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Spotted seatroutRetention 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
- King mackerel65
- Crevalle jack64
- Atlantic croaker63
- Common snook61
- Spot61
- Summer flounder60
- Atlantic tarpon55
- Red drum55
- Florida pompano54
- Gray snapper54
- Mahi-mahi53
- Spanish mackerel51
- Wahoo51
- Black sea bass49
- Gray triggerfish49
- Red snapper48
- Southern flounder48
- Weakfish48
- Black drum47
- Red grouper47
- Cobia46
- Little tunny46
- Spotted seatrout45
- Greater amberjack43
- Sheepshead43
- Bluefish35
- Sailfish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 8 AM · Spotted seatrout
- Now
- 453 PM EDT
- Best window
- 4 PM-12 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding0.1 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 · 3 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
45Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.3 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
52Wind: 8 kt NEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
47Water temp: 82°F, warmLight: OvercastSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 1.8 ftSeason & habitat · Spotted seatrout
Species seasonality
75Season: PeakHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
Spotted seatrout
Retention open- Daily limit
- 2 per day
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Slot 15 to 19 in, total length. May not possess fish larger than 19 inches total length.
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Changes
- Closed from Nov 1
- Other
- Must stay whole until landed ashore. For-hire captain and crew may not keep a bag limit. Hook and line or cast net only. No multiple hooks with natural bait. No snatching. Open January 1 through October 31. Closed November 1 through December 31. Regional rules apply in inland, state and adjacent federal waters. New regional rules took effect April 1, 2026.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: Spotted Seatrout, 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)
- King mackerel Retention open (2 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)
- 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 Spotted seatrout is best here
Peak season for Spotted seatrout · 9 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 seasonSpotted seatrout
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 king mackerel, crevalle jack and Atlantic croaker. It is peak season now for king mackerel, crevalle jack, Atlantic croaker and common snook, and shoulder season for Florida pompano, mahi-mahi, Spanish mackerel and wahoo. King mackerel peak in May and from September through October. Crevalle jack peak from July through October. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October.
Tackle & technique
- Spotted seatrout
- Trout hold over grass beds and sandy potholes in 2 to 8 feet of water most of the year and slide into channels, deep creek bends and canals during cold snaps. A live shrimp under a slip or popping cork, a paddle tail on a light jighead, or a topwater walked at first light covers most situations. Keep the drag light because their mouths tear easily.
- 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.
- Crevalle jack
- Jacks roam in schools through inlets, passes, bays, river mouths and along beaches, pushing bait to the surface, and big fish also hold on nearshore reefs and wrecks. Watch for birds and surface blowups, then cast a popper, a spoon or a bucktail into the school and retrieve fast. Bring heavy spinning tackle, because a jack over 15 pounds runs hard and fights for a long time.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Gaines Slough70
Bay · 3.0 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 70
- Atlantic croaker 69
- Red drum 68
8 kt NEL 4:22 PM · 0.0 ftH 9:51 PM · 0.4 ft
- Brickhouse Cove65
Bay · 0.7 mi
Top: King mackerelPeak season- King mackerel 65
- Crevalle jack 64
- Atlantic croaker 63
8 kt NEH 8:35 PM · 1.1 ftL 3:14 AM · 0.1 ft
- Blue Hole65
Bay · 1.6 mi
Top: King mackerelPeak season- King mackerel 65
- Crevalle jack 64
- Atlantic croaker 63
8 kt NEH 8:35 PM · 1.1 ftL 3:14 AM · 0.1 ft
- Cedar Creek64
Bay · 2.9 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 64
- King mackerel 64
- Red drum 64
8 kt NEH 8:35 PM · 1.1 ftL 3:14 AM · 0.1 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.
