UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN
Red snapperCheck regulationsBay · Florida
Pepper Flats
28.59°N · 80.61°W · Bay · Volusia-Brevard County Line to Sebastian Inlet 0-20 nm
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Atlantic tarpon73
- Atlantic croaker72
- Red drum72
- Southern flounder71
- Common snook70
- Crevalle jack70
- Spot70
- King mackerel65
- Spotted seatrout65
- Summer flounder64
- Gray snapper62
- Black drum61
- Spanish mackerel57
- Little tunny56
- Black sea bass55
- Weakfish55
- Gray triggerfish54
- Mahi-mahi53
- Red grouper53
- Red snapper53
- Cobia52
- Wahoo52
- Sheepshead51
- Florida pompano50
- Greater amberjack48
- Bluefish35
- Sailfish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 9 AM · Red snapper
- Now
- 5311 AM EDT
- Best window
- 2 PM-12 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing1.1 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Pepper Flats 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 · 11 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
66Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.3 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
100Wind: 5 kt NNEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
80Water temp: 83°F, warmLight: OvercastSolunar: Major periodSeas: 0.5 ftSeason & habitat · Red snapper
Species seasonality
43Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: Check regulations
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
Red snapper
Check regulationsNo limits are on file for this species here. FWC pages disagree. The snapper page lists Atlantic red snapper in state waters as open with a 20-inch minimum and 2 per person. The Atlantic red snapper season page says the 2026 season (May 22 to June 20 and three October weekends, 1 fish, no minimum size) is temporarily postponed, and Executive Order 26-16 rescinded the 2026 Atlantic red snapper order. Check with FWC before keeping one. Check with FWC before you keep one.
From FWC Atlantic Recreational Red Snapper State Management Season, 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)
- 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))
- 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 yesterday
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Red snapper is best here
Shoulder season for Red snapper · 31 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Pepper Flats
- Depth
- 2-7 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Flat · Outer · Semi-exposedFlat · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonRed snapper
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 Pepper Flats
Pepper Flats is a bay in Volusia-Brevard County Line to Sebastian Inlet 0-20 nm, Florida. Depth is 2-7 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads flat, outer water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 29 species here; the best right now are Atlantic tarpon, Atlantic croaker and red drum. It is peak season now for Atlantic tarpon, Atlantic croaker, red drum and southern flounder, and shoulder season for black drum, Spanish mackerel, little tunny and black sea bass. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Red drum peak from August through November.
Tackle & technique
- Red snapper
- Red snapper school over rigs, wrecks, artificial reefs and natural ledges, mostly in 60 to 250 feet. Anchor or drift over the structure, chum, and drop cut or live cigar minnows, sardines or squid on circle hooks, using as little weight as the current allows. Federal rules require circle hooks with natural bait in the Gulf and a descending device or venting tool on board.
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Jack Davis Cut76
Channel · 1.3 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 76
- Atlantic tarpon 76
- Common snook 75
5 kt NNEL 11:57 AM · 0.9 ftH 6:07 PM · 4.1 ft
- Barge Channel76
Channel · 1.8 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 76
- Atlantic tarpon 76
- Common snook 75
5 kt NNEL 11:57 AM · 0.9 ftH 6:07 PM · 4.1 ft
- Pintail Creek73
Bay · 0.8 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 73
- Atlantic croaker 72
- Red drum 72
5 kt NNEL 11:57 AM · 0.9 ftH 6:07 PM · 4.1 ft
- Bluebill Creek72
Bay · 0.6 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 72
- Southern flounder 72
- Common snook 70
5 kt NNEL 11:57 AM · 0.9 ftH 6:07 PM · 4.1 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.