Species guide

Speckled Trout Fishing

Spotted seatrout, or speckled trout, live in coastal waters over sand bottoms or seagrass beds and can be targeted in every major estuary around Florida. FWC manages them in nine regions: the 15 to 19 inch slot is the same everywhere, but the bag limit and closed season are not.

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Speckled Trout

Every charter here names speckled trout on its own website, checked on the captain's own site

Check before you keep a fish. Seasons and limits change, sometimes in the middle of a season, and a court or an agency can change them overnight. Seasons and limits are set state by state. The ones on this page are Florida's, copied from FWC in Sep 2026 and listed with their source at the foot of the page. We are not a regulatory authority. Confirm the rule for the water you will fish with your captain or with that state's wildlife agency.

Where to fish for speckled trout

934 charters name speckled trout on their own website, across 231 towns in 2 states.

State records for speckled trout

The heaviest speckled trout each state has certified, biggest first.

StateWeightWhereYearAngler
Florida 17.44 lb Ft. Pierce 1995 Craig F. Carsonsource
Maryland 13 lb Sinepuxent Bay 1973 Jack Millersource
North Carolina 12.5 lb Neuse River 2022 Todd Spanglersource
Louisiana 12.38 lb Lake Hermatage 1950 Leon Mattessource
Alabama 12.25 lb — 1980 Willford Duchermesource
South Carolina 11.81 lb Murrells Inlet 1976 A. Pendergrasssource
New Jersey 11.12 lb Holgate Surf 1974 Bert Harpersource
Mississippi 10.62 lb — 2013 David Floydsource
Georgia 9.44 lb — 1976 Tommy Hallsource
Texas 8.31 lb Nueces River 2009 Filip Spencersource

Each from that state's own records page, linked on every row. A location links to its town only where the agency named that town — a record logged to "Gulf of Mexico" or an offshore block belongs to no city. Weights are printed as the agency prints them. Records are certified by the state and can be broken at any time.

How big speckled trout run

Federal interviewers measured 4,383 of them on charter trips between 2022–2024. The middle half ran 14.3–18.8 inches, with a median of 15.8 inches.

Separately, MRIP's catch records for those trips count 9,995 released against 4,949 kept — more put back than taken, which is what a closed season or a tight limit looks like. That is a different tally from the fish that were measured, not a breakdown of them.

  • Florida16.1" median, 1,879 measured
  • Georgia14.9" median, 1,029 measured
  • North Carolina16.6" median, 969 measured
  • Mississippi15.6" median, 305 measured

NOAA Fisheries MRIP dockside interviews, 2022–2024. A sample of the fish boats brought in, not a total, and not a forecast for any one trip.

About the fish

SizeUp to 39 inches and 17 pounds. Common to 14 inches
Where it livesCoastal water over sand bottom and seagrass
What it eatsBaitfish, mullet, shrimp and crabs

FWC says they carry a pair of large canine teeth at the tip of the upper jaw.

From FWC's species profile, checked Sep 2026.

Which rules apply to your trip

  • The slot is 15 to 19 inches statewide. What changes by region is how many you keep and when harvest closes.
  • Seven of the nine regions let you keep one fish over 19 inches per vessel, or per person from shore, counted within the bag limit. The Indian River Lagoon and Northeast regions do not allow any fish over 19 inches.
  • On a for-hire trip the captain and crew may not keep a bag limit.

Harvest rules

When can you keep one in Florida?

Seasons and limits are set state by state, and these are Florida's. Speckled Trout is caught by charters in 2 states on this page; ask your captain which rules apply where you are fishing.

Panhandle

Florida-Alabama border east into Franklin County.

  • All anglersHarvest closed in February. Open March 1 to January 31FWC.
15 to 19 inches total lengthSize limit
Three per person per dayDaily limit. Includes up to one fish over 19 inches per vessel, or per person from shore; it counts toward the bag limit.

Big Bend

Franklin County south to Fred Howard Park in Pinellas County.

  • All anglersOpen year roundFWC.
15 to 19 inches total lengthSize limit
Five per person per dayDaily limit. Includes up to one fish over 19 inches per vessel, or per person from shore; it counts toward the bag limit.

Tampa Bay through Southeast

Fred Howard Park south and around to the Martin and Palm Beach county line (Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Charlotte Harbor, Southwest and Southeast regions), not including Lake Okeechobee. Special regulations apply in Biscayne National Park.

  • All anglersOpen year roundFWC.
15 to 19 inches total lengthSize limit
Three per person per dayDaily limit. Includes up to one fish over 19 inches per vessel, or per person from shore; it counts toward the bag limit.

Indian River Lagoon

Volusia County south to the Martin and Palm Beach county line, including adjacent federal waters, the Kissimmee River and Lake Okeechobee.

  • All anglersHarvest closed November 1 to December 31. Open January 1 to October 31FWC.
15 to 19 inches total length. Nothing over 19 inchesSize limit
Two per person per dayDaily limit. No over-slot fish allowed in this region.

Northeast

Florida-Georgia border south to the Indian River Lagoon region.

  • All anglersOpen year roundFWC.
15 to 19 inches total length. Nothing over 19 inchesSize limit
Three per person per dayDaily limit. No over-slot fish allowed in this region.

Gear rules

Hook and line and cast net only; no multiple hooks with live or dead natural bait, and no snatching. Fish must stay whole until landed ashore.

Questions about speckled trout

What is the size limit?

15 to 19 inches total length statewide. Seven of nine regions allow one fish over 19 inches per vessel (or per person from shore), counted in the bag limit; the Indian River Lagoon and Northeast regions allow none.

How many can each person keep?

Per day: five in the Big Bend, three in most regions, and two in the Indian River Lagoon.

Is it ever closed?

Yes. The Panhandle closes in February, and the Indian River Lagoon closes November 1 to December 31.

Can the crew keep their limit on a charter?

No. FWC says for-hire captain and crew may not keep a bag limit.

Seasons, sizes and bag limits on this page were copied from FWC, spotted seatrout regulations and FWC, spotted seatrout profile in Sep 2026. Rules change, sometimes mid-season. Check the current rule with your captain or FWC before you keep a fish.