Waterlands

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Spotted seatroutRetention open

Bay · Florida

Washburn Cove

27.97°N · 80.52°W · Bay · Volusia-Brevard County Line to Sebastian Inlet 0-20 nm

LOADING MAP

Best score today · 7 PM · Spotted seatrout

78/100Great
Now
468 AM EDT
Best window
7-9 PMHigh slack
Tide now
Low0.4 ft

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

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 8 AM · now

Time8ANOW
Score46Good
Tide0.4 ftLow
Current0.1 knmodeled · toward N
Wind1 kn WSWgusts 4 · steady
Sea stateLight chop1.1 ft · 8 s
Air temp75°Warm
WeatherOvercast100% cloud
Water83°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)

IN EFFECT NOW

Spotted seatrout

Retention open
Daily limit
2 per day
Possession
Not published
Size
Slot 15 to 19 in, total length. May not possess fish larger than 19 inches total length.
Season
No closed season on file
Annual quota
Not published
Changes
Closed from Nov 1
Other
Must stay whole until landed ashore. For-hire captain and crew may not keep a bag limit. Hook and line or cast net only. No multiple hooks with natural bait. No snatching. Open January 1 through October 31. Closed November 1 through December 31. Regional rules apply in inland, state and adjacent federal waters. New regional rules took effect April 1, 2026.

From FWC Recreational Regulations: Spotted Seatrout, 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))
  • 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)
  • 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 Spotted seatrout is best here

Peak season for Spotted seatrout · 9 more weeks at peak

Spotted seatrout season by week of the year. Peak season for Spotted seatrout · 9 more weeks at peak.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

Spotted seatrout in Florida

Spot profile

Washburn Cove

Depth
3-4 ftFlat bottom
Structure
Bay · Outer · Semi-exposedBay · flat bottom
Season
Peak seasonSpotted seatrout

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 Washburn Cove

Washburn Cove is a bay in Volusia-Brevard County Line to Sebastian Inlet 0-20 nm, Florida. Depth is 3-4 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads bay, outer water and semi-exposed.

Waterlands scores 29 species here; the best right now are Atlantic croaker, crevalle jack and spot. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, crevalle jack, spot and common snook, and shoulder season for mahi-mahi, wahoo, Florida pompano and Spanish mackerel. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Crevalle jack peak from July through October. Spot peak from September through October.

Tackle & technique

Spotted seatrout
Trout hold over grass beds and sandy potholes in 2 to 8 feet of water most of the year and slide into channels, deep creek bends and canals during cold snaps. A live shrimp under a slip or popping cork, a paddle tail on a light jighead, or a topwater walked at first light covers most situations. Keep the drag light because their mouths tear easily.
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.
Crevalle jack
Jacks roam in schools through inlets, passes, bays, river mouths and along beaches, pushing bait to the surface, and big fish also hold on nearshore reefs and wrecks. Watch for birds and surface blowups, then cast a popper, a spoon or a bucktail into the school and retrieve fast. Bring heavy spinning tackle, because a jack over 15 pounds runs hard and fights for a long time.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Snag Harbor

    Bay · 1.2 mi

    60
    Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season
    • Atlantic croaker 60
    • Common snook 60
    • Crevalle jack 60

    1 kt WSWL 3:00 PM · 0.4 ftH 8:27 PM · 0.4 ft

  • South Snag Harbor

    Bay · 1.6 mi

    60
    Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season
    • Atlantic croaker 60
    • Common snook 60
    • Crevalle jack 60

    1 kt WSWL 3:00 PM · 0.4 ftH 8:27 PM · 0.4 ft

  • Hog Point

    Cape · 0.8 mi

    58
    Top: Common snookPeak season
    • Common snook 58
    • Atlantic croaker 57
    • King mackerel 57

    1 kt WSWL 3:00 PM · 0.4 ftH 8:27 PM · 0.4 ft

  • Rock Point

    Cape · 1.6 mi

    58
    Top: Common snookPeak season
    • Common snook 58
    • Atlantic croaker 57
    • King mackerel 57

    1 kt WSWL 3:00 PM · 0.4 ftH 8:27 PM · 0.4 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.