Spanish mackerel fishing out of Pompano Beach runs February through August, on reef, ledge and wreck structure 1 to 3 miles from Hillsboro Inlet. Captain Sunshine Fishing Charters lists the species on its light tackle reef trips there.
This page covers the season, the run out of Pompano Beach, the named grounds with depths and dive-map grids where they exist, and the local methods.
When Spanish mackerel are off Pompano Beach
Captain Sunshine lists the season as February through August, so a February trip falls inside the window. That is a listed window, and it does not guarantee fish on any given day.
For how the fish move along the coast, see the Atlantic Southeast Spanish mackerel guide (see also the Atlantic Southeast offshore fishing guide).
Where boats run and the grounds that hold fish
The grounds below sit on the reef, ledge and wreck trips that work out of Hillsboro Inlet. Depths and grids are given where a source lists them.
The 1 to 3 mile run from Hillsboro Inlet
Captain Sunshine’s reef, ledge and wreck trips run 1 to 3 miles near Hillsboro Inlet. Every site named below sits within the area those trips work.
Shipwreck Park: Lady Luck and Okinawa
Shipwreck Park holds two named wrecks. Lady Luck sits in 126 ft, about 1 mile SE of Hillsboro Inlet, at map grid K-7. Okinawa sits in 70 ft, also at grid K-7. The grid references come from the Pompano Beach visitor dive map.
| Site | Depth | Location note | Grid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lady Luck (Shipwreck Park) | 126 ft | About 1 mile SE of Hillsboro Inlet | K-7 |
| Okinawa (Shipwreck Park) | 70 ft | Shipwreck Park | K-7 |
| Pompano Drop Off | – | Pompano Beach visitor dive map | K-8 |
Chart layers and dive-map grids are not for navigation.
Pompano Drop Off and the Edge
Pompano Drop Off is at map grid K-8 on the Pompano Beach visitor dive map. Sailfish Alley, also called the Edge, is the shelf drop-off.
Named reefs and ledges
These named reef and ledge sites sit near Pompano Beach:
- Pompano Trench
- Lost Ledge
- Suzzane’s Ledge
- Pompano 3rd Reef Ridge
- Steve’s Twin Ledges
- Shark Reef
- Touchdown Reef
- Grouper Bend
- Nursery
Named wrecks
These wrecks are named near Pompano Beach:
- Sucre
- Miller Lite
- Mariner II Tug
- Union Express
- Mary St. Philip
- Rodeo 25
- Quallman Tugs
- RSB-1
- RBJ
- Chris Corey
- Renegade
- Lowrance
- Captain Dan
- Guy Harvey
- SS Copenhagen
- Caicos Express
Sites listed as dive sites
Hillsboro Ledge, Lighthouse Ledge and Horseshoe Reef are listed as Pompano Beach dive sites. This page gives names and grids rather than coordinates.
How Spanish mackerel are fished here
Local Spanish mackerel fishing follows the light tackle reef trips Captain Sunshine lists. Rigging, tackle and leader detail are in the Spanish mackerel fishing guide.
The listed approaches are:
- Bottom fishing. Baits fished on or near the bottom over the structure.
- Vertical jigging. Jigs worked straight down over the structure.
- Free-lined live bait. Live bait fished without weight.
Who fishes for them out of Pompano Beach
Captain Sunshine Fishing Charters, run by Captains Jade and Zoli, lists Spanish mackerel on 1 to 3 mile light tackle reef trips near Hillsboro Inlet, using bottom fishing, vertical jigging and free-lined live bait. It is the local charter that lists the species.
If you run your own boat, you can follow the same pattern on the same grounds.
| Item | Listed detail |
|---|---|
| Charter | Captain Sunshine Fishing Charters |
| Captains | Jade and Zoli |
| Run | 1 to 3 miles near Hillsboro Inlet |
| Methods | Bottom, vertical jigging, free-lined live bait |
FAQ about Spanish mackerel fishing out of Pompano Beach
When is Spanish mackerel season off Pompano Beach?
February through August, per Captain Sunshine. February is the start of the window.
How far do boats run from Hillsboro Inlet?
1 to 3 miles, to reef, ledge and wreck structure.
How deep are the Lady Luck and Okinawa?
Lady Luck is in 126 ft, about 1 mile SE of the inlet. Okinawa is in 70 ft. Both are in Shipwreck Park at grid K-7.
What do K-7 and K-8 refer to?
They are grids on the Pompano Beach visitor dive map. K-7 holds the Shipwreck Park wrecks and K-8 the Pompano Drop Off.
How are Spanish mackerel fished locally?
On light tackle reef trips, using bottom fishing, vertical jigging or free-lined live bait.
What else is caught on these trips?
Captain Sunshine’s trips list other species alongside Spanish mackerel. The coastal and offshore gamefish guides cover what else you can target.
