Species guide · Florida
Bluefish fishing in Florida
Pomatomus saltatrix, a nearshore species also called blues, choppers and snapper blues. Listed for the South Florida and the Keys and South Atlantic regions. Off season, about 1 more week.
Right now it scores best in Coastal waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM at 35, one of 6 Florida bay systems where the Waterlands engine is scoring it.
Season now
Off seasonSeason by month
From the Waterlands saltwater species research: when the fish are present and biting, not whether retention is open.
South Florida and the Keys
- Jan: Shoulder season
- Feb: Shoulder season
- Mar: Off season
- Apr: Not present
- May: Not present
- Jun: Not present
- Jul: Not present
- Aug: Not present
- Sep: Not present
- Oct: Not present
- Nov: Off season
- Dec: Shoulder season
No peak months. In season (shoulder or peak): Dec to Feb.
Research notes, South Florida and the Keys region
Southern edge of the winter range. Blues show along Palm Beach and Broward beaches and inlets in winter, more in cold years. Rare in the Keys.
Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.
South Atlantic
Off season, about 1 more week- Jan: Shoulder season
- Feb: Shoulder season
- Mar: Peak season
- Apr: Peak season
- May: Shoulder season
- Jun: Off season
- Jul: Off season
- Aug: Off season
- Sep: Off season
- Oct: Shoulder season
- Nov: Peak season
- Dec: Peak season
Peak: Mar to Apr, Nov to Dec. In season (shoulder or peak): Oct to May.
Research notes, South Atlantic region
ASMFC places the winter population offshore between Cape Hatteras and Florida. Outer Banks surf runs of large blues come in spring and late fall; northeast Florida beaches and inlets see winter schools. Summer catches are mostly small fish.
Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.
Where it's scoring now · 6
Florida bay systems ranked by the Waterlands engine's bluefish score this hour.
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 12 AM (35) · 22 named spots
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 12 AM (35) · 4 named spots
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 12 AM (35) · 21 named spots
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 12 AM (35) · 11 named spots
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 12 AM (35) · 88 named spots
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 12 AM (35) · 92 named spots
Not scored in this forecast: Anegada Passage east of Virgin Gorda and Saint Croix south to 17N, Atlantic Waters of Puerto Rico AND USVI from 10 NM to 19.5N, Bayside and Gulfside from Craig Key to West End of Seven Mile Bridge, Biscayne Bay, Caribbean Waters of Puerto Rico from 10 NM to 17N, including the Coastal Waters of Saint Croix, Coastal Waters east of Puerto Rico, around Vieques, and around and just north of Culebra and Saint John, Coastal Waters from Cabo San Juan to the waters between Anegada Island and Virgin Gorda and North 10 NM, Coastal waters from Jupiter Inlet to Deerfield Beach FL out 20 NM, Florida Bay including Barnes Sound, Blackwater Sound, and Buttonwood Sound, Gulf of America including Dry Tortugas and Rebecca Shoal Channel, Mona Passage Southward to 17N, Straits of Florida from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile Bridge out 20 NM and Straits of Florida from Ocean Reef to Craig Key out 20 NM.
How and where it feeds
- Water temperature
- Feeds from 55°F to 84°F, best between 64°F and 75°F.
- Water depth
- 3 to 70 ft of water.
- Structure
- Rip, inlet, shoal, surf, point, jetty, pier and bay, in that order of preference.
- Tide and current
- Prefers moving water and outgoing tide, with strong current.Bluefish feed where current concentrates bait: rips, inlet mouths and shoal edges on a hard-running tide. The ebb out of inlets pushes bait to waiting fish. Slack water usually slows the bite.
- Light
- Bites best around dawn and dusk; feeds at night too.
- Pressure
- Little response to pressure changes.
- Wind and sea limits
- 20 kt of wind and 5 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.
Tackle and technique
Bluefish travel in size-sorted schools and feed where tide pushes bait past structure: inlet mouths, rips, shoal edges and the surf line, mostly in water shallower than 60 feet. Look for birds and breaking bait and cast metal or poppers into it, or soak cut bunker or mullet on the bottom from the beach. Use a short wire or heavy leader because their teeth cut light line.
- Methods
- casting, surf casting, trolling, chunking, jigging, fly fishing
- Lures
- metal spoons, diamond jigs, topwater poppers, swimming plugs, bucktail jigs, soft plastic jerkbaits
- Bait
- cut menhaden (bunker), cut or finger mullet, live peanut bunker, squid strips
Regulations
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Synced with FWC Sep 16, 2026.
No reviewed bluefish rule for Florida is on file yet. Check with FWC before you keep one.
Other Florida species
- Atlantic croaker
- Atlantic tarpon
- Common snook
- Crevalle jack
- Gray snapper
- King mackerel
- Red drum
- Southern flounder
- Spot
- Spotted seatrout
- Summer flounder
- Black drum
- Black sea bass
- Bonefish
- Cobia
- Florida pompano
- Gag grouper
- Gray triggerfish
- Greater amberjack
- Little tunny
- Mahi-mahi
- Permit
- Red grouper
- Red snapper
- Sailfish
- Sheepshead
- Spanish mackerel
- Wahoo
- Weakfish
- Yellowfin tuna
- Striped bass