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King mackerelRetention openBay · Florida
Pardon Slough
28.78°N · 80.73°W · Bay · Volusia-Brevard County Line to Sebastian Inlet 0-20 nm
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Atlantic croaker77
- Atlantic tarpon75
- Crevalle jack75
- Red drum74
- Spot74
- Common snook72
- King mackerel70
- Southern flounder70
- Summer flounder69
- Gray snapper67
- Black drum63
- Spotted seatrout63
- Black sea bass60
- Gray triggerfish60
- Red snapper59
- Spanish mackerel59
- Little tunny58
- Red grouper58
- Weakfish58
- Cobia56
- Sheepshead56
- Greater amberjack53
- Florida pompano52
- Mahi-mahi52
- Wahoo51
- Bluefish35
- Sailfish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 11 AM · King mackerel
- Now
- 7012 PM EDT
- Best window
- 6 PM-12 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing0.3 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Pardon Slough 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 · 12 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
78Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.2 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
100Wind: 6 kt NNEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
71Water temp: 83°F, warmLight: OvercastSolunar: Near a majorSeas: 1.5 ftSeason & habitat · King mackerel
Species seasonality
88Season: PeakHabitat: Usable structureDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
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)
Source: FWC · synced today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When King mackerel is best here
Peak season for King mackerel · 5 more weeks at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Pardon Slough
- Depth
- Up to 1 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Bay · Outer · Semi-exposedBay · 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 Pardon Slough
Pardon Slough is a bay in Volusia-Brevard County Line to Sebastian Inlet 0-20 nm, Florida. Depth is up to 1 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads bay, outer water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 29 species here; the best right now are Atlantic croaker, Atlantic tarpon and crevalle jack. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, Atlantic tarpon, crevalle jack and red drum, and shoulder season for black drum, black sea bass, gray triggerfish and red snapper. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September. Crevalle jack peak from July through October.
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.
- Atlantic tarpon
- Tarpon roll along beaches, in passes and channels, and under bridges from late spring through fall, and in South Florida some fish stay through winter in warm canals and backcountry rivers. Live crabs, mullet or pinfish drifted through a pass on the outgoing tide, or a fly or soft plastic cast ahead of a rolling string of fish, are the main approaches. Use a long heavy leader, bow to the jumps, and keep big fish in the water for release.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Widgeon Bay77
Bay · 1.6 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 77
- Crevalle jack 75
- Atlantic tarpon 75
6 kt NNEL 4:22 PM · 0.0 ftH 9:51 PM · 0.4 ft
- Duckroost Cove76
Bay · 3.2 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 76
- Crevalle jack 75
- Red drum 74
6 kt NNEL 4:22 PM · 0.0 ftH 9:51 PM · 0.4 ft
- Mosquito Lagoon75
Bay · 2.9 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 75
- Crevalle jack 75
- Spot 73
6 kt NNEL 4:22 PM · 0.0 ftH 9:51 PM · 0.4 ft
- Vanns Slough75
Bay · 3.0 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 75
- Crevalle jack 75
- Atlantic tarpon 75
6 kt NNEL 4:22 PM · 0.0 ftH 9:51 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.