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fishing forecast

white margate

Haemulon album · Haemulidae · predator

Sea

One of the largest grunts in the Caribbean, silvery and muted in color, found over seagrass, reefs and wrecks. Rare in Brazil; it takes natural bait well on the bottom.

Also called: roncador-branco, white margate, margate, margaret grunt

everything about the white margate where found
Scientific illustration of White margate
common size
40–60 cm
maximum
79 cm
common weight
0.8–2.6 kg
record/max.
7.1 kg
depth
20–60 m
ideal water
24–29 °C
location

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period

Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…

the species

everything about the white margate

overview

who is the white margate

The white grunt, or margate, is one of the largest grunts in the genus Haemulon: it reaches 79 cm and 7.1 kg, with a common length of 50 cm. It lives in the western Atlantic, from Florida and Bermuda to Brazil, over seagrass, sand banks, coral reefs and wrecks, between 20 and 60 m according to FishBase. It travels in pairs or schools and eats bottom invertebrates, which it digs up with its snout: peanut worms and heart urchins. FishBase lists it as a commercial and sport fish. In Brazil it is hardly seen, with few collection records from Fernando de Noronha and the coast of São Paulo state.

fun facts

  • It has been observed rooting in sand to eat buried peanut worms and heart urchins.
  • Forms well-defined pairs during the spawning season, according to FishBase.
  • In Brazil, GBIF has only 7 collection records for the species.
how to recognize it

identification

Large grunt with a moderately deep body and a dull silvery color, its fins generally gray and lacking black pigment below the upper edge of the preopercle. Continuous dorsal fin with 12 spines and 15 to 17 soft rays; anal fin with 3 spines and 7 to 8 rays. Scale rows below the lateral line run obliquely. Subadults may have a blackened back, dorsal fin and tail. It is told apart from the biquara (Haemulon plumierii) by its larger size and its plain, dull coloration.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

In Brazil there are few collection records, from Fernando de Noronha (PE) and the coast of São Paulo; FishBase only says the species goes "as far as Brazil". Outside Brazil, from Florida and Bermuda to the Bahamas and all the Antilles, and to the Guianas.

Habitat: Seagrass, sand banks, coral reefs and wrecks, in pairs or schools, from 20 to 60 m according to FishBase.

coast

Northeast CoastSoutheast Coastcoastalshelf

states

Pernambuco, São Paulo

calendar and clock

when to fish

best season

time of year
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

There is no well-documented seasonality for the species. Calm seas and clear water matter more than the month; it can be fished all year wherever it occurs.

best time of day

0h6h12h18h sunrise ~6amsunset ~6pm

Night and twilight. Like other grunts, it rests in groups by day near shelter and goes out to feed at dusk and at night; bottom fishing is best from late afternoon into early night.

weather, water and behavior

what affects the white margate
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.

cold and cold fronts

Cold water from a front or upwelling pushes the groups off shallow rock ledges.

atmospheric pressure

Rough seas after the front hurt boat fishing; when they calm, the bite returns.

moon

Small effect; dark nights favor feeding trips.

rain

Little relevance at sea; a storm is dangerous for anyone on a boat.

water level

Strong current over the reef or wreck scatters the schools.

noise

The school is wary of motor noise and of anchoring over the spot.

wind

Strong wind prevents bottom fishing from a boat.

tide

Moderate current during the tide change brings food and keeps the fish active.

depth

Between 20 and 60 m according to FishBase; deeper than the shallow-reef grunts.

technique, gear and bait

how to fish

Bottom fishing from a boatNatural bait on the bottomJigging
rod
6'0" to 7'0", 15 to 30 lb
spinning / baitcasting reel
spinning reel 4000 to 5000 or baitcasting reel 200 to 300
line
braided line 20 to 40 lb
leader
fluorocarbon 30 to 50 lb, 1 m
hook
circle hook 2/0 to 4/0

lures

  • jig, 40 to 100 g
  • jig head with small shad

natural baits

  • shrimp
  • squid strips
  • sardine pieces
  • sea worm (polychaete)

accessories

  • sinker, 60 to 200 g depending on the current
  • descender (fish descender)
  • alicate

tip from an angler

Natural bait held still near the bottom, on the edge of the reef or wreck, in the late afternoon; if the fish comes up from deeper than 20 m and you are going to release it, use a descender.

what the law says

rules for the white margate

Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Conservation: Data Deficient in the global assessment. Not on the Brazilian national list (Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667/2026). We found no specific Brazilian federal rule for the species.

Mexico: up to 10 marine fish per angler per day, no more than 5 of the same species

10 marine specimens per angler per day; no more than 5 of the same species

In Mexico's federal waters, sport and recreational fishing for marine species has a limit of 10 specimens per angler per day, with no more than 5 of any one species. Fish over the limit may only be taken if released alive. Sport-caught fish belong to the permit holder and may not be sold; fish may not be landed as fillets (they may only be filleted on board for consumption during the trip). For spearfishing the limit is 5 fish per day. Fishing from a boat requires a permit.

Source: Amendment to NOM-017-PESC-1994 (recreational sport fishing in federal waters of Mexico), signed Oct 14, 2013 and published in the DOF on Nov 25, 2013, items 4.9.1, 4.9.4, 4.9.5, 4.11 and 4.12 (Sagarpa/Conapesca)

catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.

A fish from 20 to 60 m may arrive with barotrauma (swim bladder out of the mouth, swollen belly): release it quickly with a descender. Support its belly and don't hold it by the mouth alone.

in the kitchen

White flesh, sold fresh. FishBase records ciguatera cases: in the Caribbean, be wary of very large reef specimens and ask local fishers.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.0123, b = 2.99; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.

estimated weight

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sources and references

The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on the field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data nor a measurement made for this species, and they may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the norm and a link.

  1. scientific FishBase: Haemulon album (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology and IUCN status. Page checked Oct 13, 2026. The common weight was calculated from the length-weight relationship.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Haemulon albumNames by country and language. FishBase gives no Portuguese name for the species: "roncador-branco" is an editorial designation, based on the Spanish "ronco blanco" and on the Portuguese name for the group (roncador), not an established name in Brazil.
  3. official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026: Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)The species is not on the list. Checked in the DOU of April 28, 2026.
  4. scientific IUCN Red List: Haemulon album (avaliação global: Dados Insuficientes, DD, 10/10/2015)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
  5. scientific GBIF: registros de Haemulon album no BrasilChecked on Oct 13, 2026 in GBIF's open database (country = Brazil). Records come from collections and observations and show where the species has been seen, not how abundant it is. There are only 7 records in Brazil, from Fernando de Noronha and the coast of São Paulo; the species is rare here.
  6. scientific Carpenter, K. E. (org.) (2002). The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Vol. 3: Bony fishes part 2 (Opistognathidae to Molidae). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. Roma: FAO.Reference identification guide for the western Atlantic (Haemulidae chapter).
  7. official Code of Federal Regulations, 50 CFR Part 622, Subpart S: Porto Rico (NOAA Fisheries, EUA)Consolidated text from the eCFR, checked on Oct 13, 2026. Among the grunts, the federal reef-fish table lists only Haemulon plumierii; Haemulon album is not on it, so the federal limits for Puerto Rico do not apply to the species.
  8. official Modificação da NOM-017-PESC-1994, para regular a pesca deportivo-recreativa nas águas de jurisdição federal do México (DOF, 25/11/2013)Text read in the DOF: items 4.2 to 4.12 (quotas, underwater fishing, sales and fillets).
don't confuse

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Very common reef haemulid in the Northeast and Southeast. Travels in schools, grunts out of the water and bites readily in bottom fishing.

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