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Red snapperCheck regulationsBar · 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
- Atlantic croaker68
- Gray snapper61
- Atlantic tarpon60
- Spot60
- King mackerel59
- Summer flounder56
- Common snook55
- Red drum55
- Red snapper55
- Black drum52
- Florida pompano52
- Gray triggerfish52
- Black sea bass51
- Crevalle jack51
- Red grouper51
- Southern flounder50
- Spanish mackerel50
- Greater amberjack46
- Sheepshead45
- Mahi-mahi44
- Weakfish44
- Cobia43
- Spotted seatrout43
- Wahoo42
- Little tunny41
- Bluefish35
- Sailfish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 9 AM · Red snapper
- Now
- 555 AM EDT
- Best window
- 7-11 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Flooding3.3 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 · 5 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
48Tide: FloodingCurrent: WeakWind & pressure
ECMWF
87Wind: 2 kt WPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
67Water temp: 83°F, warmLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 0.7 ftSeason & habitat · Red snapper
Species seasonality
72Season: ShoulderHabitat: Prime structureDepth: In 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22 to June 20 and three October weekends, 1 fish, no minimum size) is temporarily postponed, and Executive Order 26-16 rescinded the 2026 Atlantic red snapper order.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
Walter L Hudson, Junior Artificial Reef
- Depth
- 40-45 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Reef · Outer · ExposedReef · 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 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 Atlantic croaker, gray snapper and Atlantic tarpon. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, gray snapper, Atlantic tarpon and spot, and shoulder season for red snapper, black drum, Florida pompano and gray triggerfish. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Gray snapper peak from June through September. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September.
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 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.
- 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 Pocket74
Bay · 4.1 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 74
- Spot 71
- Common snook 62
2 kt WL 12:03 PM · 0.9 ftH 6:09 PM · 4.1 ft
- Shortys Banks68
Bar · 4.6 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 68
- Spot 66
- Common snook 62
2 kt WL 12:03 PM · 0.9 ftH 6:09 PM · 4.1 ft
- Sprig Point68
Cape · 4.7 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 68
- Spot 66
- Red drum 65
2 kt WL 12:03 PM · 0.9 ftH 6:09 PM · 4.1 ft
- Shell Point68
Cape · 5.0 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 68
- Spot 66
- Common snook 62
2 kt WH 5:44 AM · 3.4 ftL 11:48 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.