Waterlands

UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN

King mackerelRetention open

Bay · Florida

Michael Creek

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

LOADING MAP

Best score today · 6 PM · King mackerel

76/100Great
Now
515 AM EDT
Best window
6 PM-12 AMFlood tide
Tide now
Flooding0.4 ft ▲

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

Notify me when Michael Creek scores 75+

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

Sign in to set an alert

14-day forecast

Best days to fish

Best: Wed · 80

24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 5 AM · now

Time5ANOW
Score51Good
Tide0.4 ft ▲Flooding
Current0.1 knmodeled · toward N
Wind2 kn Sgusts 3 · steady
Sea stateLight chop1.1 ft · 7 s
Air temp74°Warm
WeatherMostly cloudy68% cloud
Water85°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)

IN EFFECT NOW

King mackerel

Retention open
Daily limit
2 per day
Possession
Not published
Size
Minimum 24 in, fork length
Season
No closed season on file
Annual quota
Not published
Other
Hook and line and spearing only. Open year-round.

From FWC Recreational Regulations: King Mackerel, 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)
  • 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 yesterday

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When King mackerel is best here

Peak season for King mackerel · 5 more weeks at peak

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

King mackerel in Florida →

Spot profile

Michael Creek

Depth
5-8 ftFlat bottom
Structure
Estuary · Inner · ProtectedEstuary · flat bottom
Season
Peak seasonKing mackerel

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 southern flounder, Atlantic croaker and red drum. It is peak season now for southern flounder, Atlantic croaker, red drum and common snook, and shoulder season for weakfish, black drum, red snapper and black sea bass. Southern flounder peak from September through November. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Red drum peak from August through November.

Tackle & technique

King mackerel
Kings roam from beaches and pier ends out to reefs, wrecks and ledges in 40 to 200 feet, usually feeding in the upper half of the water column. Slow-troll live menhaden, blue runners or cigar minnows on a light wire stinger rig, or pull spoons and ribbonfish past bait schools. Look for clean green water above 68 F with bait and birds on it.
Southern flounder
Flounder lie half buried on soft bottom along marsh edges, creek mouths, dock pilings and the sandy sides of passes, usually in 1 to 15 feet of water. Drag a mud minnow or finger mullet on a Carolina rig, or bump a soft plastic slowly along the bottom, and give the fish a few seconds before setting the hook. In fall the adults stack up at passes and jetties on their way offshore, and many anglers gig them at night in knee-deep water.
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.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

View all on map →
  • East Channel

    Channel · 1.0 mi

    67
    Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season
    • Atlantic tarpon 67
    • Common snook 65
    • Atlantic croaker 64

    2 kt SH 9:04 AM · 0.4 ftL 4:05 PM · 0.3 ft

  • Pine Island Bay

    Bay · 0.6 mi

    61
    Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season
    • Atlantic croaker 61
    • Common snook 60
    • Spot 59

    2 kt SH 9:04 AM · 0.4 ftL 4:05 PM · 0.3 ft

  • South Point

    Cape · 0.9 mi

    60
    Top: Common snookPeak season
    • Common snook 60
    • Atlantic tarpon 59
    • Atlantic croaker 56

    2 kt SH 9:04 AM · 0.4 ftL 4:05 PM · 0.3 ft

  • Duck Point

    Cape · 2.4 mi

    60
    Top: Common snookPeak season
    • Common snook 60
    • Atlantic tarpon 59
    • Atlantic croaker 56

    2 kt SH 9:04 AM · 0.4 ftL 4:05 PM · 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.