When swordfish are off Palm Beach
Swordfish fishing out of Palm Beach happens in 1,500 to 2,200 ft of water. Boats leave through Palm Beach Inlet and run east. Other listings say fish often sit deeper than 1,500 ft during the day. The reason they hold that deep is covered in our swordfish guide.
The season here depends on weather more than the calendar. Reel Intense says the trip needs calm conditions, so check the wind, wave height and period in the NWS Miami Coastal Waters Forecast before committing to the run. This page helps you decide where to look. It does not promise fish.
- Target depth: about 1,500 to 2,200 ft
- Run: about 20 miles (Reel Intense)
- Daytime method: deep drop with electric reels and heavy lead
- Night trips: run by some operators
Where boats run and how deep
From the inlet, pick a bearing east, run out past the shelf and keep going until the bottom drops through the depths in the table below.
The run
Reel Intense puts the grounds about 20 miles from Palm Beach Inlet. The target water is 1,500 to 2,200 ft, and other listings give the same upper limit of 2,200 ft. The inlet’s entrance channel, currents and approach are described in the NOAA Coast Pilot inlet notes.
Swordfish grounds here are described by depth rather than by named spots, so plan the run around the contour instead of a waypoint someone else has marked.
The Gulf Stream and Sailfish Alley
Palm Beach sits inside Sailfish Alley, the Gulf Stream corridor that runs from Fort Pierce to North Miami Beach. For the regional picture, see swordfishing along the Southeast coast (see also the wider Atlantic Southeast guide).
Reading the contour
The Chart Contours layer in Breakpoint shows where the bottom drops past 1,500 ft. Chart layers are not for navigation.
Grounds and structure on the way out
The structure listed here is far shallower than sword water. These spots are known for sailfish, kingfish, blackfin tuna and wahoo, and none of them is swordfish ground. They are useful as markers of progress on the way out.
| Structure | Depth (ft) | Location note |
|---|---|---|
| Danny McCauley Memorial Reef (tug) | 80 | One mile offshore of Singer Island, part of the Wreck Trek |
| M/V Ana Cecilia | 80 to 85 | One mile offshore of Singer Island |
| Bridge Reef and the Playground | 100 to 200 | Off Palm Beach |
| 120 ft ledge | 120 | Offshore of the inlet; Mallard’s name for the kingfish edge |
| Sailfish ledge | 120 to 200 | About 20 minutes from Palm Beach Inlet |
| 100 to 300 ft edges | 100 to 300 | Offshore edge, wahoo |
| The Hill | 200 to 300 | Farther out than the sailfish ledge, blackfin tuna spot |
| Swordfish grounds | 1,500 to 2,200 | About a 20 mile run (Reel Intense) |
The Singer Island wrecks
The M/V Ana Cecilia sits at 80 to 85 ft and the Danny McCauley Memorial Reef tug at 80 ft, both one mile offshore of Singer Island. The tug is part of the Wreck Trek.
Bridge Reef and the Playground
Both sit at 100 to 200 ft.
The 120 ft ledge
This is Mallard’s name for the kingfish edge, offshore of the inlet at 120 ft.
The sailfish ledge
The ledge runs 120 to 200 ft, about 20 minutes from the inlet. It is the closest of these marks, and it is where sailfish fishing sets up.
The 100 to 300 ft edges
These are a wahoo edge along the offshore break.
The Hill
At 200 to 300 ft, The Hill sits farther out than the sailfish ledge and is a blackfin tuna spot. Past it, the bottom keeps falling toward sword depth.
How swordfish are fished here
Two methods run out of Palm Beach: one by day and one by night.
Daytime deep drop
The local daytime method is a deep drop with electric reels and heavy lead, aimed at fish often holding deeper than 1,500 ft. Gear specifics vary by boat and are beyond the scope of this page.
Night trips
Some operators also run nighttime swordfishing trips.
Who runs swordfish trips from Palm Beach
A Palm Beach swordfish charter is one way to see the deep drop worked before you rig your own boat. Three operators list swordfish fishing out of Palm Beach.
Reel Intense Fishing Charters
Reel Intense Fishing Charters runs custom 35 ft center consoles under Captain Weston. The 20 mile run and the calm-conditions requirement on this page come from Reel Intense.
Reel Candy Sportfishing
Reel Candy Sportfishing fishes the boat Reel Candy under Capt. John Bobnar. The boat is based at Sailfish Marina in Palm Beach Shores.
Sol Search Charters
The Sol Search Charters swordfish listing shows a trip based at Sailfish Marina. No boat or captain is named on the listing.
FAQ: swordfish fishing out of Palm Beach
How far is the run to the swordfish grounds?
Reel Intense puts it at about 20 miles from Palm Beach Inlet.
How deep do you fish for swordfish off Palm Beach?
About 1,500 to 2,200 ft. Other listings say fish are often deeper than 1,500 ft during the day.
Is it a day or night fishery?
Both. The local daytime method is a deep drop with electric reels and heavy lead. Some operators also run night trips.
When can you go?
Reel Intense says the trip needs calm conditions. Read the wind, wave height and period in the NWS forecast before running.
Do the nearshore wrecks and ledges hold swordfish?
No. They sit at 80 to 300 ft and are known for sailfish, kingfish, blackfin tuna and wahoo. They mark the way out and are not sword water.
Which charters list swordfish?
Reel Intense Fishing Charters, Reel Candy Sportfishing and Sol Search Charters.
