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Spotted seatroutRetention openSpecies here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Atlantic croaker74
- Crevalle jack73
- Spot72
- Atlantic tarpon69
- Common snook69
- Summer flounder69
- Gray snapper66
- King mackerel66
- Red drum65
- Southern flounder63
- Weakfish60
- Black sea bass59
- Little tunny58
- Spanish mackerel58
- Black drum57
- Florida pompano56
- Gray triggerfish56
- Red grouper56
- Red snapper56
- Spotted seatrout55
- Cobia53
- Sheepshead53
- Greater amberjack50
- Wahoo50
- Mahi-mahi45
- Bluefish35
- Sailfish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 8 AM · Spotted seatrout
- Now
- 557 AM EDT
- Best window
- 5 PM-12 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding1.1 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 · 7 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
72Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.2 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
64Wind: 3 kt SWPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
51Water temp: 86°F, warmLight: DawnSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 1.1 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 yesterday
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
Herman Bay
- Depth
- 2-6 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 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 spot. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, crevalle jack, spot and Atlantic tarpon, 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. 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.
- 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.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Little Mud Creek82
Gut · 2.9 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 82
- Common snook 81
- Crevalle jack 78
3 kt SWH 8:33 AM · 1.3 ftL 3:01 PM · 0.1 ft
- Middle Cove78
Bay · 4.7 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 78
- Common snook 75
- Atlantic tarpon 74
3 kt SWH 8:33 AM · 1.3 ftL 3:01 PM · 0.1 ft
- Herman Bay Point74
Cape · 1.4 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 74
- Common snook 73
- Crevalle jack 73
3 kt SWH 8:33 AM · 1.3 ftL 3:01 PM · 0.1 ft
- Pierce Shoal69
Bar · 3.1 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 69
- Atlantic tarpon 69
- Crevalle jack 68
3 kt SWH 8:33 AM · 1.3 ftL 3:01 PM · 0.1 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.