Waterlands

Species guide · Florida

Florida pompano fishing in Florida

Trachinotus carolinus, a surf species also called pompano and common pompano. Listed for the South Florida and the Keys, Eastern Gulf and South Atlantic regions. Shoulder season, about 3 more weeks.

Right now it scores best in Apalachee Bay or Coastal Waters From Keaton Beach to Ochlockonee River Fl out to 20 Nm at 83, one of 31 Florida bay systems where the Waterlands engine is scoring it.

Season now

Shoulder season
Where it's scoring nowAll Florida waters

Season 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

Shoulder season, about 3 more weeks
  1. Jan: Peak season
  2. Feb: Peak season
  3. Mar: Peak season
  4. Apr: Shoulder season
  5. May: Off season
  6. Jun: Off season
  7. Jul: Off season
  8. Aug: Off season
  9. Sep: Off season
  10. Oct: Shoulder season
  11. Nov: Shoulder season
  12. Dec: Peak season

Peak: Dec to Mar. In season (shoulder or peak): Oct to Apr.

Research notes, South Florida and the Keys region

Palm Beach and Broward surf fishing peaks in winter when migrating fish stack up along southeast Florida beaches.

Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.

Eastern Gulf

Peak season, about 3 more weeks
  1. Jan: Off season
  2. Feb: Shoulder season
  3. Mar: Peak season
  4. Apr: Peak season
  5. May: Peak season
  6. Jun: Shoulder season
  7. Jul: Off season
  8. Aug: Off season
  9. Sep: Shoulder season
  10. Oct: Peak season
  11. Nov: Peak season
  12. Dec: Shoulder season

Peak: Mar to May, Oct to Nov. In season (shoulder or peak): Feb to Jun, Sep to Dec.

Research notes, Eastern Gulf region

Panhandle and Alabama beaches have a strong spring run March through May and a fall run in October and November. Tampa Bay and southwest Florida passes and bridges hold fish through winter.

Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.

South Atlantic

Peak season, about 3 more weeks
  1. Jan: Shoulder season
  2. Feb: Shoulder season
  3. Mar: Peak season
  4. Apr: Peak season
  5. May: Shoulder season
  6. Jun: Off season
  7. Jul: Off season
  8. Aug: Off season
  9. Sep: Shoulder season
  10. Oct: Peak season
  11. Nov: Peak season
  12. Dec: Shoulder season

Peak: Mar to Apr, Oct to Nov. In season (shoulder or peak): Sep to May.

Research notes, South Atlantic region

Northbound run through northeast Florida, Georgia and South Carolina in spring, southbound in fall. The Treasure Coast holds fish through winter. North Carolina surf catches are mostly late summer and fall.

Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.

Where it's scoring now · 31

Florida bay systems ranked by the Waterlands engine's florida pompano score this hour.

1
83Great
Apalachee Bay or Coastal Waters From Keaton Beach to Ochlockonee River Fl out to 20 Nm

Best window today 8-10 AM (83) · Best day Thu, Nov 5 at 9 AM (84) · 49 named spots

2
83Great
Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound

Best window today 8-10 AM (83) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 8 AM (83) · 126 named spots

3
83Great
Coastal waters from Suwannee River to Keaton Beach out 20 NM

Best window today 8-10 AM (83) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 8 AM (83) · 20 named spots

4
83Great
Coastal Waters from Mexico Beach to Apalachicola out 20 NM

Best window today 8 AM-2 PM (83) · Best day Fri, Nov 6 at 10 AM (84) · 24 named spots

5
82Great
Coastal waters from Tarpon Springs to Suwannee River FL out 20 NM

Best window today 8-10 AM (82) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 8 AM (82) · 131 named spots

6
81Great
Coastal Waters From Ochlockonee River to Apalachicola FL out to 20 Nm

Best window today 8 AM-1 PM (81) · Best day Thu, Nov 5 at 9 AM (82) · 39 named spots

7
81Great
Coastal waters from Chokoloskee to Bonita Beach FL out 20 NM

Best window today 8 AM-1 PM (81) · Best day Sat, Nov 7 at 8 AM (84) · 81 named spots

8
81Great
Coastal waters from St. Augustine to Flagler Beach FL out 20 NM

Best window today 8-11 AM (81) · Best day Thu, Nov 5 at 4 PM (83) · 4 named spots

9
80Great
Tampa Bay waters

Best window today 8-10 AM (80) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 8 AM (80) · 195 named spots

10
78Great
Eastern Choctawhatchee Bay

Best window today 7-10 AM (78) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 7 AM (78) · 13 named spots

11
77Great
Pensacola Bay Area including Santa Rosa Sound

Best window today 7-10 AM (77) · Best day Thu, Nov 12 at 2 PM (78) · 46 named spots

12
76Great
St. Andrews Bay Waterways

Best window today 7-9 AM (76) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 7 AM (76) · 79 named spots

13
76Great
Western Choctawhatchee Bay

Best window today 7-9 AM (76) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 7 AM (76) · 23 named spots

14
73Great
Coastal waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM

Best window today 1-7 PM (81) · Best day Thu, Nov 5 at 4 PM (84) · 22 named spots

15
71Great
Sebastian Inlet to Jupiter Inlet 0-20 nm

Best window today 2-7 PM (73) · Best day Sat, Nov 7 at 5 PM (76) · 88 named spots

16
70Great
Bayside and Gulfside from Craig Key to West End of Seven Mile Bridge

Best window today 4-8 PM (70) · Best day Fri, Nov 6 at 7 AM (71) · 199 named spots

17
70Great
Biscayne Bay

Best window today 3-7 PM (70) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 8 AM (70) · 82 named spots

18
69Great
Florida Bay including Barnes Sound, Blackwater Sound, and Buttonwood Sound

Best window today 3-8 PM (69) · Best day Sat, Nov 7 at 7 AM (70) · 109 named spots

19
68Great
Volusia-Brevard County Line to Sebastian Inlet 0-20 nm

Best window today 11 AM-7 PM (72) · Best day Fri, Nov 6 at 4 PM (75) · 92 named spots

20
65Great
Coastal waters from Jupiter Inlet to Deerfield Beach FL out 20 NM

Best window today 2-8 PM (70) · Best day Fri, Nov 6 at 6 PM (73) · 6 named spots

21
65Great
Gulf of America including Dry Tortugas and Rebecca Shoal Channel

Best window today 3-8 PM (67) · Best day Sat, Nov 7 at 7 AM (69) · 16 named spots

22
64Good
Straits of Florida from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile Bridge out 20 NM

Best window today 1-8 PM (72) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 6 AM (72)

23
63Good
Straits of Florida from Ocean Reef to Craig Key out 20 NM

Best window today 2-7 PM (72) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 4 PM (72)

24
62Good
Flagler Beach to Volusia-Brevard County Line 0-20 nm

Best window today 12-7 PM (70) · Best day Thu, Nov 5 at 4 PM (74) · 21 named spots

25
62Good
Lake Okeechobee

Best window today 8-10 AM (62) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 8 AM (62) · 11 named spots

26
59Good
Mona Passage Southward to 17N

Best window today 9-10 AM (59) · Best day Fri, Nov 6 at 10 AM (63)

27
53Good
Caribbean Waters of Puerto Rico from 10 NM to 17N, including the Coastal Waters of Saint Croix

Best window today 11 AM-8 PM (61) · Best day Mon, Nov 9 at 7 AM (63)

28
48Good
Coastal Waters east of Puerto Rico, around Vieques, and around and just north of Culebra and Saint John

Best window today 12-7 PM (63) · Best day Sun, Nov 8 at 5 PM (67)

29
46Good
Coastal Waters from Cabo San Juan to the waters between Anegada Island and Virgin Gorda and North 10 NM

Best window today 12-7 PM (58) · Best day Thu, Nov 12 at 6 AM (65)

30
44Fair
Anegada Passage east of Virgin Gorda and Saint Croix south to 17N

Best window today 9 AM-10 PM (45) · Best day Thu, Nov 5 at 8 AM (49)

31
41Fair
Atlantic Waters of Puerto Rico AND USVI from 10 NM to 19.5N

Best window today 1-7 PM (54) · Best day Thu, Nov 12 at 8 AM (58)

How and where it feeds

Water temperature
Feeds from 62°F to 88°F, best between 68°F and 82°F.
Water depth
2 to 20 ft of water.
Structure
Surf, beach, bar, pass, inlet, jetty and pier, in that order of preference.
Tide and current
Prefers incoming tide and high tide, with moderate current.FWC notes tides drive local pompano movement. Surf anglers favor the rising tide, when fish move into the trough behind the first bar to feed on sand fleas and coquinas. At passes and bridges they feed along sandy edges on moving water.
Light
Some lift around dawn and dusk.
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

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.

Methods
surf fishing, bottom fishing, jigging from boats and bridges, pier fishing
Lures
pompano jig (banana or goofy jig), small bucktail with teaser, flea fly
Bait
sand flea (mole crab), coquina clam, fresh shrimp, clam strip, Fishbites strip

Regulations

FWC saltwater regulations Buy a Florida fishing license License types

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Synced with FWC Nov 3, 2026. Rules shown verified Sep 13, 2026.

StatewideRetention open

6 per day · Minimum 11 in, fork length

Season: No closed season on file

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.

FWC Recreational Regulations: Permit, Florida pompano and African pompano · verified Sep 13, 2026

Other Florida species