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Atlantic croakerRetention openChannel · Florida
Ponce de Leon Cut
29.07°N · 80.94°W · Channel · Flagler Beach to Volusia-Brevard County Line 0-20 nm
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all79
- Atlantic croaker79
- Atlantic tarpon79
- Spot75
- Crevalle jack74
- Red drum72
- Gray snapper71
- King mackerel71
- Summer flounder71
- Southern flounder68
- Black drum66
- Black sea bass64
- Spotted seatrout64
- Weakfish62
- Florida pompano60
- Spanish mackerel60
- Sheepshead59
- Gray triggerfish58
- Cobia57
- Little tunny57
- Red snapper57
- Red grouper56
- Mahi-mahi53
- Greater amberjack52
- Wahoo51
- Bluefish35
- Sailfish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 6 PM · Atlantic croaker
- Now
- 795 PM EDT
- Best window
- 5-8 PMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding2.7 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Ponce de Leon Cut 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 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
90Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.3 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
100Wind: 6 kt EPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
80Water temp: 83°F, warmLight: Late afternoonSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 1.4 ftSeason & habitat · Atlantic croaker
Species seasonality
100Season: PeakHabitat: Prime structureDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
Atlantic croaker
Retention open- Daily limit
- 50 per day
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Not published
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- 50 per person per species. No minimum size. Open year-round.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: Spot and Atlantic croaker, read Sep 13
Other species here
- 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 Retention open (1 per day)
- 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 (3 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 Atlantic croaker is best here
Peak season for Atlantic croaker · 5 more weeks at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Ponce de Leon Cut
- Depth
- 1-10 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Channel · Inner · ProtectedChannel · flat bottom
- Season
- Peak seasonAtlantic croaker
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 Ponce de Leon Cut
Ponce de Leon Cut is a channel in Flagler Beach to Volusia-Brevard County Line 0-20 nm, Florida. Depth is 1-10 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads channel, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 28 species here; the best right now are Atlantic croaker, Atlantic tarpon and spot. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, Atlantic tarpon, spot and crevalle jack, and shoulder season for black drum, black sea bass, weakfish and Florida pompano. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September. Spot peak from September through October.
Tackle & technique
- 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.
- 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
- Ponce de Leon Inlet82
Channel · 1.3 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 82
- Atlantic tarpon 78
- Spot 77
6 kt EH 6:11 PM · 3.6 ftL 12:22 AM · 1.0 ft
- Inlet Harbor78
Bay · 1.4 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 78
- Spot 77
- Crevalle jack 75
6 kt EH 6:34 PM · 3.0 ftL 12:56 AM · 0.9 ft
- Blind Spruce Creek76
Bay · 1.1 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 76
- Crevalle jack 74
- Red drum 74
6 kt EH 6:34 PM · 3.0 ftL 12:56 AM · 0.9 ft
- Bass Flats74
Flat · 1.0 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 74
- Atlantic croaker 73
- Red drum 73
6 kt EH 6:11 PM · 3.6 ftL 12:22 AM · 1.0 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.