Each cell is a 0–100 "bite availability" score for that species in that month — how realistic it is for an average angler to target them. Gold ★ marks peak-of-the-year windows. Tap a species row or a month column for the story behind the numbers.
0–30: not a realistic target. Fish are migrated out, too cold, or functionally absent. Don't plan a trip around them.
30–60: possible but tough. Expect to grind for bites; bring a backup species.
60–80: reliable. A competent angler with the right bait and tide should expect action.
80–100: prime window. This is when a season is made or missed. The gold star means it's the absolute peak of the year.
Availability is one axis of the bite. The /fishing-map and /fishing-trip-planner pages multiply the seasonal weight you see here by real-time tide, moon phase, time of day, and barometric pressure to produce a full Bite Score for any spot you tap. A species that's out of season here (Jan tarpon, July sheepshead) gets gated down on those pages no matter how perfect the tide looks — because reality works that way.
Every seasonal weight above is an informed judgment grounded in FWC seasonality rules, Mayport and Nassau Sound water-temp records, bait-run timing (mullet run, pogy pushes, glass-minnow pulses, blue-crab hatches), and local angler reports. These numbers will get sharper over time as the catch log accumulates real NE-FL data. Think of this as version one of a moving target — directionally right today, quantitatively right in 18 months.