What's Biting FL
Florida Keys

Spotted Seatrout in Florida Keys

Spotted Seatrout
Cynoscion nebulosus · Photo: Raver Duane, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain

Popping corks over grass flats in 2 to 6 feet, topwater at dawn, and deeper holes and canals in cold snaps.

Next seven days

DayBiteWhy
Fri, Oct 308Storms possible, fish early and watch the sky
Sat, Oct 318Storms possible, fish early and watch the sky
Sun, Nov 18Storms possible, fish early and watch the sky
Mon, Nov 27Storms possible, fish early and watch the sky. Weak tides
Tue, Nov 37Storms possible, fish early and watch the sky. Weak tides
Wed, Nov 48Light wind. Weak tides
Thu, Nov 58Light wind. Weak tides

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 / zoneSeasonSizeBagNotes
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
Not less than 15” or more than 19” total lengthThree fish per person per dayAllowable gear: Hook and line; cast net. Prohibited gear: Cannot harvest using any multiple hook in conjunction with live or dead natural bait; snatching prohibited Special regulations apply for this species when fishing in Biscayne National Park. 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. 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
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
Not less than 15” or more than 19” total lengthTwo fish per person per dayAllowable gear: Hook and line; cast net. Prohibited gear: Cannot harvest using any multiple hook in conjunction with live or dead natural bait; snatching prohibited May not possess fish larger than 19 inches total length 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
Not less than 15” or more than 19” total lengthThree fish per person per dayAllowable gear: Hook and line; cast net. Prohibited gear: Cannot harvest using any multiple hook in conjunction with live or dead natural bait; snatching prohibited May not possess fish larger than 19 inches total length 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

Source: FWC, extracted 2026-10-29.

See all Spotted Seatrout rules statewide.