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BluefishRetention openChannel · Florida
East Channel
27.92°N · 80.50°W · Channel · Volusia-Brevard County Line to Sebastian Inlet 0-20 nm
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Atlantic croaker79
- Spot74
- Atlantic tarpon69
- Common snook65
- Crevalle jack61
- Red drum61
- Summer flounder61
- Gray snapper60
- Florida pompano57
- Southern flounder57
- King mackerel55
- Black drum53
- Black sea bass53
- Weakfish53
- Spotted seatrout52
- Wahoo49
- Little tunny48
- Sheepshead47
- Spanish mackerel47
- Red snapper45
- Gray triggerfish44
- Red grouper44
- Cobia42
- Mahi-mahi42
- Greater amberjack38
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Bluefish31
- Sailfish30
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 7 PM · Bluefish
- Now
- 317 PM EDT
- Best window
- 7-9 PMHigh slack
- Tide now
- High0.4 ft
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when East 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 · 7 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
15Tide: High slackCurrent: 0.2 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
97Wind: 3 kt NEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
59Water temp: 86°F, hotLight: DuskSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 1.2 ftSeason & habitat · Bluefish
Species seasonality
27Off season · capped at 35Season: Off seasonHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
Bluefish
Retention open- Daily limit
- 3 per day
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Minimum 12 in, fork length
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- Hook and line, spears, gigs, seine or cast net.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: Bluefish, read Sep 13
Other species here
- Atlantic croaker Retention open (50 per day)
- Black drum Retention open (5 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 (10 per day)
- Greater amberjack Retention open (1 per day)
- King mackerel Retention open (2 per day)
- Mahi-mahi Retention open (5 per day)
- Permit Retention open (2 per day)
- Red drum Catch & release (No retention)
- Red grouper Retention open (3 per day (3 Atlantic grouper and tilefish combined))
- Red snapper Check regulations
- 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 (50 per day)
- Spotted seatrout Retention open (2 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 Bluefish is best here
Out of season for Bluefish · shoulder season starts in 2 weeks
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
East Channel
- Depth
- 3-7 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Channel · Outer · Semi-exposedChannel · flat bottom
- Season
- Off seasonBluefish
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 East Channel
East Channel is a channel in Volusia-Brevard County Line to Sebastian Inlet 0-20 nm, Florida. Depth is 3-7 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads channel, outer water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 29 species here; the best right now are Atlantic croaker, spot and Atlantic tarpon. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, spot, Atlantic tarpon and common snook, and shoulder season for Florida pompano, black drum, black sea bass and weakfish. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Spot peak from September through October. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September.
Tackle & technique
- Bluefish
- Bluefish travel in size-sorted schools and feed where tide pushes bait past structure: inlet mouths, rips, shoal edges and the surf line, mostly in water shallower than 60 feet. Look for birds and breaking bait and cast metal or poppers into it, or soak cut bunker or mullet on the bottom from the beach. Use a short wire or heavy leader because their teeth cut light line.
- 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.
- Spot
- Spot school over mud and sand in bays, tidal creeks and channels and around piers and bridges, generally in less than 25 feet of water. Fish a two-hook bottom rig with small hooks and bits of bloodworm or shrimp, and move until you find a school. In fall the biggest fish run out of the sounds past piers and inlets, and the bite can go all day.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Middle Gap76
Bay · 0.2 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 76
- Spot 74
- Crevalle jack 61
3 kt NEH 8:27 PM · 0.4 ftL 3:23 AM · 0.4 ft
- Mullet Creek76
Bay · 0.6 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 76
- Spot 74
- Atlantic tarpon 66
3 kt NEH 8:27 PM · 0.4 ftL 3:23 AM · 0.4 ft
- Middle Banks70
Bar · 0.5 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 70
- Spot 68
- Florida pompano 64
3 kt NEH 8:27 PM · 0.4 ftL 3:23 AM · 0.4 ft
- Shell Pit Point70
Cape · 1.0 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 70
- Spot 68
- Atlantic tarpon 61
3 kt NEH 8:27 PM · 0.4 ftL 3:23 AM · 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.
