Inshore · 60 ft · beaches, bays, inlets and rips

Sheepshead

Archosargus probatocephalus. Out of season in every region we cover this month.

Sheepshead identification illustration
LaneInshore · 10 fa (60 ft)
Depth it holds7–39 ft
Prime water57–79°F (workable 57–84°F)
Holds in the column7–39 ft down (on the bottom)
Judged onseabed temperature (RTOFS at depth)
Structurerequires

How it's fished

Fiddler crabs scraped tight against pilings, bridges and riprap.

Region by region — right now

RegionSeasonPrime waterTempFish it atMonths
Gulf of Mexico off-season reaches Destin 84°F ~39 ft
J
F
M
A
M
J
Southeast Atlantic off-season reaches Cape Hatteras 80°F 7–39 ft
J
F
M
A
M
J
Florida Keys off-season reaches Islamorada 84°F
J
F
M
A
"Fish it at" is where this species' temperature band and its holding depth overlap in the water column, from the RTOFS profile (13 levels, 0–300 m) — the depth to actually put a bait, not just the place. "Prime water" is the furthest sampled station on the 10-fathom lane whose seabed temperature sits inside this species' band. It is water, not a sighting report.
Charted grounds on the 10-fathom lane