Waterlands

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King mackerelRetention open

Bay · Florida

Moore Creek

28.58°N · 80.71°W · Bay · Volusia-Brevard County Line to Sebastian Inlet 0-20 nm

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Best score today · 8 PM · King mackerel

80/100Great
Now
685 PM EDT
Best window
5 PM-12 AMEbb tide
Tide now
Flooding3.8 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
Score68Great
Tide3.8 ft ▲Flooding
Current0.3 knmodeled · toward SSE
Wind6 kn NEgusts 12 · easing
Sea stateLight chop0.9 ft · 4 s
Air temp79°Warm
WeatherOvercast92% chance of rain
Water83°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)

IN EFFECT NOW

King mackerel

Retention open
Daily limit
2 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 (50 per day)
  • Black drum Retention open (5 per day)
  • Bluefish Retention open (3 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)
  • 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)

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When King mackerel is best here

Peak season for King mackerel · 5 more weeks at peak

King mackerel season by week of the year. Peak season for King mackerel · 5 more weeks at peak.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

King mackerel in Florida

Spot profile

Moore Creek

Depth
Up to 2 ftFlat bottom
Structure
Estuary · Inner · ProtectedEstuary · flat bottom
Season
Peak 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 Moore Creek

Moore Creek is a bay in Volusia-Brevard County Line to Sebastian Inlet 0-20 nm, Florida. Depth is up to 2 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads estuary, inner water and protected.

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 red drum, and shoulder season for black drum, Florida pompano, Spanish mackerel and weakfish. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Spot peak from September through October. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September.

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.
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

  • Peacocks Pocket

    Bay · 2.4 mi

    78
    Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season
    • Atlantic croaker 78
    • Spot 76
    • Atlantic tarpon 75

    6 kt NEH 6:07 PM · 4.1 ftL 12:20 AM · 1.0 ft

  • Pepper Flats

    Bay · 5.8 mi

    78
    Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season
    • Atlantic croaker 78
    • Spot 75
    • Atlantic tarpon 75

    6 kt NEH 6:07 PM · 4.1 ftL 12:20 AM · 1.0 ft

  • Brock Flats

    Flat · 4.4 mi

    74
    Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season
    • Atlantic tarpon 74
    • Atlantic croaker 73
    • Red drum 72

    6 kt NEH 6:12 PM · 4.1 ftL 12:26 AM · 1.0 ft

  • Addison Point

    Cape · 5.4 mi

    73
    Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season
    • Atlantic tarpon 73
    • Common snook 71
    • Red drum 71

    6 kt NEH 6:12 PM · 4.1 ftL 12:26 AM · 1.0 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.