What's Biting FLGreater Amberjack in Tampa Bay
Wrecks, towers and deep reefs. Live baits and vertical jigs. Short seasons, check before you go.
Next seven days
| Day | Bite | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Fri, Oct 30 | 7 | Strong tide swing 3.1 ft. Harvest closed in: Gulf (catch and release) |
| Sat, Oct 31 | 6 | Breezy 21 mph. Strong tide swing 2.8 ft. Harvest closed in: Gulf (catch and release) |
| Sun, Nov 1 | 3 | Breezy 18 mph. Rain likely 79%. Storms possible, fish early and watch the sky. Strong tide swing 2.4 ft. Harvest closed in: Gulf (catch and release) |
| Mon, Nov 2 | 4 | Storms possible, fish early and watch the sky. Harvest closed in: Gulf (catch and release) |
| Tue, Nov 3 | 4 | Harvest closed in: Gulf (catch and release) |
| Wed, Nov 4 | 4 | Light wind. Harvest closed in: Gulf (catch and release) |
| Thu, Nov 5 | 4 | Storms possible, fish early and watch the sky. Harvest closed in: Gulf (catch and release) |
Seasonal pattern
Editorial baseline for Florida. Green months are prime, yellow fair, red slow. Preferred water temperature 65–82°F.
Regulations that apply here
Applies to: State and Federal waters · Licenses: State Reef Fish Survey participation mandatory. Annual renewal.
| Species / zone | Season | Size | Bag | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Amberjack Gulf | closed now Open September 1 - October 13, 2026 | 34” Fork Length | 1 per person | Reef fish gear requirements apply FWC issued an executive order to set the recreational 2026 greater amberjack season in Gulf state waters to Sept. 1 – Oct. 13, consistent with the Gulf federal season. |
| Lesser Amberjack Atlantic and Gulf | open now Open year-round | Cannot be less than 14" or greater than 22" fork length | 5 per person aggregate of the two species | spears, gigs, hook and line, seine, cast net Daily Recreational Bag Limit: Atlantic and Gulf - 5 per person aggregate of the two species |
- Legal Gear: spears, gigs, hook and line, seine, cast net
- Reef fish gear requirements apply
- Have you signed up for the State Reef Fish Survey yet? Participation mandatory. Annual renewal.
Source: FWC, extracted 2026-10-29. Review flags: The page lists 'State and Federal waters' for Greater Amberjack Gulf and Atlantic sections, but the schema's applies_to field is set to 'State and Federal waters' page-wide.; The size and bag limits for Lesser Amberjack and Banded Rudderfish are combined as an aggregate of the two species; each species rule repeats the same values.; The page mentions 'Gulf Federal Waters Rules' and 'Atlantic Federal Waters Rules' links but no additional text was provided for those pages.