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Red grouperRetention 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 mackerel73
- Gray snapper72
- Atlantic croaker69
- Crevalle jack67
- Summer flounder67
- Atlantic tarpon66
- Gray triggerfish66
- Red snapper66
- Black sea bass65
- Red grouper65
- Red drum64
- Spanish mackerel63
- Common snook62
- Spot61
- Black drum60
- Greater amberjack60
- Sheepshead58
- Southern flounder58
- Little tunny56
- Cobia54
- Weakfish52
- Mahi-mahi51
- Spotted seatrout51
- Florida pompano50
- Wahoo50
- Bluefish35
- Sailfish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 8 PM · Red grouper
- Now
- 658 AM EDT
- Best window
- 2 PM-12 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing2.6 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 · 8 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
93Tide: EbbingCurrent: WeakWind & pressure
ECMWF
79Wind: 1 kt WPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
74Water temp: 83°F, warmLight: DawnSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 0.9 ftSeason & habitat · Red grouper
Species seasonality
72Season: ShoulderHabitat: Prime structureDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
Red grouper
Retention open- Daily limit
- 3 per day (3 Atlantic grouper and tilefish combined)
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Minimum 20 in, total length
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Changes
- Closed from Jan 1
- Other
- Private-vessel anglers need the State Reef Fish Angler designation. Special rules apply in Biscayne National Park. No more than 3 grouper and tilefish combined per person per day. Reef fish gear rules apply. Land with head and fins intact. Open May 1 through December 31. Closed January 1 through April 30.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: Groupers, 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 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 yesterday
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Red grouper is best here
Shoulder season for Red grouper · 5 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 seasonRed grouper
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 croaker. It is peak season now for king mackerel, gray snapper, Atlantic croaker and crevalle jack, 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 croaker peak from August through October.
Tackle & technique
- Red grouper
- Red grouper live on low limestone ledges and potholed live bottom across the West Florida Shelf, mostly in 60 to 250 feet. Drift to find hard bottom, then anchor and fish live pinfish, grunts or squid on the bottom with stout conventional tackle. Reel hard right after the bite, because they dive into holes, and use a descending device on fish released from deep water.
- 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
- Shortys Pocket75
Bay · 4.1 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 75
- Spot 73
- Crevalle jack 72
1 kt WL 12:03 PM · 0.9 ftH 6:09 PM · 4.1 ft
- Sprig Point73
Cape · 4.7 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 73
- Southern flounder 72
- Atlantic tarpon 72
1 kt WL 12:03 PM · 0.9 ftH 6:09 PM · 4.1 ft
- Shortys Banks70
Bar · 4.6 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 70
- Common snook 69
- King mackerel 68
1 kt WL 12:03 PM · 0.9 ftH 6:09 PM · 4.1 ft
- Shell Point70
Cape · 5.0 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 70
- Common snook 69
- King mackerel 68
1 kt WL 11:48 AM · 0.9 ftH 6:12 PM · 4.0 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.