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Atlantic croakerRetention openSpecies here · tap to switch
Best score today · 6 AM · Atlantic croaker
- Now
- 716 AM CDT
- Best window
- 6-9 AMHigh slack
- Tide now
- Flooding0.8 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Nelson Point 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
Thursday, Sep 24 · 8 AM
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
82Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.3 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
100Wind: 5 kt NPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
Open-Meteo Marine
85Water temp: 87°F, warmLight: DawnSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 0.3 ftSeason & habitat · Gray snapper
Species seasonality
67Season: PeakHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In range
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Gulf state waters (Escambia through Collier counties)
Atlantic croaker
Retention open- Daily limit
- Not published
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Not published
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- 100 pounds per person per day. No minimum size. Open year-round.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: Spot and Atlantic croaker, read Sep 13
Other species here
- Black drum Retention open (5 per day)
- Bluefish Retention open (10 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 Retention open (2 per day (4 Gulf grouper combined))
- Gray snapper Retention open (5 per day (10 snapper combined))
- Gray triggerfish Retention open (1 per day)
- Greater amberjack Retention open (1 per day)
- King mackerel Retention open (3 per day)
- Mahi-mahi Retention open (10 per day)
- Permit Retention open (2 per day)
- Red drum Retention open (1 per day)
- Red grouper Retention open (2 per day (4 Gulf grouper combined))
- Red snapper Retention open (2 per day (10 snapper 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
- Spotted seatrout Retention open (3 per day)
- Summer flounder Retention open (5 per day)
- Tarpon Catch & release (No retention)
- Wahoo Retention open (2 per day)
Source: FWC · synced today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Atlantic croaker is best here
Peak season for Atlantic croaker · 1 more week at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Nelson Point
- Depth
- 10-20 ftNearest water
- Structure
- Point · Inner · ProtectedPoint · flat bottom
- Season
- Peak seasonAtlantic croaker
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 Nelson Point
Nelson Point is a cape in Western Choctawhatchee Bay, Florida. Depth in the nearest water is 10-20 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads point, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 19 species here; the best right now are Atlantic croaker, gray snapper and Atlantic tarpon. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, gray snapper and red drum, and shoulder season for Atlantic tarpon, Florida pompano, permit and Spanish mackerel. Atlantic croaker peak from July through September. Gray snapper peak from June through September. Atlantic tarpon peak from May through July.
Tackle & technique
- 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.
- Atlantic tarpon
- Tarpon roll along beaches, in passes and channels, and under bridges from late spring through fall, and in South Florida some fish stay through winter in warm canals and backcountry rivers. Live crabs, mullet or pinfish drifted through a pass on the outgoing tide, or a fly or soft plastic cast ahead of a rolling string of fish, are the main approaches. Use a long heavy leader, bow to the jumps, and keep big fish in the water for release.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Ward Cove76
Bay · 0.5 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 76
- Gray snapper 69
- Red drum 67
5 kt NEH 7:19 AM · 0.9 ftL 7:50 PM · 0.4 ft
- Rocky Bayou76
Bay · 1.1 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 76
- Red drum 69
- Gray snapper 64
5 kt NEH 7:19 AM · 0.9 ftL 7:50 PM · 0.4 ft
- John Bayou72
Bay · 1.3 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 72
- Red drum 66
- Gray snapper 63
5 kt NEH 7:19 AM · 0.9 ftL 7:50 PM · 0.4 ft
- Shirk Bayou72
Bay · 1.7 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 72
- Red drum 63
- Gray snapper 59
5 kt NEL 7:33 PM · 0.4 ftH 7:58 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.