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Gray snapperRetention openSpecies here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Atlantic croaker71
- Atlantic tarpon70
- Crevalle jack70
- Common snook69
- Spot68
- Summer flounder65
- Gray snapper63
- King mackerel63
- Red drum63
- Southern flounder62
- Little tunny57
- Black sea bass56
- Spanish mackerel56
- Weakfish56
- Black drum54
- Gray triggerfish53
- Red snapper53
- Spotted seatrout53
- Red grouper52
- Sheepshead50
- Wahoo50
- Cobia49
- Greater amberjack48
- Florida pompano47
- Mahi-mahi45
- Bluefish35
- Sailfish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 8 AM · Gray snapper
- Now
- 6311 AM EDT
- Best window
- 2 PM-12 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing1.0 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Bessie Cove 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 · 11 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
53Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.3 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
92Wind: 2 kt SWPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
94Water temp: 86°F, primeLight: OvercastSolunar: Major periodSeas: 1.1 ftSeason & habitat · Gray snapper
Species seasonality
68Season: PeakHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
Gray snapper
Retention open- Daily limit
- 5 per day (10 snapper combined)
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Minimum 10 in, total length
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- Open year-round in Gulf and Atlantic state waters. Special rules apply in Biscayne National Park. Counts toward the 10-snapper aggregate per person per day. Reef fish gear rules apply. Land with head and fins intact. Federal waters have a 12-inch minimum and a 10-fish bag.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: Snappers, 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 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 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 Gray snapper is best here
Peak season for Gray snapper · 1 more week at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Bessie Cove
- Depth
- 2-9 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Bay · Outer · ExposedBay · flat bottom
- Season
- Peak seasonGray snapper
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 Bessie Cove
Bessie Cove is a bay in Sebastian Inlet to Jupiter Inlet 0-20 nm, Florida. Depth is 2-9 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads bay, outer water and exposed.
Waterlands scores 29 species here; the best right now are Atlantic croaker, Atlantic tarpon and crevalle jack. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, Atlantic tarpon, crevalle jack and common snook, and shoulder season for little tunny, black sea bass, Spanish mackerel and weakfish. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September. Crevalle jack peak from July through October.
Tackle & technique
- Gray snapper
- Mangrove snapper hold tight to mangrove roots, bridge pilings, jetties and reef ledges, from a few feet deep inshore to 150 feet offshore. Chum to pull them out of cover, then freeline or lightly weight a live shrimp or pilchard on fluorocarbon leader, since they shy away from heavy line in clear water. The bite improves at dusk and after dark.
- 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
- Saint Lucie Inlet82
Bay · 1.3 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 82
- Common snook 80
- Crevalle jack 78
2 kt SWL 12:26 PM · 0.3 ftH 7:18 PM · 2.2 ft
- North Point73
Cape · 1.3 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 73
- Common snook 72
- Atlantic croaker 70
2 kt SWL 12:26 PM · 0.3 ftH 7:18 PM · 2.2 ft
- Negro Cove71
Bay · 1.4 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 71
- Crevalle jack 70
- Atlantic tarpon 70
2 kt SWL 12:06 PM · 0.8 ftH 6:14 PM · 3.5 ft
- Baker Point70
Cape · 1.5 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 70
- Common snook 69
- Atlantic croaker 65
2 kt SWL 12:06 PM · 0.8 ftH 6:14 PM · 3.5 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.