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Florida pompanoRetention openSpecies here · tap to switch
- Best of all59
- Florida pompano59
- King mackerel59
- Wahoo59
- Little tunny52
- Black sea bass51
- Bluefish51
- Crevalle jack48
- Yellowfin tuna48
- Sailfish44
- Red snapper43
- Greater amberjack42
- Sheepshead37
- Gray snapper35
- Gray triggerfish35
- Mahi-mahi35
- Red grouper35
- Spanish mackerel35
- Striped bass32
- Atlantic croaker30
- Atlantic tarpon30
- Black drum30
- Cobia30
- Common snook30
- Red drum30
- Spot30
- Weakfish30
- Gag grouper20
- Southern flounder20
- Spotted seatrout20
- Summer flounder20
Best score today · 6 PM · Florida pompano
- Now
- 5911 AM EST
- Best window
- 4-11 PMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Flooding0.1 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Middle Cove 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
Saturday, Nov 7 · 5 PM
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
100Tide: FloodingCurrent: 2.0 kn floodWind & pressure
ECMWF
100Wind: 5 kt NEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
89Water temp: 81°F, primeLight: DuskSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 2.2 ftSeason & habitat · Florida pompano
Species seasonality
75Season: PeakHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In range
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
Florida pompano
Retention open- Daily limit
- 6 per day
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Minimum 11 in, fork length
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- Special rules apply in Biscayne National Park. Hook and line, cast net, and beach or haul seine only. No multiple hooks with natural bait. No snatching. Open year-round in state and federal waters.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: Permit, Florida pompano and African pompano, 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
- 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 Closed (No retention)
- Spanish mackerel Retention open (15 per day)
- Spot Retention open (50 per day)
- Spotted seatrout Closed (No retention)
- Summer flounder Closed (No retention)
- Tarpon Catch & release (No retention)
- Wahoo Retention open (2 per day)
Source: FWC · synced yesterday
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Florida pompano is best here
Peak season for Florida pompano · 4 more weeks at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Middle Cove
- Depth
- 2-6 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Bay · Outer · Semi-exposedBay · flat bottom
- Season
- Peak seasonFlorida pompano
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 Middle Cove
Middle Cove 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 30 species here; the best right now are Florida pompano, king mackerel and wahoo. It is peak season now for Florida pompano, wahoo, little tunny and black sea bass, and shoulder season for king mackerel, crevalle jack, yellowfin tuna and sailfish. Florida pompano peak from March through April and from October through November. King mackerel peak in May and from September through October. Wahoo peak from April through May and from October through November.
Tackle & technique
- Florida pompano
- Pompano feed on sand fleas and coquina clams in the trough between the beach and the first sandbar, and around the sandy edges of passes, inlets and bridges. Surf anglers fish a two-hook pompano rig with sand fleas, clams or shrimp, while boat and bridge anglers bounce small jigs along the bottom. The runs follow water temperature, heading north in spring and south in fall as the water cools.
- 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.
- Wahoo
- Wahoo patrol drop-offs, seamounts, rigs and weed lines where current and temperature breaks meet, usually along the 100 to 600 foot contours. High-speed trolling at 12 to 18 knots with weighted lures covers ground, and slower trolling with ballyhoo or diving plugs works over known structure. Use wire leader, because their teeth cut monofilament.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Pete Stones Creek67
Gut · 1.4 mi
Top: Black sea bassPeak season- Black sea bass 67
- Florida pompano 67
- King mackerel 66
12 kt EH 2:19 PM · 3.2 ftL 8:31 PM · 1.0 ft
- Middle Point59
Cape · 0.2 mi
Top: WahooPeak season- Wahoo 59
- Florida pompano 57
- King mackerel 57
12 kt EH 4:47 PM · 1.6 ftL 11:27 PM · 0.2 ft
- Little Mud Creek59
Gut · 1.8 mi
Top: Florida pompanoPeak season- Florida pompano 59
- King mackerel 59
- Wahoo 59
12 kt EH 4:47 PM · 1.6 ftL 11:27 PM · 0.2 ft
- Herman Bay Point57
Cape · 3.6 mi
Top: WahooPeak season- Wahoo 57
- Florida pompano 56
- King mackerel 55
12 kt EH 4:47 PM · 1.6 ftL 11:27 PM · 0.2 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.