How it matches right now
- Tide
- outgoing / incoming
- incoming ✓
- Wind dir
- W, SW, NW
- E ✗
- Wind speed
- ≤10 mph ideal
- 3 mph ✓
- Wave height
- 1–4 ft
- — ~
- Water temp
- 65–82°F
- — ~
- Light
- Any
- Daytime ✓
✓ ideal ~ close ✗ outside range
Ponce Inlet — Inlet
72
72 — WINDOW
Ponce Inlet Jetty
Ponce Inlet
One of Northeast Florida's deepest and most productive inlets — the Halifax River empties through a narrow rock cut with 30+ feet of depth at the mouth. Big snook, flounder migration, and summer tarpon all accessible from the jetty rocks.
This spot targets species that are in their active season right now. incoming tide lines up with this spot.
Location
Tides & Moon
Tide data unavailable
🌖
Waning Gibbous58% illuminated
Between phases — focus on tide timing over lunar influence
Major feeding5:06 AM – 7:06 AM5:06 PM – 7:06 PM
Minor feeding11:06 PM – 12:06 AM11:06 AM – 12:06 PM
Live Conditions
Water—
Wave—
WindE 3 mph
Tideincoming
Air76°F
Rain0%
Conditions Match
Personal logbook
Log this trip with conditions auto-captured from the live feed.
Current Read
Why it scores 72 right now
- This spot targets species that are in their active season right now.
- incoming tide lines up with this spot.
- E wind usually hurts this setup.
- Light breeze keeps the presentation manageable.
Tactics
Hooks, baits, and lanes for Ponce Inlet Jetty
Snook — night jetty bump
Heavy 3/4 oz jighead with a 6-inch paddletail in white or chartreuse on 40 lb fluoro. Cast upcurrent and bump the jig along the bottom near the rock edges. Snook ambush from the rock crevices. The hit feels like a hard stop — set immediately and reel hard to keep them out of the rocks.
Flounder — bucktail drag
3/8 oz white bucktail tipped with a strip of fresh mullet belly. Cast to the sandy transitions between rock and sand at the jetty base. Drag slowly along the bottom — flounder hit and hold. Wait 3 full seconds, then set with a long sweep.
Tarpon — dawn free-line
Large live mullet (8–10 inches) free-lined in the main channel during June-August dawn windows. 50 lb leader, 6/0 circle hook, heavy spinning or conventional gear. When the tarpon rolls on the surface, cast 20 feet ahead of the direction it's moving. Let it eat — don't set on the jump.
Spanish mackerel — speed retrieve
1 oz Gotcha plug or silver casting spoon on 12 lb braid. Maximum speed retrieve — mackerel hit moving targets. No wire leader needed but add 12 inches of 30 lb fluoro to prevent cutoffs from teeth. Work the inlet mouth on incoming tide.
Target Species
Snook
East coast harvest is seasonal and permit-based; on April 17, 2026 the east coast harvest window is open.Fish edges, current seams, and low-light bait movement instead of blind fan casting.
Redfish
Indian River Lagoon redfish are catch-and-release only, so this is a confidence signal more than a cooler plan.Treat the channel edges as ambush lanes and fish moving current, not dead water.
Flounder
FWC: 14" total length minimum, 5 per harvester. Sept. closed season on Atlantic coast.Drag baits across sand-mud transitions and channel drop-offs. Flounder ambush — they don't chase. Slow down.
Tarpon
Tarpon over 75" require a $50 harvest tag (one per person per year). Most are catch-and-release only.Fish passes, bridges, and beach migration lanes at dawn. Match the bait, not the lure catalog.
Spanish Mackerel
FWC: 12" fork minimum, 15 per harvester. Open year-round.Cast ahead of surface schools parallel to the beach. Speed kills — if you're not moving the lure fast, you're doing it wrong.
Mangrove Snapper
FWC: 10" total length minimum, 5 per harvester. Open year-round in state waters.Fish tight to docks, bridge pilings, mangrove roots, and jetty rock. Light line and stealth matter more than lure choice.
Access
- North jetty accessible by foot from Lighthouse Point Park ($10 vehicle entry).
- South jetty accessible from Smyrna Dunes Park (free, but limited hours — closes at sunset).
- Jetty rocks are large and uneven — wear studded boots or Korkers. Sneakers will get you hurt.
- Florida saltwater fishing license required.
- No bait shops at the jetties. NSB Bait and Tackle (197 N Causeway) is the closest shop — 10 minute drive.
- Parking fills early on weekends at Lighthouse Point Park. Arrive before 7 AM.
Hazards
- Strong current during mid-tide changes — 30 lb braid minimum with 40 lb fluoro leader near the rocks.
- Sharks are common near the inlet mouth — bull sharks feed on bait in the channel. Land fish fast.
- Waves wash over the north jetty during strong NE swells. If water is coming over the rocks, don't go out.
- Boat traffic through the inlet is constant — don't cast across the channel when boats are transiting.
- Rocks are covered in sharp barnacles. Carry bandages — everyone bleeds the first time.
Highlights
- Deep inlet holds big snook in the 30–40 inch class. Night fishing at the rocks is the local play.
- Flounder run through the inlet during fall migration (October-November) — one of the best flounder spots in Volusia.
- Spanish mackerel school at the mouth in packs when water temp hits 72°F+. Aggressive, fast-paced action.
- Summer tarpon (June-August) stage in the inlet channel — sight-cast from the rocks at dawn.
- Mangrove snapper hold at the base of the jetty rocks year-round. Night fishing with chum is deadly.
- Ponce Inlet Lighthouse visible from both jetties — the landmark helps you orient in low light.