Space Coast
Spotted Seatrout in Space Coast
Popping corks over grass flats in 2 to 6 feet, topwater at dawn, and deeper holes and canals in cold snaps.
Next three days
| Day | Bite | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sun, Sep 13 | 8 | New Moon feeding boost. Light wind. Storms possible, fish early and watch the sky. Strong tide swing 4.2 ft |
| Mon, Sep 14 | 6 | Light wind. Heat, fish early or late. Storms possible, fish early and watch the sky. Strong tide swing 3.9 ft |
| Tue, Sep 15 | 6 | Heat, fish early or late. Storms possible, fish early and watch the sky. Strong tide swing 3.6 ft |
Seasonal pattern
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Editorial baseline for Florida. Green months are prime, yellow fair, red slow. Preferred water temperature 55–80°F.
Regulations that apply here
Applies to: inland, state and adjacent federal waters
| Species / zone | Season | Size | Bag | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spotted Seatrout Southeast Region boundaryAll Florida Waters and adjacent federal waters lying south of the Martin-Palm Beach county line and north of the Miami-Dade/Monroe county line, including all waters of the counties highlighted in yellow, including all waters of the Loxahatchee River and its tributaries, Hillsboro Canal, Miami Canal, North New River Canal, and West Palm Beach Canal, excluding all waters of Lake Okeechobee and all waters of Everglades National Park. | open now Open year-round | Slot limit: Not less than 15” or more than 19” total length May possess one fish over 19 inches per vessel or, if fishing from shore, one fish over 19 inches per person, included in the bag limit. | Bag limit: Three fish per person per day | Allowable gear: Hook and line; cast net Prohibited gear: Cannot harvest using any multiple hook in conjunction with live or dead natural bait; snatching prohibited Must remain in whole condition until landed ashore For-hire captain and crew may not keep a bag limit while on a for-hire trip Special regulations apply for this species when fishing in Biscayne National Park. |
| Spotted Seatrout Indian River Lagoon Region boundaryAll Florida Waters and adjacent federal waters lying south of a line extending due east from a point located at 29°01.755’N, 80°54.160’W in Volusia County and north of the Martin-Palm Beach county line, all waters of the counties highlighted in yellow, all inside waters of Volusia County south of Lytle Avenue/South Causeway (State Road A1A), all waters of Volusia County south of State Road 44 and east of I-95, including all waters of the Kissimmee River, Cypress Lake, Lake Hatchineha, Lake Kissimmee, and Lake Okeechobee, excluding all waters of the Loxahatchee River and its tributaries and all waters of the St. Johns River and its tributaries. | open now Closed season: November 1 – December 31 Open season: Jan. 1 – Oct. 31 | Slot limit: Not less than 15” or more than 19” total length May not possess fish larger than 19 inches total length | Bag limit: Two fish per person per day | Allowable gear: Hook and line; cast net Prohibited gear: Cannot harvest using any multiple hook in conjunction with live or dead natural bait; snatching prohibited Must remain in whole condition until landed ashore For-hire captain and crew may not keep a bag limit while on a for-hire trip |
| Spotted Seatrout Northeast Region boundaryAll Florida Waters and adjacent federal waters lying south of the Florida-Georgia border and north of the Indian River Lagoon Region, all waters of the counties highlighted in yellow, all waters of Volusia County north and west of the Indian River Lagoon Region, including all waters of the St. Johns River and its tributaries, excluding all waters of the Withlacoochee River, Kissimmee River, Cypress Lake, Lake Hatchineha, and Lake Kissimmee. | open now Open year-round | Slot limit: Not less than 15” or more than 19” total length May not possess fish larger than 19 inches total length | Bag limit: Three fish per person per day | Allowable gear: Hook and line; cast net Prohibited gear: Cannot harvest using any multiple hook in conjunction with live or dead natural bait; snatching prohibited Must remain in whole condition until landed ashore For-hire captain and crew may not keep a bag limit while on a for-hire trip |
- New spotted seatrout regional management regulations are now in effect
- In 2026, FWC adopted a new regional management approach that brings a holistic view to management decisions by using multiple metrics (spawning potential ratio, relative abundance, habitat, harmful algal blooms, fishing effort, and stakeholder feedback) to evaluate the fishery on a smaller regional scale.
Source: FWC, extracted 2026-09-12. Review flags: The Panhandle Region closed season is listed as 'February'. Per instructions, this is interpreted as 02-01 to 02-28.; The Southeast Region note mentions special regulations for Biscayne National Park, but specific details for that park are not provided on this page.