UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN
Spotted seatroutRetention 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 · Spotted seatrout
- Now
- 289 AM EDT
- Best window
- 6-9 PMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing2.0 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 · 9 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
32Tide: EbbingCurrent: SlackWind & pressure
ECMWF
55Wind: 2 kt SPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
Open-Meteo Marine
51Water temp: 88°F, hotLight: DawnSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 1.0 ftSeason & habitat · Spotted seatrout
Species seasonality
28Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Monroe County state waters (Florida Keys)
Spotted seatrout
Retention open- Daily limit
- 3 per day
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Slot 15 to 19 in, total length. One fish over 19 inches per vessel, or per person when fishing from shore, counted in the bag limit.
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- 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 year-round. 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
- 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)
- King mackerel Retention open (3 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
- 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 Spotted seatrout is best here
Shoulder season for Spotted seatrout · 9 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Sawa Rock
- Depth
- 40-50 ft
- Structure
- Ledge · Outer · Exposed
- Season
- Shoulder seasonSpotted seatrout
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 Atlantic tarpon, permit and crevalle jack. It is peak season now for crevalle jack and common snook, and shoulder season for Atlantic tarpon, permit, red grouper and gray snapper. Atlantic tarpon peak from March through June. Permit peak from March through June. Crevalle jack peak from April through May and from September through November.
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.
- 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.
- Permit
- Permit cruise flat edges and channels in 2 to 6 feet of water in the Keys and Biscayne Bay, and school over wrecks and reefs in 30 to 120 feet, especially during the spring spawn. A live or artificial crab is the standard bait, cast ahead of a tailing fish on the flats or dropped to a school on a wreck. They spook easily in shallow water, so good light and a long, quiet cast are needed.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Bird Key Harbor64
Bay · 1.9 mi
Top: Common snookPeak season- Common snook 64
- Crevalle jack 61
- Atlantic tarpon 54
3 kt SL 3:17 PM · 0.8 ftH 9:38 PM · 1.6 ft
- Southeast Channel63
Channel · 2.1 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponShoulder season- Atlantic tarpon 63
- Common snook 60
- Crevalle jack 60
5 kt SSWL 3:17 PM · 0.8 ftH 9:38 PM · 1.6 ft
- Bird Key Bank61
Bay · 2.2 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 61
- Common snook 59
- Atlantic tarpon 55
3 kt SL 3:17 PM · 0.8 ftH 9:38 PM · 1.6 ft
- Bush Key Shoal57
Bar · 0.7 mi
Top: Common snookPeak season- Common snook 57
- Atlantic tarpon 53
- Crevalle jack 52
2 kt SL 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.