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SheepsheadRetention openSpecies here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Crevalle jack79
- Atlantic tarpon76
- Summer flounder75
- Atlantic croaker74
- Common snook73
- Gray snapper73
- Spot72
- King mackerel71
- Red drum68
- Little tunny65
- Southern flounder65
- Weakfish64
- Spanish mackerel63
- Black sea bass62
- Gray triggerfish58
- Red grouper58
- Red snapper58
- Cobia57
- Greater amberjack57
- Black drum56
- Sheepshead55
- Spotted seatrout55
- Florida pompano50
- Wahoo50
- Mahi-mahi44
- Bluefish35
- Sailfish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 11 AM · Sheepshead
- Now
- 5511 AM EDT
- Best window
- 11 AM-2 PMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing1.4 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Hobe Sound 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 · 11 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
100Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.9 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
90Wind: 2 kt SPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
61Water temp: 86°F, hotLight: OvercastSolunar: Major periodSeas: 1.7 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
Hobe Sound
- Depth
- 5-9 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Bay · Inner · ProtectedBay · 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 Hobe Sound
Hobe Sound is a bay in Sebastian Inlet to Jupiter Inlet 0-20 nm, Florida. Depth is 5-9 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads bay, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 29 species here; the best right now are crevalle jack, Atlantic tarpon and summer flounder. It is peak season now for crevalle jack, Atlantic tarpon, summer flounder and Atlantic croaker, and shoulder season for little tunny, weakfish, Spanish mackerel and black sea bass. Crevalle jack peak from July through October. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September. Summer flounder peak 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.
- 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
- North Jupiter Narrows82
Gut · 7.5 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 82
- Common snook 79
- Crevalle jack 79
2 kt SWL 2:51 PM · 0.6 ftH 8:26 PM · 1.6 ft
- Jupiter Sound79
Bay · 4.1 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 79
- Atlantic tarpon 76
- Summer flounder 75
2 kt SL 2:15 PM · 0.7 ftH 8:09 PM · 2.0 ft
- Jupiter Inlet79
Bay · 6.3 mi
Top: Common snookPeak season- Common snook 79
- Crevalle jack 79
- Atlantic tarpon 76
2 kt SL 12:32 PM · 0.9 ftH 7:03 PM · 2.9 ft
- Horseshoe Point73
Cape · 9.4 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 73
- Common snook 72
- Atlantic croaker 71
2 kt SWL 2:23 PM · 0.6 ftH 8:08 PM · 1.4 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.