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SheepsheadRetention openSpecies here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Atlantic croaker65
- Atlantic tarpon65
- Common snook64
- Spot63
- Crevalle jack59
- Gray snapper58
- Red drum57
- Southern flounder56
- Summer flounder56
- King mackerel51
- Weakfish51
- Black drum49
- Black sea bass47
- Little tunny47
- Red snapper47
- Spotted seatrout47
- Spanish mackerel45
- Gray triggerfish44
- Red grouper44
- Sheepshead42
- Wahoo41
- Cobia40
- Florida pompano38
- Greater amberjack38
- Mahi-mahi37
- Bluefish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Sailfish29
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 8 AM · Sheepshead
- Now
- 422 AM EDT
- Best window
- 5-10 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing0.3 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Herman Bay 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 · 2 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
65Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.2 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
94Wind: 2 kt SSEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
36Water temp: 86°F, warmLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 1.1 ftSeason & habitat · Sheepshead
Species seasonality
48Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
Sheepshead
Retention open- Daily limit
- 8 per day
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Minimum 12 in, total length
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- State rules extend into federal waters. Special rules apply in Biscayne National Park. Hook and line, cast net, seine, spear or gig. No multiple hooks with natural bait. No snatching. Open year-round. A 50-fish vessel limit applies in March and April.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: Sheepshead, 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))
- 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 Sheepshead is best here
Shoulder season for Sheepshead · 18 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Herman Bay
- Depth
- 2-6 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Bay · Outer · Semi-exposedBay · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonSheepshead
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, Atlantic tarpon and common snook. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, Atlantic tarpon, common snook and spot, and shoulder season for weakfish, black drum, black sea bass and little tunny. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September. Common snook peak from April through May and from September through October.
Tackle & technique
- Sheepshead
- Sheepshead graze barnacles and crabs off pilings, jetty rocks, bridge supports, oyster bars and nearshore reefs, from a few feet deep out to about 50 feet. Drop a fiddler crab, sand flea or piece of shrimp on a small, strong hook straight down next to the structure with just enough weight to hold bottom. The bite is a light tap, so keep the line tight and set the hook fast.
- 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
- Little Mud Creek77
Gut · 2.9 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 77
- Common snook 74
- Southern flounder 71
2 kt SSEL 2:53 AM · 0.3 ftH 8:33 AM · 1.3 ft
- Middle Cove69
Bay · 4.7 mi
Top: Common snookPeak season- Common snook 69
- Atlantic tarpon 69
- Crevalle jack 64
2 kt SSEL 2:53 AM · 0.3 ftH 8:33 AM · 1.3 ft
- Herman Bay Point67
Cape · 1.4 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 67
- Common snook 65
- Atlantic croaker 60
2 kt SSEL 2:53 AM · 0.3 ftH 8:33 AM · 1.3 ft
- Pierce Shoal65
Bar · 3.1 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 65
- Atlantic croaker 60
- Gray snapper 58
2 kt SSEL 2:53 AM · 0.3 ftH 8:33 AM · 1.3 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.