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Little tunnyShoulder seasonSpecies here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Atlantic tarpon71
- Crevalle jack70
- Atlantic croaker67
- Common snook67
- Summer flounder67
- Spot65
- Gray snapper64
- King mackerel63
- Red drum63
- Southern flounder62
- Little tunny58
- Weakfish57
- Spanish mackerel56
- Black sea bass53
- Spotted seatrout53
- Black drum51
- Cobia50
- Gray triggerfish50
- Red grouper50
- Red snapper50
- Florida pompano48
- Greater amberjack48
- Wahoo48
- Sheepshead47
- Mahi-mahi42
- Bluefish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Sailfish33
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 7 AM · Little tunny
- Now
- 582 PM EDT
- Best window
- 4-9 PMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing0.2 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 · rolling from now
Conditions · 2 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
77Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.8 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
100Wind: 5 kt EPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
53Water temp: 87°F, hotLight: OvercastSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 1.1 ftSeason & habitat · Little tunny
Species seasonality
70Season: ShoulderHabitat: Usable structureDepth: In rangeRegulations: no rule on file
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
No rule for Little tunny is on file here yet, so its status is unknown, not closed. Confirm limits with FWC before you keep a fish.
Species rules 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)
- 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 today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Little tunny is best here
Shoulder season for Little tunny · 1 more week at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Middle Cove
- Depth
- 2-6 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Bay · Outer · Semi-exposedBay · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonLittle tunny
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 29 species here; the best right now are Atlantic tarpon, crevalle jack and Atlantic croaker. It is peak season now for Atlantic tarpon, crevalle jack, Atlantic croaker and common snook, and shoulder season for little tunny, weakfish, Spanish mackerel and black sea bass. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September. Crevalle jack peak from July through October. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October.
Tackle & technique
- Little tunny
- Little tunny travel fast in schools that pin bait against inlets, points, jetties and tide rips, usually within a few miles of shore and often in less than 60 feet. Stay off the school's path, wait for it to surface within range, and cast small metal or epoxy jigs with a fast retrieve. When fish stay down, troll small feathers along bait edges and color changes to find them.
- 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.
- 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
- Pete Stones Creek82
Gut · 1.4 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 82
- Common snook 76
- Atlantic croaker 75
5 kt EH 6:42 PM · 3.1 ftL 12:46 AM · 1.0 ft
- Little Mud Creek79
Gut · 1.8 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 79
- Common snook 72
- Atlantic croaker 71
5 kt EL 3:01 PM · 0.1 ftH 9:06 PM · 1.5 ft
- Middle Point69
Cape · 0.2 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 69
- Common snook 66
- Crevalle jack 63
5 kt EL 3:01 PM · 0.1 ftH 9:06 PM · 1.5 ft
- Herman Bay Point69
Cape · 3.6 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 69
- Common snook 66
- Crevalle jack 63
5 kt EL 3:01 PM · 0.1 ftH 9:06 PM · 1.5 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.