Waterlands

Species guide · Florida

Weakfish fishing in Florida

Cynoscion regalis, an inshore species also called gray trout, squeteague and tiderunner. Listed for the South Atlantic region. Shoulder season, about 1 more week.

Right now it scores best in Volusia-Brevard County Line to Sebastian Inlet 0-20 nm at 56, one of 5 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 Atlantic

Shoulder season, about 1 more week
  1. Jan: Shoulder season
  2. Feb: Off season
  3. Mar: Off season
  4. Apr: Shoulder 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: Oct to Nov. In season (shoulder or peak): Apr to May, Sep to Jan.

Research notes, South Atlantic region

Main wintering grounds lie on the shelf from Chesapeake Bay to Cape Lookout, and some fish stay in North Carolina sounds and inlets. North Carolina catches are best in fall and early winter at inlets and nearshore structure; weakfish are present but uncommon in South Carolina and Georgia estuaries.

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

Where it's scoring now · 5

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

1
56Good
Volusia-Brevard County Line to Sebastian Inlet 0-20 nm

Best window today 8-11 PM (56) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 8 AM (61) · 92 named spots

2
53Good
Coastal waters from St. Augustine to Flagler Beach FL out 20 NM

Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (53) · Best day Mon, Sep 21 at 9 AM (66) · 4 named spots

3
51Good
Coastal waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM

Best window today 9 PM-12 AM (58) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 9 AM (70) · 22 named spots

4
49Good
Sebastian Inlet to Jupiter Inlet 0-20 nm

Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (49) · Best day Wed, Sep 23 at 11 AM (67) · 88 named spots

5
39Fair
Flagler Beach to Volusia-Brevard County Line 0-20 nm

Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (39) · Best day Wed, Sep 23 at 6 PM (64) · 21 named spots

How and where it feeds

Water temperature
Feeds from 55°F to 82°F, best between 59°F and 74°F.
Water depth
3 to 60 ft of water.
Structure
Channel, inlet, bridge, grass, oyster, jetty, bay and estuary, in that order of preference.
Tide and current
Prefers moving water and incoming tide, with moderate current.Weakfish feed along channel edges and grass lines when the tide is moving. The incoming tide that brings clean water is the usual choice in bays; the ebb at inlets and bridges also concentrates bait.
Light
Bites best around dawn and dusk; feeds at night too.
Pressure
Little response to pressure changes.
Wind and sea limits
18 kt of wind and 3 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.

Tackle and technique

Weakfish hold along channel edges, grass beds, oyster bars and bridge shadows in bays and sounds, usually in 5 to 40 feet of water, and feed hardest at dawn, dusk and after dark. Swim soft plastics or bucktails slowly near the bottom, or drift peeler crab and bloodworms. They have soft mouths, so keep the drag light and the pressure steady.

Methods
casting, drift fishing, bottom fishing, jigging
Lures
soft plastic shads and worms on jig heads, bucktail jigs, metal slab jigs, speck rigs, small swimming plugs
Bait
peeler or shedder crab, bloodworms, squid strips, grass shrimp

Regulations

FWC saltwater regulations Buy a Florida fishing license License types

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Synced with FWC Sep 16, 2026.

No reviewed weakfish rule for Florida is on file yet. Check with FWC before you keep one.

Other Florida species