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King mackerelRetention openBar · Florida
Sawa Rock
24.64°N · 82.86°W · Bar · Gulf of America including Dry Tortugas and Rebecca Shoal Channel
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 7 PM · King mackerel
- Now
- 3510 AM EDT
- Best window
- 6-9 PMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing1.9 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Sawa Rock 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
67Tide: EbbingCurrent: SlackWind & pressure
ECMWF
96Wind: 3 kt SSEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
Open-Meteo Marine
53Water temp: 88°F, hotLight: MorningSolunar: Near a majorSeas: 0.9 ftSeason & habitat · King mackerel
Species seasonality
52Off season · capped at 35Season: Off seasonHabitat: Prime structureDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Monroe County state waters (Florida Keys)
King mackerel
Retention open- Daily limit
- 3 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. FWC applies the Gulf king mackerel rules to all of Monroe County. Open year-round.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: King 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 (1 per day)
- Greater amberjack Retention open (1 per day)
- Mahi-mahi Check regulations
- 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 Retention open (2 per day (10 snapper combined))
- 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)
- Spanish mackerel Retention open (15 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 King mackerel is best here
Out of season for King mackerel · shoulder season starts in 2 weeks
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Sawa Rock
- Depth
- 40-50 ft
- Structure
- Ledge · Outer · Exposed
- Season
- Off seasonKing 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 Sawa Rock
Sawa Rock is a bar in Gulf of America including Dry Tortugas and Rebecca Shoal Channel, Florida. Depth is 40-50 ft. Its profile reads ledge, outer water and exposed.
Waterlands scores 18 species here; the best right now are crevalle jack, red grouper and permit. It is peak season now for crevalle jack and common snook, and shoulder season for red grouper, permit, gray snapper and Atlantic tarpon. Crevalle jack peak from April through May and from September through November. Red grouper peak from April through June. Permit peak from March through June.
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.
- 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.
- Red grouper
- Red grouper live on low limestone ledges and potholed live bottom across the West Florida Shelf, mostly in 60 to 250 feet. Drift to find hard bottom, then anchor and fish live pinfish, grunts or squid on the bottom with stout conventional tackle. Reel hard right after the bite, because they dive into holes, and use a descending device on fish released from deep water.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Bird Key Harbor70
Bay · 1.9 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 70
- Common snook 68
- Gray snapper 60
3 kt SSEL 3:17 PM · 0.8 ftH 9:38 PM · 1.6 ft
- Southeast Channel69
Channel · 2.1 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 69
- Atlantic tarpon 68
- Common snook 65
4 kt SL 3:17 PM · 0.8 ftH 9:38 PM · 1.6 ft
- Bird Key Bank68
Bay · 2.2 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 68
- Common snook 63
- Red grouper 61
3 kt SSEL 3:17 PM · 0.8 ftH 9:38 PM · 1.6 ft
- Bush Key Shoal64
Bar · 0.7 mi
Top: Common snookPeak season- Common snook 64
- Crevalle jack 63
- Atlantic tarpon 60
3 kt SSEL 3:17 PM · 0.8 ftH 9:38 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.