Waterlands

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Atlantic croakerRetention open

Bay · Florida

Herman Bay

27.34°N · 80.24°W · Bay · Sebastian Inlet to Jupiter Inlet 0-20 nm

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Best score today · 9 AM · Atlantic croaker

77/100Great
Now
766 PM EDT
Best window
6 PM-12 AMEbb tide
Tide now
Flooding1.1 ft ▲

Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine

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14-day forecast

Best days to fish

Best: Thu · 79

24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 6 PM · now

Time6PNOW
Score76Great
Tide1.1 ft ▲Flooding
Current0.3 knmodeled · toward NW
Wind4 kn SSWgusts 14 · steady
Sea stateLight chop1.2 ft · 7 s
Air temp77°Warm
WeatherOvercast97% chance of rain
Water86°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)

IN EFFECT NOW

Atlantic croaker

Retention open
Daily limit
50 per day
Possession
Not published
Size
Not published
Season
No closed season on file
Annual quota
Not published
Other
50 per person per species. No minimum size. Open year-round.

From FWC Recreational Regulations: Spot and Atlantic croaker, read Sep 13

Other species here

  • 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)
  • 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)
Always check with FWC ↗Fishing license ↗

Source: FWC · synced today

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Atlantic croaker is best here

Peak season for Atlantic croaker · 5 more weeks at peak

Atlantic croaker season by week of the year. Peak season for Atlantic croaker · 5 more weeks at peak.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

Atlantic croaker in Florida →

Spot profile

Herman Bay

Depth
2-6 ftFlat bottom
Structure
Bay · Outer · Semi-exposedBay · flat bottom
Season
Peak seasonAtlantic croaker

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 Herman Bay

Herman Bay is a bay in Sebastian Inlet to Jupiter Inlet 0-20 nm, Florida. Depth is 2-6 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, crevalle jack and Atlantic tarpon. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, crevalle jack, Atlantic tarpon and spot, and shoulder season for weakfish, black sea bass, little tunny and Spanish mackerel. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Crevalle jack peak from July through October. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September.

Tackle & technique

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.
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.
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

View all on map →
  • Little Mud Creek

    Gut · 2.9 mi

    86
    Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season
    • Atlantic tarpon 86
    • Common snook 83
    • Crevalle jack 79

    4 kt SSWH 8:23 PM · 1.5 ftL 2:53 AM · 0.3 ft

  • Middle Cove

    Bay · 4.7 mi

    79
    Top: Crevalle jackPeak season
    • Crevalle jack 79
    • Common snook 78
    • Atlantic tarpon 78

    4 kt SSWH 8:23 PM · 1.5 ftL 2:53 AM · 0.3 ft

  • Herman Bay Point

    Cape · 1.4 mi

    78
    Top: Common snookPeak season
    • Common snook 78
    • Atlantic tarpon 78
    • Crevalle jack 74

    4 kt SSWH 8:23 PM · 1.5 ftL 2:53 AM · 0.3 ft

  • Pierce Shoal

    Bar · 3.1 mi

    73
    Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season
    • Atlantic tarpon 73
    • Atlantic croaker 70
    • Summer flounder 70

    4 kt SSWH 8:23 PM · 1.5 ftL 2:53 AM · 0.3 ft

Open in the tide map

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.