Venice Reef and the bottom west of Venice Inlet

Reef (artificial) in Sarasota nearshore waters

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

NearshoreUpdated October 11, 2026

Depth
28-34 ft
Access
By boat
Best months
February to May, September to November
Species
Sheepshead, Mangrove (gray) snapper, Spanish mackerel, King mackerel (kingfish), Gag grouper, Cobia

Old bridge material and concrete rubble, sunk in nine loads in 1980 in about 28 feet, about 0.9 nautical mile southwest of Venice Inlet. Its position matches the Coast Pilot's 'unmarked fish haven about 1 mile southwest of Venice Inlet'. FWC's 1989 mapping shows a live-bottom patch about 2 nautical miles west of the inlet, and NOAA charts two dangerous wrecks nearby, 1.5 and 2.7 nautical miles west of the inlet in about 30 and 34 feet. FWC's I-4 site, culverts from 1981 in about 28 feet, is about 0.4 nautical mile northwest of the end of the Venice Fishing Pier.

How to fish it

The closest reef fishing to Venice Inlet and a short run on a calm morning. Anchor at a safe distance and fish for snapper and mackerel, sheepshead on the rubble in late winter, and drift the mapped live bottom in the cooler months for gag.

Watch out for: The 1980 rubble may be broken up, scattered or partly buried, so find it on the sounder. Watch the charted wrecks on the sounder and chartplotter, and expect a choppy inlet mouth on the way out and back.
Rules here: State waters, north of FWC's 27°04.727' N line, so the Sarasota Bay rules apply to snook and redfish. Reef fish gear rules and, on private boats, the State Reef Fish Angler designation apply. The rules to check in Sarasota nearshore waters

Wind and waves

Now and the next 48 hours at Venice Reef and the bottom west of Venice Inlet

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On the map

Venice Reef and the bottom west of Venice Inlet and the places around it

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Position

  • N27° 06.296' W082° 28.910'27.104930, -82.481830

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.