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Best score today · 9 AM · Mahi-mahi

80/100Great

Now: 422 PM EDT
Best window: 2-7 PMFlood tide
Tide now: Flooding0.5 ft ▲

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

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14-day forecast

Best days to fish

Best: Fri · 83

24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 2 PM · now

DRAG OR TAP AN HOUR

Time2PNOW

Score42Fair

Tide0.5 ft ▲Flooding

CurrentEbb0.8 kn · toward E

Wind5 kn Egusts 14 · steady

Sea stateLight chop1.1 ft · 7 s

Air temp80°Warm

WeatherOvercast92% chance of rain

Water87°FObserved

WED · SEP 23

THU · SEP 24

11A

12P

1P

NOW

3P

4P

5P

6P

7P

8P

9P

10P

11P

12A

1A

2A

3A

4A

5A

6A

7A

8A

9A

10A

43

39

40

42

43

42

43

42

39

38

39

37

33

34

37

38

42

43

44

41

2.5

2.2

1.7

0.8

0.4

1.7

2.5

2.2

1.4

○0.0

1.5

2.5

2.7

2.5

1.9

0.9

0.5

1.7

2.2

2.1

1.5

0.4

1.2

92

101

123

145

135

124

104

94

83

73

63

53

42

32

53

84

106

116

127

147

1.1

1.2

1.3

1.4

1.5

39%

56%

77%

92%

97%

94%

88%

80%

69%

53%

35%

33%

49%

59%

56%

48%

39%

30%

86°

87°

86°

Hour

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)

IN EFFECT NOW

Mahi-mahi

Retention open

Daily limit: 5 per day
Possession: Not published
Size: Minimum 20 in, fork length
Season: No closed season on file
Annual quota: Not published
Other: Captain and crew may not keep a bag limit. Private boats: 5 per person or 30 per vessel, whichever is less. For-hire vessels: 5 per paying customer; no 30-fish cap. Hook and line or spearing.

From FWC Recreational Regulations: Dolphinfish/Mahi-Mahi, 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)
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 Mahi-mahi is best here

Shoulder season for Mahi-mahi · 1 more week at shoulder

Peak
Shoulder
Off
This week

Mahi-mahi in Florida →

Spot profile

Wildcat Cove

Depth: 1-5 ftFlat bottom
Structure: Bay · Inner · ProtectedBay · flat bottom
Season: Shoulder seasonMahi-mahi

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 Wildcat Cove

Wildcat Cove is a bay in Sebastian Inlet to Jupiter Inlet 0-20 nm, Florida. Depth is 1-5 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 Atlantic croaker. It is peak season now for crevalle jack, Atlantic tarpon, Atlantic croaker and summer flounder, and shoulder season for weakfish, little tunny, Spanish mackerel and black sea bass. Crevalle jack peak from July through October. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October.

Tackle & technique

Mahi-mahi: Mahi feed near the surface along weedlines, floating debris, buoys and current edges offshore, in water from the low 70s to the low 80s. Troll ballyhoo or small skirted lures along the weed, and when a school comes up behind the boat keep one hooked fish in the water while you pitch cut bait or jigs to the rest. Look for birds working over weed and flotsam.
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

View all on map →

Fort Pierce Cut
Channel · 0.7 mi
78
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season
- Atlantic tarpon 78
- Atlantic croaker 74
- Common snook 73
5 kt EH 7:13 PM · 2.2 ftL 1:05 AM · 0.4 ft
Saint Lucie Cut
Channel · 1.0 mi
75
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season
- Atlantic tarpon 75
- Atlantic croaker 70
- Common snook 70
5 kt EH 7:44 PM · 1.7 ftL 1:45 AM · 0.3 ft
Tucker Cove
Bay · 1.3 mi
74
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season
- Crevalle jack 74
- Atlantic tarpon 73
- Atlantic croaker 71
5 kt EH 7:13 PM · 2.2 ftL 1:05 AM · 0.4 ft
Shortys Slough
Bay · 1.3 mi
71
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season
- Atlantic croaker 71
- Crevalle jack 71
- Atlantic tarpon 70
5 kt EH 7:13 PM · 2.2 ftL 1:05 AM · 0.4 ft