Species
Spotted Seatrout
Cynoscion nebulosus · family Sciaenidae
Live · updated
Popularly called "speckled trout" or "specks." Summer-fall target in the lower Bay grass beds and the Eastern Shore coastal bays. Topwater walkers at dawn and soft plastics on jigheads are standard.
Preferred conditions
- Water temp
- 60–85°F (ideal 72°F)
- Tide
- incoming
- Moon
- either
- Depth
- 3–15 ft
- Active months
- May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
Best spotted seatrout conditions today
First Landing State Park
Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum
Elms Beach Park
Myrtle Point Park
Greenwell State Park
Snow Hill Farm Park
Tyaskin Wharf
Belle Isle State Park
Smith Point Beach
Buckroe Beach
Ocean View Beach
Hilton Pier Park
Public Landing Beach
Kings Landing Park
Cove Road Beach
North Myrtle Beach
Cape Charles Town Pier
Great Marsh Park (Gerry Boyle Park)
Sandbridge Beach
False Cape State Park
Wrightsville Beach
Carolina Beach
Kure Beach
Surf City Beach
North Topsail Beach
Holden Beach
Oak Island Beach
Emerald Isle Beach
Romancoke Pier
Matapeake Pier
Chesapeake Beach — Rod N' Reel Pier
Cape Henlopen State Park
Fenwick Island — Surf Fishing
Slaughter Beach
Chincoteague NWR — Fishing Access
Beverly Triton Nature Park
Martinak State Park
Fenwick Island State Park
Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Ocracoke Beach
Atlantic Beach (NC)
Indian Beach
Cape Lookout National Seashore
Myrtle Beach
Pawleys Island
Surfside Beach (SC)
South Padre Island Beach
Boca Chica Beach
Roaring Point Waterfront Park
Solomons Island Fishing Pier
Flag Ponds Nature Park
Anderson Park
Nags Head Beach
Delacroix (St. Bernard)
Assateague Island — MD Surf
Ocean City Inlet — North Jetty
Breezy Point Beach
Point Lookout State Park
Rudee Inlet — Virginia Beach
Deal Island Wildlife Management Area
Biloxi Beach
Gulfport Beach
Mayo Beach Park
Kent Narrows — Public Fishing Pier
Indian River Inlet
Lewes Canal
Delaware Seashore State Park
Garden City Beach
Kiptopeke State Park
Sandy Point State Park
Assateague State Park
Assawoman State Wildlife Area
Naples Beach
Marco Island Beach
Cocodrie / Dularge (Terrebonne)
Pensacola Beach
Navarre Beach
Destin Beach
St. George Island
Mustang Island State Park
Port Aransas Beach
Padre Island National Seashore
Gulf Shores Public Beach
Orange Beach
Dauphin Island Public Beach
Pass Christian Beach
Lake Pontchartrain (Fontainebleau)
Port Aransas (Mustang Island)
New Smyrna Beach
Cocoa Beach
Mosquito Lagoon (Titusville)
St. Simons Island Beach
Lake Worth Beach
Bay St. Louis Beach
Tampa Bay
Mobile Bay
Assateague Island National Seashore
Calcasieu Lake (Big Lake)
Hilton Head Island
St. Augustine Beach
Panama City Beach
Clearwater Beach
Grand Isle State Park
Venice (Plaquemines)
Everglades (Flamingo)
Cape Canaveral Beach
Folly Beach
Sebastian Inlet State Park
Charleston Harbor
Sebastian Inlet
Tybee Island Beach
Daytona Beach
Deerfield Beach
Pompano Beach
Haulover Beach Park
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
Mexico Beach
St. Pete Beach
Sanibel Island Beach
Fort Myers Beach (Lynn Hall Memorial Park)
East Beach (Galveston)
Galveston Seawall
Crystal Beach (Bolivar Peninsula)
Surfside Beach (TX)
Pirates Beach
Sea Rim State Park
Matagorda Beach
Boca Grande (Charlotte Harbor)
Galveston Bay
Jacksonville Beach
No locations match that filter.
Regulations by jurisdiction
Maryland (tidal)
Stale: last verified 140 days ago.
tidal bay
- Min size
- 14"
- Creel
- 4
Chesapeake Bay: 14-inch minimum, 4 per day. Thermal-stress winter die-offs can trigger emergency closures; check MDDNR before mid-winter trips.
Source · verified 2026-04-22
Stale: last verified 140 days ago.
atlantic
- Min size
- 14"
- Creel
- 4
Atlantic coast and coastal bays: 14-inch minimum, 4 per day.
Source · verified 2026-04-22
Delaware (tidal)
Stale: last verified 140 days ago.
tidal delaware
- Min size
- 12"
- Creel
- no daily limit
Delaware Bay and tidal tributaries: 12-inch minimum, no daily creel limit. Noticeably looser than MD (14-inch, 4/day). Thermal die-offs and ASMFC addenda can change the regulation — re-verify annually.
Source · verified 2026-04-22
Stale: last verified 140 days ago.
atlantic
- Min size
- 12"
- Creel
- no daily limit
Delaware Atlantic coast and Inland Bays: 12-inch minimum, no daily creel limit.
Source · verified 2026-04-22
Virginia (tidal — VMRC)
Stale: last verified 140 days ago.
tidal bay
- Min size
- 14"
- Creel
- 5
Virginia tidal waters: 14-inch minimum, 5 per day, with no more than 1 fish over 24 inches. CLOSED April 1–June 30, 2026 for the spawning run (new VMRC regulation effective March 31, 2026 — 4VAC20-280). Differs significantly from MD (no seasonal closure, 4/day, no "big fish" limit) and DE (12-inch min, no creel). Re-verify before April trips — the spring closure was added in response to stock concerns.
Source · verified 2026-04-22
Stale: last verified 140 days ago.
atlantic
- Min size
- 14"
- Creel
- 5
Virginia Atlantic coast: 14-inch minimum, 5 per day, no more than 1 fish over 24 inches. CLOSED April 1–June 30, 2026 (same spring closure as tidal Bay). 4VAC20-280.
Source · verified 2026-04-22
NC
Stale: last verified 103 days ago.
atlantic
- Min size
- 14"
- Creel
- 4
Harvest is currently CLOSED in NC following cold-stun events. Normal limits when open are a 14" minimum and 4 fish/day — confirm the current DMF proclamation before keeping any.
Source · verified 2026-05-29
SC
Stale: last verified 103 days ago.
atlantic
- Min size
- 14"
- Creel
- 10
14" minimum, 10/person/day.
Source · verified 2026-05-29
FL
Stale: last verified 103 days ago.
atlantic
- Min size
- 15"
- Max size
- 19"
- Creel
- 3
15–19" slot (one fish over 19" per vessel allowed); bag is 2–5/day depending on FWC management zone, with seasonal closures in some zones. Confirm your zone.
Source · verified 2026-05-29
Stale: last verified 103 days ago.
gulf
- Min size
- 15"
- Max size
- 19"
- Creel
- 3
15–19" slot (one fish over 19" per vessel allowed); bag is 2–5/day depending on FWC management zone, with seasonal closures in some zones. Confirm your zone.
Source · verified 2026-05-29
TX
Stale: last verified 103 days ago.
gulf
- Min size
- 15"
- Max size
- 20"
- Creel
- 3
15–20" slot, 3/person/day. One trout over 28" per year with a Spotted Seatrout Tag.
Source · verified 2026-05-29
AL
Stale: last verified 103 days ago.
gulf
- Min size
- 15"
- Max size
- 22"
- Creel
- 6
15–22" slot, 6/person/day (one over 22" allowed).
Source · verified 2026-05-29
MS
Stale: last verified 103 days ago.
gulf
- Min size
- 15"
- Creel
- 15
15" minimum, 15/person/day.
Source · verified 2026-05-29
LA
Stale: last verified 103 days ago.
gulf
- Min size
- 13"
- Max size
- 20"
- Creel
- 15
13–20" slot, 15/person/day (two over-slot allowed).
Source · verified 2026-05-29
GA
Stale: last verified 103 days ago.
atlantic
- Min size
- 14"
- Creel
- 15
14" minimum, 15/person/day.
Source · verified 2026-05-29