UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN
Spanish mackerelRetention openChannel · Florida
Sand Key Channel
24.45°N · 81.91°W · Channel · Gulf of America including Dry Tortugas and Rebecca Shoal Channel
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 11 AM · Spanish mackerel
- Now
- 3510 AM EDT
- Best window
- 10 AM-2 PMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing1.6 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Sand Key Channel 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 · 10 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
72Tide: EbbingCurrent: SlackWind & pressure
ECMWF
100Wind: 4 kt WSWPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
70Water temp: 87°F, warmLight: OvercastSolunar: Near a majorSeas: 1.1 ftSeason & habitat · Spanish mackerel
Species seasonality
27Off season · capped at 35Season: Off seasonHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Monroe County state waters (Florida Keys)
Spanish mackerel
Retention open- Daily limit
- 15 per day
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Minimum 12 in, fork length
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- Beach or haul seine, cast net, hook and line, or spear. Open year-round.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: Spanish Mackerel, read Sep 13
Other species here
- Atlantic croaker Retention open
- Black drum Retention open (5 per day)
- Bluefish Retention open (10 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 (3 per day)
- Mahi-mahi Retention open (5 per day)
- Permit Retention open (1 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 Catch & release (No retention)
- Southern flounder Retention open (5 per day)
- Spot Retention open
- 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 yesterday
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Spanish mackerel is best here
Out of season for Spanish mackerel · shoulder season starts in 2 weeks
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Sand Key Channel
- Depth
- 30-35 ft
- Structure
- Channel · Outer · Exposed
- Season
- Off seasonSpanish mackerel
NOAA NCEI DEM, sampled Sep 13 on a 464 m grid. Depths are feet below mean sea level, not chart datum (MLLW), so they can differ from a chart by a few feet. Not for navigation.
About this spot
Fishing Sand Key Channel
Sand Key Channel is a channel in Gulf of America including Dry Tortugas and Rebecca Shoal Channel, Florida. Depth is 30-35 ft. Its profile reads channel, outer water and exposed.
Waterlands scores 18 species here; the best right now are crevalle jack, Atlantic tarpon and common snook. It is peak season now for crevalle jack and common snook, and shoulder season for Atlantic tarpon, gray snapper, permit and red drum. Crevalle jack peak from April through May and from September through November. Atlantic tarpon peak from March through June. Common snook peak from April through May and from September through November.
Tackle & technique
- Spanish mackerel
- Spanish mackerel school along beaches and around inlets, jetties, piers and bridge-tunnel structures, and along tide rips in 5 to 40 feet of water once the water climbs above about 68 degrees F. Troll small spoons or cast metal jigs and retrieve fast, or look for birds diving on bait and cast into the school. FWC calls for a 30 to 60 pound monofilament leader because their teeth cut light line.
- 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.
- 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
- Parsonage Shoal68
Bar · 2.5 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 68
- Common snook 64
- Atlantic tarpon 64
4 kt WSWL 2:18 PM · 0.5 ftH 8:32 PM · 1.6 ft
- Middle Ground68
Bar · 2.5 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 68
- Common snook 67
- Atlantic tarpon 64
4 kt WSWL 2:18 PM · 0.5 ftH 8:32 PM · 1.6 ft
- Western Dry Rocks67
Bar · 1.0 mi
Top: Common snookPeak season- Common snook 67
- Crevalle jack 66
- Red grouper 65
4 kt WSWL 2:18 PM · 0.5 ftH 8:32 PM · 1.6 ft
- Sand Key66
Bar · 2.4 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 66
- Atlantic tarpon 62
- Common snook 60
4 kt WSWL 2:18 PM · 0.5 ftH 8:32 PM · 1.6 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.