Waterlands

UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN

SheepsheadRetention 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 · 3 PM · Sheepshead

74/100Great
Now
588 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.

Sign in to set an alert

24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 8 AM · now

Time8ANOW
Score58Good
Tide2.6 ft ▼Ebbing
Current0.1 knmodeled · toward N
Wind1 kn Wgusts 4 · steady
Sea stateLight chop0.7 ft · 8 s
Air temp76°Warm
WeatherOvercast92% cloud
Water83°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)

IN EFFECT NOW

Sheepshead

Retention open
Daily limit
8 per day
Possession
Not published
Size
Minimum 12 in, total length
Season
No closed season on file
Annual quota
Not published
Other
State rules extend into federal waters. Special rules apply in Biscayne National Park. Hook and line, cast net, seine, spear or gig. No multiple hooks with natural bait. No snatching. Open year-round. A 50-fish vessel limit applies in March and April.

From FWC Recreational Regulations: Sheepshead, 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))
  • Red snapper Check regulations
  • Sailfish Retention open (1 per day (1 billfish combined))
  • 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 Sheepshead is best here

Shoulder season for Sheepshead · 18 more weeks at shoulder

Sheepshead season by week of the year. Shoulder season for Sheepshead · 18 more weeks at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

Sheepshead in Florida

Spot profile

Walter L Hudson, Junior Artificial Reef

Depth
40-45 ftFlat bottom
Structure
Reef · Outer · ExposedReef · flat bottom
Season
Shoulder seasonSheepshead

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 crevalle jack, 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

Sheepshead
Sheepshead graze barnacles and crabs off pilings, jetty rocks, bridge supports, oyster bars and nearshore reefs, from a few feet deep out to about 50 feet. Drop a fiddler crab, sand flea or piece of shrimp on a small, strong hook straight down next to the structure with just enough weight to hold bottom. The bite is a light tap, so keep the line tight and set the hook fast.
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.
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.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Shortys Pocket

    Bay · 4.1 mi

    75
    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 Point

    Cape · 4.7 mi

    73
    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 Banks

    Bar · 4.6 mi

    70
    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 Point

    Cape · 5.0 mi

    70
    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.