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King mackerelRetention openBay · Florida
Gaines Slough
28.89°N · 80.82°W · Bay · Flagler Beach to Volusia-Brevard County Line 0-20 nm
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Atlantic croaker72
- Atlantic tarpon70
- Red drum70
- Spot69
- Common snook67
- Southern flounder66
- Crevalle jack64
- King mackerel62
- Gray snapper61
- Spotted seatrout61
- Summer flounder60
- Black drum59
- Weakfish54
- Florida pompano52
- Red snapper52
- Black sea bass50
- Gray triggerfish50
- Mahi-mahi50
- Cobia49
- Spanish mackerel49
- Little tunny48
- Red grouper48
- Sheepshead47
- Wahoo46
- Greater amberjack44
- Bluefish35
- Sailfish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 7 AM · King mackerel
- Now
- 625 AM EDT
- Best window
- 6 AM-3 PMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Flooding0.0 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Gaines Slough 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
61Tide: FloodingCurrent: WeakWind & pressure
ECMWF
96Wind: 3 kt NWPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
58Water temp: 82°F, warmLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 1.5 ftSeason & habitat · King mackerel
Species seasonality
88Season: 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
Gaines Slough
- Depth
- 1-2 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Bay · Outer · Semi-exposedBay · 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 Gaines Slough
Gaines Slough is a bay in Flagler Beach to Volusia-Brevard County Line 0-20 nm, Florida. Depth is 1-2 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads bay, outer water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 29 species here; the best right now are Atlantic croaker, Atlantic tarpon and red drum. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, Atlantic tarpon, red drum and spot, and shoulder season for black drum, weakfish, Florida pompano and red snapper. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September. Red drum peak from August through November.
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.
- Atlantic tarpon
- Tarpon roll along beaches, in passes and channels, and under bridges from late spring through fall, and in South Florida some fish stay through winter in warm canals and backcountry rivers. Live crabs, mullet or pinfish drifted through a pass on the outgoing tide, or a fly or soft plastic cast ahead of a rolling string of fish, are the main approaches. Use a long heavy leader, bow to the jumps, and keep big fish in the water for release.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Bittersweet Cove76
Bay · 3.0 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 76
- Spot 74
- Common snook 70
3 kt NWH 8:09 AM · 0.9 ftL 2:38 PM · 0.1 ft
- Brickhouse Cove76
Bay · 3.6 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 76
- Spot 74
- Common snook 70
3 kt NWH 8:09 AM · 0.9 ftL 2:38 PM · 0.1 ft
- Blue Hole76
Bay · 4.4 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 76
- Spot 74
- Common snook 70
3 kt NWH 8:09 AM · 0.9 ftL 2:38 PM · 0.1 ft
- East Channel73
Channel · 1.5 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 73
- Common snook 70
- Atlantic tarpon 70
1 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.