Species guide · Florida
Permit fishing in Florida
Trachinotus falcatus, an inshore species also called palometa and big pompano. Listed for the South Florida and the Keys and Eastern Gulf regions. Shoulder season, about 17 more weeks.
Right now it scores best in Florida Bay including Barnes Sound, Blackwater Sound, and Buttonwood Sound at 61, one of 26 Florida bay systems where the Waterlands engine is scoring it.
Season now
Shoulder 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
Shoulder season, about 17 more weeks- Jan: Shoulder season
- Feb: Shoulder season
- Mar: Peak season
- Apr: Peak season
- May: Peak season
- Jun: Peak season
- Jul: Shoulder season
- Aug: Shoulder season
- Sep: Shoulder season
- Oct: Shoulder season
- Nov: Shoulder season
- Dec: Shoulder season
Peak: Mar to Jun. In season (shoulder or peak): all year.
Research notes, South Florida and the Keys region
FWC finds March through June the most productive recreational months, peaking in April with spawning on Keys reefs and wrecks in 33 to 100 feet. Flats fishing in the Keys and Biscayne Bay stays good through fall. Inside the Special Permit Zone (south of Cape Florida and Cape Sable) harvest is closed April through July; catch and release is allowed.
Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.
Eastern Gulf
Off season, about 17 more weeks- Jan: Off season
- Feb: Off season
- Mar: Shoulder season
- Apr: Peak season
- May: Peak season
- Jun: Peak season
- Jul: Shoulder season
- Aug: Shoulder season
- Sep: Shoulder season
- Oct: Off season
- Nov: Off season
- Dec: Off season
Peak: Apr to Jun. In season (shoulder or peak): Mar to Sep.
Research notes, Eastern Gulf region
FWC reports most recreational permit landings come from the Gulf coast, mainly schools on artificial reefs and wrecks off southwest Florida and Tampa Bay in spring and summer, plus Boca Grande Pass. Flats permit are uncommon north of Cape Romano.
Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.
Where it's scoring now · 26
Florida bay systems ranked by the Waterlands engine's permit score this hour.
Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (61) · Best day Mon, Nov 9 at 8 AM (75) · 109 named spots
Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (59) · Best day Tue, Nov 3 at 7 AM (73) · 199 named spots
Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (61) · Best day Mon, Nov 9 at 12 PM (72) · 6 named spots
Best window today 10-11 PM (50) · Best day Mon, Nov 9 at 12 PM (75) · 82 named spots
Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (47) · Best day Sun, Nov 1 at 6 PM (53) · 81 named spots
Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (47) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 8 AM (56) · 11 named spots
Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (46) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 8 AM (72) · 16 named spots
Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (42) · Best day Sat, Nov 7 at 6 AM (58)
Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (40) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 8 AM (68)
Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 12 AM (35) · 49 named spots
Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 12 AM (35) · 126 named spots
Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 12 AM (35) · 39 named spots
Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 12 AM (35) · 20 named spots
Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 12 AM (35) · 24 named spots
Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 12 AM (35) · 131 named spots
Best window today 9 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 12 AM (35) · 13 named spots
Best window today 9 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 12 AM (35) · 46 named spots
Best window today 9 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 12 AM (35) · 79 named spots
Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 12 AM (35) · 195 named spots
Best window today 9 PM-12 AM (33) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 12 AM (35) · 23 named spots
Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (30) · Best day Tue, Nov 10 at 6 AM (52)
Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (30) · Best day Tue, Nov 10 at 1 PM (63)
Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (30) · Best day Fri, Nov 13 at 4 PM (60)
Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (30) · Best day Fri, Nov 13 at 4 PM (60)
Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (30) · Best day Fri, Nov 13 at 4 PM (65)
Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (30) · Best day Mon, Nov 9 at 12 PM (67)
How and where it feeds
- Water temperature
- Feeds from 70°F to 92°F, best between 75°F and 85°F.
- Water depth
- 1 to 120 ft of water.
- Structure
- Flat, wreck, reef, channel and grass, in that order of preference.
- Tide and current
- Prefers incoming tide and outgoing tide, with moderate current.On flats, permit tail along edges and channel banks on a moving tide, often the flood. On wrecks and reefs they school up current of the structure, so moderate current that keeps a crab drifting past them works best.
- Light
- Little tied to dawn and dusk.
- Pressure
- Prefers steady pressure.
- Wind and sea limits
- 15 kt of wind and 2 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.
Tackle and technique
Permit cruise flat edges and channels in 2 to 6 feet of water in the Keys and Biscayne Bay, and school over wrecks and reefs in 30 to 120 feet, especially during the spring spawn. A live or artificial crab is the standard bait, cast ahead of a tailing fish on the flats or dropped to a school on a wreck. They spook easily in shallow water, so good light and a long, quiet cast are needed.
- Methods
- sight casting, fly fishing, wreck fishing, live bait drifting
- Lures
- crab fly (Merkin, Raghead), bucktail jig, artificial crab
- Bait
- live blue crab, pass crab, shrimp, sand flea
Regulations
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Synced with FWC Oct 31, 2026. Rules shown verified Sep 13, 2026.
1 per day · Minimum 22 in, fork length
Season: No closed season on file
Changes to closed on Apr 1, 2027
Hook and line only in state waters. No multiple hooks with natural bait. No snatching. Closed April 1 through July 31 each year inside the Special Permit Zone.
FWC Recreational Regulations: Permit, Florida pompano and African pompano · verified Sep 13, 2026
2 per day · Slot 11 to 22 in, fork length. One fish over 22 inches allowed per person, counted in the bag limit.
Season: No closed season on file
No more than 2 permit over 22 inches per vessel. Hook and line only in state waters. No multiple hooks with natural bait. No snatching. Outside the Special Permit Zone. Open year-round.
FWC Recreational Regulations: Permit, Florida pompano and African pompano · verified Sep 13, 2026
Other Florida species
- Black sea bass
- Bluefish
- Bonefish
- Common snook
- Crevalle jack
- Florida pompano
- Gag grouper
- King mackerel
- Little tunny
- Red drum
- Southern flounder
- Spanish mackerel
- Spotted seatrout
- Wahoo
- Weakfish
- Atlantic croaker
- Atlantic tarpon
- Black drum
- Cobia
- Gray snapper
- Gray triggerfish
- Greater amberjack
- Red grouper
- Red snapper
- Sailfish
- Sheepshead
- Spot
- Striped bass
- Summer flounder
- Yellowfin tuna
- Mahi-mahi