D-3 Reef (boxcars)

Reef (artificial) in Sarasota offshore waters

Draft - not published. This page is only shown while developing. It stays off the live site until its status is changed to published.

OffshoreUpdated October 11, 2026

Depth
91-105 ft
Access
By boat
Best months
April to June, October to November
Species
Red grouper, Gag grouper, Red snapper, Greater amberjack, Mangrove (gray) snapper, Vermilion snapper, Gray triggerfish, King mackerel (kingfish)

Five boxcars sunk on May 11, 1988 in 105 feet. FWC's dive notes say two end walls stood about 14 feet tall, with an average height of about 4 feet. It's in federal water, 25.5 nautical miles west-southwest of Longboat Pass, 28.9 from New Pass and 29.6 from Big Sarasota Pass, and about half a nautical mile north of D-4, sunk the same day. At this depth the mix shifts toward red snapper, vermilion snapper and gray triggerfish, which FWC says usually live deeper than 80 feet.

How to fish it

Find the boxcars on the sounder first, since the steel has had decades to corrode. Then anchor or drift so baits settle on the standing walls: live or cut bait near the bottom on heavy tackle for grouper and snapper, live baits mid-water for amberjack, and live baits or flashy lures for kingfish in season.

Watch out for: A 25- to 30-nautical-mile open-Gulf run in forecast zone GMZ873. The steel snags anchors and tackle. Florida Sea Grant says barotrauma typically happens in 50 feet or deeper, so plan to descend released fish, and carry a VHF and an EPIRB or PLB.
Rules here: Federal waters: federal Gulf reef fish rules, the State Reef Fish Angler designation, circle hooks and a dehooking tool. Carry a descending device. Gag, red snapper and amberjack seasons are short and set each year, so check FWC and NOAA before you keep any. The rules to check in Sarasota offshore waters

Wind and waves

Now and the next 48 hours at D-3 Reef (boxcars)

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On the map

D-3 Reef (boxcars) and the places around it

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Position

  • N27° 15.931' W083° 07.207'27.265515, -83.120116

Not for navigation: check it against a current chart before you rely on it.

Places nearby

The closest named places, as the crow flies

Check the rules before you keep a fish. Size limits, bag limits and seasons change, sometimes at short notice. Our "Can you keep it today?" lists give them as of the day we last checked; these are the official pages.