Croaker: season, lures and limits

Showing the fish for Northeast Florida, Jacksonville to Flagler.

Fishing region

Season in Northeast Florida

Peak months: Aug, Sep, Oct.

JFMAMJJASOND

FWC Where to Saltwater Fish: croaker late summer to fall (Nassau, Duval) and fall (St. Johns, Flagler). Jacksonville Beach Pier: croaker on dead shrimp in the cooler months (Lacoss). (Our inference)

Season by region

Myrtle Beach	JFMAMJJASOND
North Jersey	JFMAMJJASOND
South Jersey	JFMAMJJASOND
Delmarva	JFMAMJJASOND
Virginia Beach	JFMAMJJASOND
Outer Banks	JFMAMJJASOND
Southern NC	JFMAMJJASOND
Charleston	JFMAMJJASOND
Georgia	JFMAMJJASOND
Northeast Florida	JFMAMJJASOND
Space Coast	JFMAMJJASOND
Big Bend	JFMAMJJASOND
Panhandle	JFMAMJJASOND
Alabama	JFMAMJJASOND
Mississippi	JFMAMJJASOND
Louisiana	JFMAMJJASOND
Upper Texas	JFMAMJJASOND
Middle Texas	JFMAMJJASOND
Lower Texas	JFMAMJJASOND

Where to find them

Piers and troughs, warm months.

Bottom.

What to look for

Evening tides.

Bait

Shrimp, Bloodworms, Squid strips. Double-drop, #2 to 1/0 hooks, 2 to 3 oz.

Leader

20 lb.

Landing

Simple.

Handling

Sharp gill-cover and dorsal spines

Grip from behind, fold the dorsal down.

Keep or release

Florida rules apply; see the regulations file.

Recipes for croaker

Typical: About 9 in, 0.5 lb. Large: 2 lb and up. SC record 4 lb 9 oz (1979).

Limits

FishOS has not checked the FL limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission before you keep a fish.

Sources

Florida FWC: Where to Saltwater Fish (species and seasons by county, Nassau to Monroe) (Official source)
Florida Sportsman (Terry Lacoss, March 2025): pier fishing Jacksonville (Jacksonville Beach Pier) (Angler knowledge)
NC Division of Marine Fisheries species profile: Atlantic Croaker (citing Miglarese et al. 1982) (Official source)
Fisherman's Post North Myrtle Beach / Little River reports 2025-2026 (Angler knowledge)
SCDNR species profile: Atlantic croaker (Official source)

All the fish of Northeast Florida

Croaker