Waterlands

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King mackerelRetention open

Cape · Florida

Parker Point

30.13°N · 85.61°W · Cape · St. Andrews Bay Waterways

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Best score today · 5 PM · King mackerel

75/100Great
Now
655 PM CDT
Best window
5-6 PMEbb tide
Tide now
Ebbing0.7 ft ▼

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

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 5 PM · now

Time5PNOW
Score65Great
Tide0.7 ft ▼Ebbing
CurrentEbb0.6 kn · toward WSW
Wind5 kn SWgusts 12 · easing
Sea stateCalm0.4 ft · 6 s
Air temp78°Warm
WeatherPartly cloudy76% chance of rain
Water87°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Gulf state waters (Escambia through Collier counties)

IN EFFECT NOW

King mackerel

Retention open
Daily limit
3 per day
Possession
Not published
Size
Minimum 24 in, fork length
Season
No closed season on file
Annual quota
Not published
Other
Hook and line and spearing only. Open year-round.

From FWC Recreational Regulations: King Mackerel, read Sep 13

Other species here

  • Atlantic croaker Retention open
  • Black drum Retention open (5 per day)
  • Bluefish Retention open (10 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 Retention open (2 per day (4 Gulf grouper combined))
  • Gray snapper Retention open (5 per day (10 snapper combined))
  • Gray triggerfish Retention open (1 per day)
  • Greater amberjack Retention open (1 per day)
  • Mahi-mahi Retention open (10 per day)
  • Permit Retention open (2 per day)
  • Red drum Retention open (1 per day)
  • Red grouper Retention open (2 per day (4 Gulf grouper combined))
  • Red snapper Retention open (2 per day (10 snapper combined))
  • 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
  • Spotted seatrout Retention open (3 per day)
  • Summer flounder Retention open (5 per day)
  • Tarpon Catch & release (No retention)
  • Wahoo Retention open (2 per day)

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When King mackerel is best here

Shoulder season for King mackerel · 1 more week at shoulder

King mackerel season by week of the year. Shoulder season for King mackerel · 1 more week at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

King mackerel in Florida

Spot profile

Parker Point

Depth
2-45 ftDrop-off
Structure
Point · Inner · ProtectedPoint · drop-off
Season
Shoulder seasonKing mackerel

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 Parker Point

Parker Point is a cape in St. Andrews Bay Waterways, Florida. Depth is 2-45 ft, with a drop-off. Its profile reads point, inner water and protected.

Waterlands scores 19 species here; the best right now are gray snapper, gag grouper and red drum. It is peak season now for gray snapper, red drum and Atlantic croaker, and shoulder season for gag grouper, Atlantic tarpon, red grouper and red snapper. Gray snapper peak from June through September. Gag grouper peak from October through December. Red drum peak from September through November.

Tackle & technique

King mackerel
Kings roam from beaches and pier ends out to reefs, wrecks and ledges in 40 to 200 feet, usually feeding in the upper half of the water column. Slow-troll live menhaden, blue runners or cigar minnows on a light wire stinger rig, or pull spoons and ribbonfish past bait schools. Look for clean green water above 68 F with bait and birds on it.
Gray snapper
Mangrove snapper hold tight to mangrove roots, bridge pilings, jetties and reef ledges, from a few feet deep inshore to 150 feet offshore. Chum to pull them out of cover, then freeline or lightly weight a live shrimp or pilchard on fluorocarbon leader, since they shy away from heavy line in clear water. The bite improves at dusk and after dark.
Gag grouper
Gag hold on ledges, rock piles and wrecks, from 15 to 40 feet in the fall on Florida's Gulf coast out to 250 feet the rest of the year. Troll deep-diving plugs to find productive rocks, then anchor and drop or freeline live pinfish or pigfish on a strong circle hook. Keep the drag tight and turn the fish in the first few seconds or it will reach the rocks.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Pratt Bayou

    Bay · 0.2 mi

    76
    Top: Red drumPeak season
    • Red drum 76
    • Atlantic croaker 73
    • Gray snapper 70

    5 kt SWL 7:21 PM · 0.6 ftH 9:12 AM · 1.9 ft

  • Parker Bayou

    Bay · 0.4 mi

    74
    Top: Red drumPeak season
    • Red drum 74
    • Atlantic croaker 72
    • Gray snapper 69

    3 kt SSWL 7:21 PM · 0.6 ftH 9:12 AM · 1.9 ft

  • Military Point

    Cape · 0.7 mi

    70
    Top: Gray snapperPeak season
    • Gray snapper 70
    • Red drum 69
    • Atlantic croaker 67

    5 kt SWL 7:21 PM · 0.6 ftH 9:12 AM · 1.9 ft

  • Donalson Point

    Cape · 0.5 mi

    69
    Top: Gray snapperPeak season
    • Gray snapper 69
    • Atlantic croaker 67
    • Red drum 67

    3 kt SSWL 7:21 PM · 0.6 ftH 9:12 AM · 1.9 ft

Scores and forecasts are for planning only and can be wrong. Conditions on the water change fast; check the marine forecast before you go. Regulations change during the season, so confirm limits and closures with FWC before you keep a fish.