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Greater amberjackRetention openBar · Florida
Walter L Hudson, Junior Artificial Reef
28.32°N · 80.55°W · Bar · Volusia-Brevard County Line to Sebastian Inlet 0-20 nm
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- King mackerel62
- Gray snapper60
- Atlantic tarpon58
- Atlantic croaker57
- Summer flounder57
- Gray triggerfish56
- Crevalle jack55
- Red snapper55
- Black sea bass54
- Red grouper54
- Common snook53
- Red drum52
- Spanish mackerel52
- Mahi-mahi51
- Black drum50
- Spot50
- Greater amberjack49
- Wahoo49
- Florida pompano47
- Sheepshead47
- Southern flounder47
- Little tunny46
- Cobia44
- Weakfish41
- Spotted seatrout39
- Bluefish35
- Sailfish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 8 PM · Greater amberjack
- Now
- 4912 PM EDT
- Best window
- 1 PM-12 AMHigh slack
- Tide now
- Low0.9 ft
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Walter L Hudson, Junior Artificial Reef 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
13Tide: Low slackCurrent: WeakWind & pressure
ECMWF
100Wind: 5 kt NNEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
70Water temp: 83°F, warmLight: OvercastSolunar: Near a majorSeas: 0.8 ftSeason & habitat · Greater amberjack
Species seasonality
69Season: ShoulderHabitat: Usable structureDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
Greater amberjack
Retention open- Daily limit
- 1 per day
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Minimum 28 in, fork length
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Changes
- Closed from Apr 1
- Other
- Private-vessel anglers need the State Reef Fish Angler designation. Special rules apply in Biscayne National Park. Reef fish gear rules apply. Land with head and fins intact. Open January through March and May through December. Closed in April.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: Amberjack, 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)
- 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 Greater amberjack is best here
Shoulder season for Greater amberjack · 9 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Walter L Hudson, Junior Artificial Reef
- Depth
- 40-45 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Reef · Outer · ExposedReef · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonGreater amberjack
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 Walter L Hudson, Junior Artificial Reef
Walter L Hudson, Junior Artificial Reef is a bar in Volusia-Brevard County Line to Sebastian Inlet 0-20 nm, Florida. Depth is 40-45 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads reef, outer water and exposed.
Waterlands scores 29 species here; the best right now are king mackerel, gray snapper and Atlantic tarpon. It is peak season now for king mackerel, gray snapper, Atlantic tarpon and Atlantic croaker, and shoulder season for gray triggerfish, red snapper, black sea bass and red grouper. King mackerel peak in May and from September through October. Gray snapper peak from June through September. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September.
Tackle & technique
- Greater amberjack
- Amberjack school around wrecks, oil rigs, towers and high-relief reefs in 60 to 250 feet, often suspended well above the bottom. Drop a live blue runner or work a heavy jig through the school, then pump hard, because a big AJ runs straight back into the structure. Heavy conventional gear with 50 to 80 pound line is standard.
- 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.
- 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
- Sprig Point62
Cape · 4.7 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 62
- Red drum 61
- Southern flounder 60
5 kt NNEH 6:09 PM · 4.1 ftL 12:26 AM · 1.0 ft
- Shortys Pocket61
Bay · 4.1 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 61
- Common snook 59
- Crevalle jack 59
5 kt NNEH 6:09 PM · 4.1 ftL 12:26 AM · 1.0 ft
- Shortys Banks59
Bar · 4.6 mi
Top: Common snookPeak season- Common snook 59
- Atlantic croaker 56
- King mackerel 56
5 kt NNEH 6:09 PM · 4.1 ftL 12:26 AM · 1.0 ft
- Shell Point59
Cape · 5.0 mi
Top: Common snookPeak season- Common snook 59
- Atlantic croaker 56
- King mackerel 56
5 kt NNEH 6:12 PM · 4.0 ftL 12:25 AM · 0.9 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.
