Blue Hole74
Bay · 1.6 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 74
- Spot 72
- Common snook 69
2 kt NWH 8:09 AM · 0.9 ftL 2:38 PM · 0.1 ft
- Cedar Creek74
Bay · 2.9 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 74
- Spot 72
- Atlantic tarpon 72
2 kt NWH 8:09 AM · 0.9 ftL 2:38 PM · 0.1 ft
- Gaines Slough62
Bay · 3.0 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 62
- Atlantic tarpon 62
- Red drum 60
2 kt NWH 9:29 AM · 0.4 ftL 4:22 PM · 0.0 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.
