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King mackerelRetention openBay · Florida
Fort Pierce Inlet
27.47°N · 80.29°W · Bay · Sebastian Inlet to Jupiter Inlet 0-20 nm
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Common snook80
- Atlantic tarpon78
- Crevalle jack72
- Summer flounder69
- Atlantic croaker68
- Red drum68
- Southern flounder67
- Florida pompano66
- Spot66
- King mackerel63
- Spanish mackerel63
- Gray snapper61
- Weakfish59
- Little tunny57
- Cobia53
- Spotted seatrout53
- Wahoo51
- Greater amberjack46
- Black sea bass45
- Black drum44
- Mahi-mahi43
- Gray triggerfish42
- Red grouper42
- Red snapper42
- Sheepshead38
- Bluefish35
- Sailfish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 10 AM · King mackerel
- Now
- 636 PM EDT
- Best window
- 10 PM-12 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Flooding3.0 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Fort Pierce Inlet 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 · 6 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
57Tide: FloodingCurrent: 2.5 kn floodWind & pressure
ECMWF
100Wind: 4 kt EPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
60Water temp: 86°F, warmLight: DuskSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 1.1 ftSeason & habitat · King mackerel
Species seasonality
90Season: PeakHabitat: Usable structureDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
King mackerel
Retention open- Daily limit
- 2 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. Open year-round.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: King Mackerel, 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 snapper Retention open (5 per day (10 snapper combined))
- Gray triggerfish Retention open (10 per day)
- Greater amberjack Retention open (1 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 today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When King mackerel is best here
Peak season for King mackerel · 5 more weeks at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Fort Pierce Inlet
- Depth
- 5-30 ftSlope
- Structure
- Inlet · Outer · ExposedInlet · slope
- Season
- Peak seasonKing mackerel
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 Fort Pierce Inlet
Fort Pierce Inlet is a bay in Sebastian Inlet to Jupiter Inlet 0-20 nm, Florida. Depth is 5-30 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads inlet, outer water and exposed.
Waterlands scores 29 species here; the best right now are common snook, Atlantic tarpon and crevalle jack. It is peak season now for common snook, Atlantic tarpon, crevalle jack and summer flounder, and shoulder season for Florida pompano, Spanish mackerel, weakfish and little tunny. Common snook peak from April through May and from September through October. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September. Crevalle jack peak from July through October.
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.
- Common snook
- Snook ambush bait around mangrove shorelines, bridge and dock lights, jetties and the mouths of passes and inlets, generally in 2 to 15 feet of water. Fish moving water, especially the outgoing tide, with a live pilchard, pinfish or shrimp, or a jerkbait or soft plastic swum past the structure. In summer they spawn along beaches and inlets, and in winter they crowd into rivers, canals and deep backcountry creeks where the water stays warmer.
- 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
- Fort Pierce Inlet Entrance Range78
Channel · 0.4 mi
Top: Common snookPeak season- Common snook 78
- Atlantic tarpon 77
- Atlantic croaker 72
4 kt EH 6:42 PM · 3.1 ftL 12:46 AM · 1.0 ft
- Dynamite Point75
Cape · 0.3 mi
Top: Common snookPeak season- Common snook 75
- Atlantic tarpon 72
- Crevalle jack 67
4 kt EH 7:13 PM · 2.2 ftL 1:05 AM · 0.4 ft
- Boot Toe Point75
Cape · 0.6 mi
Top: Common snookPeak season- Common snook 75
- Atlantic tarpon 72
- Crevalle jack 67
4 kt EH 7:13 PM · 2.2 ftL 1:05 AM · 0.4 ft
- Tucker Cove75
Bay · 0.7 mi
Top: Common snookPeak season- Common snook 75
- Crevalle jack 72
- Atlantic tarpon 72
4 kt EH 7:13 PM · 2.2 ftL 1:05 AM · 0.4 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.