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Atlantic croakerRetention openSpecies here · tap to switch
- Best of all72
- Atlantic croaker72
- Red drum72
- Gray snapper70
- Common snook69
- Atlantic tarpon67
- Black drum60
- Southern flounder58
- Permit57
- Spotted seatrout57
- Crevalle jack55
- Red snapper53
- Gag grouper51
- Gray triggerfish50
- Red grouper50
- Spanish mackerel50
- Florida pompano47
- Greater amberjack46
- King mackerel45
- Cobia44
- Sheepshead35
Best score today · 9 AM · Common snook
- Now
- 7210 PM EDT
- Best window
- 10 PM-12 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding1.3 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when North Channel 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 · rolling from now
Conditions · 10 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
85Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.5 kn floodWind & pressure
ECMWF
97Wind: 4 kt NEPressure: FallingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
61Water temp: 87°F, warmLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 0.7 ftSeason & habitat · Atlantic croaker
Species seasonality
98Season: PeakHabitat: Prime structureDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Gulf state waters (Escambia through Collier counties)
Atlantic croaker
Retention open- Daily limit
- Not published
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Not published
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- 100 pounds per person per day. No minimum size. Open year-round.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: Spot and Atlantic croaker, read Sep 13
Other species here
- 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)
- King mackerel Retention open (3 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)
Source: FWC · synced today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Atlantic croaker is best here
Peak season for Atlantic croaker · 1 more week at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
North Channel
- Depth
- 6-25 ftSlope
- Structure
- Channel · Inner · Semi-exposedChannel · slope
- Season
- Peak seasonAtlantic croaker
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 North Channel
North Channel is a channel in Tampa Bay waters, Florida. Depth is 6-25 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads channel, inner water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 20 species here; the best right now are Atlantic croaker, red drum and gray snapper. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, red drum, gray snapper and common snook, and shoulder season for Atlantic tarpon, black drum, southern flounder and permit. Atlantic croaker peak from July through September. Red drum peak from September through November. Gray snapper peak from June through September.
Tackle & technique
- Atlantic croaker
- Croaker feed on mud and sand bottom along channel edges, oyster bars, piers and deeper holes in bays and sounds, mostly in 5 to 30 feet of water. A two-hook bottom rig with small hooks and shrimp, bloodworm or squid catches them from piers, the surf and small boats. Fish the hours around high tide and into the evening.
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Pass-a-Grille North Channel72
Channel · 0.2 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 72
- Red drum 72
- Gray snapper 70
4 kt NEH 5:26 AM · 2.0 ftL 2:54 PM · 0.4 ft
- South Channel72
Channel · 0.7 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 72
- Red drum 72
- Gray snapper 70
4 kt NEH 5:26 AM · 2.0 ftL 2:54 PM · 0.4 ft
- Pass-a-Grille South Channel72
Channel · 0.8 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 72
- Red drum 72
- Gray snapper 70
4 kt NEH 5:26 AM · 2.0 ftL 2:54 PM · 0.4 ft
- Dents Channel72
Channel · 0.9 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 72
- Red drum 72
- Gray snapper 70
4 kt NEH 5:26 AM · 2.0 ftL 2:54 PM · 0.4 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.