Waterlands

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Atlantic croakerRetention open

Bay · Florida

Michael Creek

27.76°N · 80.41°W · Bay · Sebastian Inlet to Jupiter Inlet 0-20 nm

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Best score today · 9 AM · Atlantic croaker

76/100Great
Now
6811 PM EDT
Best window
11 PM-12 AMEbb tide
Tide now
Ebbing0.4 ft ▼

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

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Checked every morning against the 14-day forecast. Free by push and email.

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14-day forecast

Best days to fish

Best: Wed · 80

24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 11 PM · now

Time11PNOW
Score68Great
Tide0.4 ft ▼Ebbing
Current0.1 knmodeled · toward N
Wind2 kn WSWgusts 3 · steady
Sea stateLight chop1.2 ft · 7 s
Air temp75°Warm
WeatherOvercast99% cloud
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

Michael Creek

Depth
5-8 ftFlat bottom
Structure
Estuary · Inner · ProtectedEstuary · 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 Michael Creek

Michael Creek is a bay in Sebastian Inlet to Jupiter Inlet 0-20 nm, Florida. Depth is 5-8 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads estuary, inner water and protected.

Waterlands scores 29 species here; the best right now are Atlantic croaker, spot and Atlantic tarpon. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, spot, Atlantic tarpon and common snook, and shoulder season for black drum, weakfish, Florida pompano and little tunny. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Spot peak from September 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.
Spot
Spot school over mud and sand in bays, tidal creeks and channels and around piers and bridges, generally in less than 25 feet of water. Fish a two-hook bottom rig with small hooks and bits of bloodworm or shrimp, and move until you find a school. In fall the biggest fish run out of the sounds past piers and inlets, and the bite can go all day.
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 →
  • East Channel

    Channel · 1.0 mi

    72
    Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season
    • Atlantic tarpon 72
    • Atlantic croaker 71
    • Common snook 69

    2 kt WSWL 3:47 AM · 0.4 ftH 9:04 AM · 0.4 ft

  • Pine Island Bay

    Bay · 0.6 mi

    68
    Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season
    • Atlantic croaker 68
    • Spot 66
    • Common snook 64

    2 kt WSWL 3:47 AM · 0.4 ftH 9:04 AM · 0.4 ft

  • South Point

    Cape · 0.9 mi

    64
    Top: Common snookPeak season
    • Common snook 64
    • Atlantic tarpon 64
    • Atlantic croaker 63

    2 kt WSWL 3:47 AM · 0.4 ftH 9:04 AM · 0.4 ft

  • Duck Point

    Cape · 2.4 mi

    64
    Top: Common snookPeak season
    • Common snook 64
    • Atlantic tarpon 64
    • Atlantic croaker 63

    2 kt WSWL 3:47 AM · 0.4 ftH 9:04 AM · 0.4 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.