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King mackerelRetention openSpecies here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Red drum59
- Spotted seatrout55
- Florida pompano54
- Spanish mackerel52
- Common snook48
- King mackerel48
- Black drum43
- Gray triggerfish42
- Red grouper42
- Gray snapper41
- Sheepshead41
- Atlantic croaker35
- Cobia35
- Crevalle jack35
- Atlantic tarpon29
- Permit23
- Gag grouper20
- Greater amberjack20
- Red snapper20
- Southern flounder20
Best score today · 6 PM · King mackerel
- Now
- 481 PM EST
- Best window
- 3-7 PMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Low0.3 ft
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Long Bayou scores 75+
Checked every morning against the 14-day forecast. Free by push and email.
14-day forecast
Best days to fish
24-hour conditions
Wednesday, Nov 4 · 4 PM
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
100Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.9 kn floodWind & pressure
ECMWF
88Wind: 2 kt NNWPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
89Water temp: 77°F, primeLight: DuskSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 0.5 ftSeason & habitat · King mackerel
Species seasonality
57Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: Out of range
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Gulf state waters (Escambia through Collier counties)
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 Closed (No retention)
- Gray snapper Retention open (5 per day (10 snapper combined))
- Gray triggerfish Retention open (1 per day)
- Greater amberjack Closed (No retention)
- 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 Closed (No retention)
- Sailfish Retention open (1 per day (1 billfish combined))
- Sheepshead Retention open (8 per day)
- Snook Retention open (1 per day)
- Southern flounder Closed (No retention)
- Spanish mackerel Retention open (15 per day)
- Spot Retention open
- Spotted seatrout Retention open (3 per day)
- Summer flounder Closed (No retention)
- Tarpon Catch & release (No retention)
- Wahoo Retention open (2 per day)
Source: FWC · synced yesterday
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When King mackerel is best here
Shoulder season for King mackerel · 4 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Long Bayou
- Depth
- 2-6 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Estuary · Inner · ProtectedEstuary · flat bottom
- 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 Long Bayou
Long Bayou is a bay in Tampa Bay waters, Florida. Depth is 2-6 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads estuary, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 20 species here; the best right now are red drum, spotted seatrout and Florida pompano. It is peak season now for red drum, spotted seatrout, Florida pompano and Spanish mackerel, and shoulder season for common snook, king mackerel, black drum and gray triggerfish. Red drum peak from September through November. Spotted seatrout peak from March through May and from October through November. Florida pompano peak from March through May and from October 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.
- Red drum
- Redfish feed on shallow grass flats, oyster bars and marsh edges, often in 1 to 4 feet of water, and drop into channels, deep holes and tidal creeks when the water turns very hot or cold. Work a live shrimp under a popping cork or a soft plastic along the grass line on a rising tide, then fish creek mouths and drains as the tide falls. Bull reds over 30 inches school in the surf, passes and jetties in late summer and fall, where cut mullet or a live crab on the bottom is the standard approach.
- Spotted seatrout
- Trout hold over grass beds and sandy potholes in 2 to 8 feet of water most of the year and slide into channels, deep creek bends and canals during cold snaps. A live shrimp under a slip or popping cork, a paddle tail on a light jighead, or a topwater walked at first light covers most situations. Keep the drag light because their mouths tear easily.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Boca Ciega Bay67
Bay · 1.9 mi
Top: Spanish mackerelPeak season- Spanish mackerel 67
- Red drum 66
- Spotted seatrout 65
10 kt EL 2:20 PM · 0.3 ftH 9:26 PM · 1.6 ft
- Devils Elbow67
Channel · 2.7 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 67
- Spotted seatrout 67
- Common snook 63
10 kt EL 2:20 PM · 0.3 ftH 9:26 PM · 1.6 ft
- Cross Bayou64
Bay · 1.7 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 64
- Spotted seatrout 62
- Spanish mackerel 55
10 kt EL 1:19 PM · 0.3 ftH 9:12 PM · 1.9 ft
- Turtlecrawl Point54
Cape · 0.5 mi
Top: Florida pompanoPeak season- Florida pompano 54
- Red drum 52
- Spanish mackerel 52
10 kt EH 8:30 PM · 1.7 ftL 12:54 AM · 1.4 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.