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Atlantic croakerPeak seasonChannel · Georgia
Saint Marys Entrance
30.71°N · 81.43°W · Channel · Coastal waters from Altamaha Sound to Fernandina Beach FL out 20 NM
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Crevalle jack66
- Atlantic croaker61
- Atlantic tarpon61
- Gray snapper61
- King mackerel61
- Summer flounder61
- Red drum60
- Spanish mackerel57
- Spot56
- Black sea bass54
- Florida pompano54
- Black drum50
- Little tunny50
- Weakfish49
- Gray triggerfish48
- Greater amberjack47
- Red grouper47
- Red snapper47
- Gag grouper46
- Mahi-mahi46
- Sheepshead45
- Cobia42
- Wahoo42
- Bluefish35
- Sailfish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Southern flounder30
- Spotted seatrout30
Best score today · 3 AM · Atlantic croaker
- Now
- 6112 PM EDT
- Best window
- 2-6 PMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing1.3 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Saint Marys Entrance 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 · 12 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
51Tide: EbbingCurrent: 1.0 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
83Wind: 9 kt NEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
52Water temp: 84°F, warmLight: OvercastSolunar: Near a majorSeas: 2.8 ftSeason & habitat · Atlantic croaker
Species seasonality
100Season: PeakHabitat: Prime structureDepth: In rangeRegulations: no rule on file
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
Atlantic croaker
Retention open- Daily limit
- 50 per day
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Not published
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- 50 per person per species. 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 (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 Retention open (1 per day)
- 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)
- 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 · 5 more weeks at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Saint Marys Entrance
- Depth
- 25-60 ftSlope
- Structure
- Channel · Outer · ExposedChannel · slope
- 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 Saint Marys Entrance
Saint Marys Entrance is a channel in Coastal waters from Altamaha Sound to Fernandina Beach FL out 20 NM, Georgia. Depth is 25-60 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads channel, outer water and exposed.
Waterlands scores 28 species here; the best right now are crevalle jack, Atlantic croaker and Atlantic tarpon. It is peak season now for crevalle jack, Atlantic croaker, Atlantic tarpon and gray snapper, and shoulder season for Spanish mackerel, black sea bass, Florida pompano and black drum. Crevalle jack peak from July through October. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September.
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.
- 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.
- 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
- Old Town Reach68
Channel · 2.6 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 68
- Atlantic croaker 67
- Atlantic tarpon 66
9 kt NEH 7:17 PM · 6.7 ftL 1:21 AM · 1.1 ft
- Seaboard Reach68
Channel · 2.9 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 68
- Atlantic croaker 67
- Atlantic tarpon 66
9 kt NEH 7:17 PM · 6.7 ftL 1:21 AM · 1.1 ft
- City Front Reach68
Channel · 3.5 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 68
- Atlantic croaker 67
- Atlantic tarpon 67
9 kt NEH 7:17 PM · 6.7 ftL 1:21 AM · 1.1 ft
- Saint Marys Entrance66
Channel · 0.1 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 66
- Atlantic croaker 61
- Gray snapper 61
9 kt NEH 6:41 PM · 6.4 ftL 1:18 AM · 1.1 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.