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Spotted seatroutRetention openBay · Florida
Head Cove Pocket
27.58°N · 80.34°W · Bay · Sebastian Inlet to Jupiter Inlet 0-20 nm
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Atlantic croaker69
- Atlantic tarpon67
- Spot67
- Common snook66
- Crevalle jack65
- Summer flounder62
- Gray snapper61
- Red drum61
- King mackerel58
- Southern flounder58
- Weakfish55
- Black sea bass51
- Black drum50
- Florida pompano50
- Little tunny50
- Spotted seatrout50
- Red snapper49
- Spanish mackerel49
- Gray triggerfish48
- Red grouper48
- Cobia46
- Sheepshead45
- Wahoo44
- Greater amberjack43
- Mahi-mahi38
- Bluefish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Sailfish27
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 7 AM · Spotted seatrout
- Now
- 509 PM EDT
- Best window
- 9 PM-12 AMHigh slack
- Tide now
- Flooding0.9 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Head Cove Pocket 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 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
63Tide: FloodingCurrent: SlackWind & pressure
ECMWF
71Wind: 2 kt EPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
40Water temp: 86°F, hotLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 1.2 ftSeason & habitat · Spotted seatrout
Species seasonality
75Season: PeakHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
Spotted seatrout
Retention open- Daily limit
- 2 per day
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Slot 15 to 19 in, total length. May not possess fish larger than 19 inches total length.
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Changes
- Closed from Nov 1
- 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 January 1 through October 31. Closed November 1 through December 31. 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 (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)
- 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)
- 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 Spotted seatrout is best here
Peak season for Spotted seatrout · 9 more weeks at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Head Cove Pocket
- Depth
- 1-4 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Bay · Outer · Semi-exposedBay · flat bottom
- Season
- Peak seasonSpotted seatrout
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 Head Cove Pocket
Head Cove Pocket is a bay in Sebastian Inlet to Jupiter Inlet 0-20 nm, Florida. Depth is 1-4 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads bay, outer water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 29 species here; the best right now are Atlantic croaker, Atlantic tarpon and spot. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, Atlantic tarpon, spot and common snook, and shoulder season for weakfish, black sea bass, black drum and Florida pompano. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September. Spot peak from September through October.
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 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
- Head Cove69
Bay · 0.3 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 69
- Spot 67
- Atlantic tarpon 67
2 kt EH 10:13 PM · 0.9 ftL 5:03 AM · 0.3 ft
- Porpoise Bay69
Bay · 0.8 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 69
- Spot 67
- Atlantic tarpon 67
2 kt EH 10:13 PM · 0.9 ftL 5:03 AM · 0.3 ft
- Starvation Point67
Cape · 0.1 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 67
- Common snook 66
- Atlantic croaker 64
2 kt EH 10:13 PM · 0.9 ftL 5:03 AM · 0.3 ft
- Porpoise Point67
Cape · 0.9 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 67
- Common snook 66
- Atlantic croaker 64
2 kt EH 10:13 PM · 0.9 ftL 5:03 AM · 0.3 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.