Waterlands

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King mackerelRetention open

Bar · Florida

Walter L Hudson, Junior Artificial Reef

28.32°N · 80.55°W · Bar · Volusia-Brevard County Line to Sebastian Inlet 0-20 nm

LOADING MAP

Best score today · 8 PM · King mackerel

75/100Great
Now
744 PM EDT
Best window
4 PM-12 AMEbb tide
Tide now
Flooding3.2 ft ▲

Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 4 PM · now

Time4PNOW
Score74Great
Tide3.2 ft ▲Flooding
Current0.2 knmodeled · toward WSW
Wind7 kn NEgusts 16 · steady
Sea stateLight chop1.0 ft · 5 s
Air temp83°Hot
WeatherOvercast100% 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

Walter L Hudson, Junior Artificial Reef

Depth
40-45 ftFlat bottom
Structure
Reef · Outer · ExposedReef · 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 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 gray snapper, king mackerel and Atlantic croaker. It is peak season now for gray snapper, king mackerel, Atlantic croaker and Atlantic tarpon, and shoulder season for gray triggerfish, red snapper, black sea bass and red grouper. Gray snapper peak from June through September. King mackerel peak in May and from September through October. Atlantic croaker peak from August 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.
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.
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

  • Shortys Pocket

    Bay · 4.1 mi

    78
    Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season
    • Atlantic croaker 78
    • Crevalle jack 75
    • Spot 75

    7 kt NEH 6:09 PM · 4.1 ftL 12:26 AM · 1.0 ft

  • Sprig Point

    Cape · 4.7 mi

    76
    Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season
    • Atlantic tarpon 76
    • Red drum 75
    • Common snook 74

    7 kt NEH 6:09 PM · 4.1 ftL 12:26 AM · 1.0 ft

  • Shortys Banks

    Bar · 4.6 mi

    74
    Top: Common snookPeak season
    • Common snook 74
    • Atlantic croaker 72
    • Atlantic tarpon 71

    7 kt NEH 6:09 PM · 4.1 ftL 12:26 AM · 1.0 ft

  • Shell Point

    Cape · 5.0 mi

    74
    Top: Common snookPeak season
    • Common snook 74
    • Atlantic croaker 72
    • Atlantic tarpon 71

    7 kt NEH 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.