Tampa Bay offshore fishing

Offshore from Tampa Bay, 20 miles out to the Middle Grounds and the shelf edge: reefs, wrecks and the pipeline for grouper and snapper, and the closed areas.

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OffshoreUpdated October 11, 2026

Overview

Past about 20 nautical miles, the Gulf off Tampa Bay is the broad, gently sloping West Florida Shelf. NOAA's bathymetry due west of Egmont Key Light reads about 83 feet at 20 nautical miles, 107 feet at 30, 125 feet at 40, 154 feet at 50, 171 feet at 60, 253 feet at 80 and 394 feet at 90, then drops fast, to about 587 feet at 100. On NOAA's chart, the 20-fathom (120-foot) curve is about 37 nautical miles due west of Egmont Key Light, the 40-fathom curve about 78 and the 100-fathom shelf edge about 100. Everything out here is federal water.

This area covers the band from 20 to 60 nautical miles out between State Road 64 and The Narrows. Past 60 nautical miles it reaches north to 28°51' N and out to about 125 nautical miles from shore, so the whole Florida Middle Grounds protected area and both federal closed areas, Steamboat Lumps and The Edges, are in it. The fishing is bottom fishing on scattered ledges and hard bottom, on artificial reefs such as Pinellas County's Treasure Island II in about 100 feet (about 29 nautical miles from Egmont Key Light), on a few charted wrecks, and on "the Pipe," the Gulfstream natural gas pipeline, whose rock piles and boulder sites hold reef fish, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Pinellas II and the Blackthorn wreck, in about 80 feet, lie just north of this guide's line.

For Pinellas and Hillsborough waters, FWC lists the best offshore times as grouper in winter and again from late summer into early fall, snapper in summer, hogfish in winter and spring, and kingfish in fall and winter. UF/IFAS says most keeper-size red snapper are in 100 feet or more, which here starts around 26 to 30 nautical miles out. The long runs go northwest: the nearest corner of the Florida Middle Grounds protected area is about 75 nautical miles from Egmont Key Light (about 67 from buoy 42098 at the Egmont Channel entrance), and its ridges stand 33 to 49 feet off the bottom (USGS). The 100-fathom edge, about 100 nautical miles due west, is golden tilefish depth (FWC: 250 to 1,500 feet). Blackfin tuna usually live seaward of the shelf (Florida Museum), so tuna, mahi and wahoo are bonus fish here, more likely the farther out you go.

Weather windows and fuel decide most trips, and the rules decide the rest. Gag, amberjack and red snapper seasons are short and set each year. Private-boat anglers need FWC's free State Reef Fish Angler designation to fish for or keep the listed reef fish. Near the Middle Grounds there are federal protected areas: the Middle Grounds itself has bottom-gear limits, Steamboat Lumps is closed year-round to all fishing except for highly migratory species such as tunas and billfish, and The Edges has an annual closure. The two closed areas show on the map. Check FWC and NOAA before every trip.

What's biting this month

Offshore waters: typical seasons, not a fishing report

Checking the calendar…

The whole year, month by monthKeep or release? Today's rules

Map of the area

Its outline, its places and the closed areas

Loading the map…

Places to fish

7 named places in Tampa Bay offshore waters

Reefs and wrecks

Hard bottom and offshore grounds

Through the year

Winter (December to February)

FWC lists winter as a best time for offshore grouper in Pinellas and Hillsborough waters, and kingfish as a fall and winter offshore fish here. UF/IFAS says red grouper move into shallower water as it cools. Grouper spawn from January to May (FWC). NOAA and the Gulf Council created Steamboat Lumps to protect spawning gatherings of gag and other reef fish near the 40-fathom line, and in 2021 closed it year-round to all fishing except for highly migratory species; The Edges closure was added in 2009 for the same reason. Hogfish are a winter and spring target, and the Florida Museum says blackfin tuna are most common off Florida in fall, winter and spring, usually seaward of the shelf.

Weather is the limit. The Coast Pilot says fronts can bring winds over 20 knots, now and then gales, with waves of 10 feet or more behind them. Sea fog is most common from December to early March, mostly ahead of a front on south to southwest winds, when warm, moist air moves over cool water. Plan around the gaps between fronts and check the buoys.

Spring (March to May)

Kingfish migrate north from South Florida in spring (FWC). Red grouper spawn in April and May, scamp in late spring, and vermilion snapper from April to September. FWC lists cobia as a spring-to-fall inshore and coastal fish here, so offshore they're a bonus around wrecks. Cold fronts keep coming through spring, and thunderstorm season starts in May. Florida sets the Gulf private-angler red snapper season for both state and federal waters, so check FWC's snapper page before you plan a snapper trip.

Summer (June to August)

FWC lists snapper as the summer offshore target here. Mangrove snapper spawn from June to August and red snapper from June to October (FWC); FWC says mangrove snapper caught offshore commonly run 8 to 10 pounds. UF/IFAS says most keeper red snapper are in 100 feet or more, which here means roughly 26 to 30 nautical miles out or farther; Treasure Island II sits at about 100 feet. Mahi cruise offshore weedlines (FWC), but off Tampa they're an occasional catch.

The Coast Pilot says thunderstorms come on 8 to 20 days a month from May through September, with July and August the busiest. Offshore they're most common in the evening and early morning as the land breeze sets up, and they can bring strong gusts, hail or waterspouts. Hurricane season runs June through November, and June and October have historically carried the most risk in the eastern Gulf.

Fall (September to November)

FWC lists late summer into early fall as the second best time for offshore grouper here. The short recreational seasons for gag and amberjack are set each year and have lately fallen around this time, so check FWC and NOAA before you go. Kingfish are a fall and winter offshore fish here. Red tide blooms happen almost every year, generally in late summer or early fall; FWC says they begin 11 to 46 miles offshore and can get strong enough to kill fish, so check the status map. Cold fronts start arriving again in fall.

How to fish it

Bottom fishing ledges, rock and wrecks for grouper

Fish over structure such as reefs, ledges and wrecks (UF/IFAS). Use live pinfish or grunts, or squid, octopus, shrimp, crab, or a jig head tipped with squid. Put the lead above the hook to get the bait to the bottom, then let it sit or move it slowly. UF/IFAS recommends stiff rods and heavy conventional reels with 60- to 80-pound braid and a mono leader in deep water, and reeling hard the moment a fish bites, because grouper dive straight back into the rocks. As an alternative for gag, UF/IFAS suggests trolling a diving plug, or a lure on a planer, over structured bottom.

Red snapper on bottom baits and slow-pitch jigs

UF/IFAS says the bigger red snapper claim the lowest structure and the smaller fish hold higher in the water. Fish shrimp, squid, or cut or small whole baitfish on a lead-above-hook rig, or slow-pitch a center-weighted jig and let it fall to the bottom on a slack line. FWC notes snapper also take soft-bodied jigs, bucktails and spoons. Use heavy conventional tackle with 60- to 80-pound braid and a mono leader.

Live-baiting amberjack over wrecks

FWC says anglers typically use 50- to 100-pound tackle and lively baits such as blue runners, pinfish, pigfish, grunts, cigar minnows or sand perch, with just enough lead to hold the bait in the middle of the water column above the reef. Fired-up amberjack also come up for topwater plugs, jigs, spoons and diving lures. Set your drag before you drop, because they're strong and don't quit.

Kingfish on live bait and lures

Kingfish eat small fish and squid and take both natural and artificial baits. Good live baits are pogies, herring, Spanish sardines, ballyhoo and mullet; good lures are flashy sub-surface lures or big fish-like plugs. Use 20-pound line or heavier with a wire or mono leader (FWC). Time trips for FWC's fall and winter window here and the spring run north.

Weedlines for mahi and wahoo

FWC suggests trolling ballyhoo rigged on #7 or #8 wire with a 7/0 or 8/0 hook along offshore weedlines, or lures, feathers or spoons. When one mahi is hooked, the rest of the school often stays close, and chumming cut bait can start a feeding frenzy. Wahoo are caught by trolling baits and lures on flatlines. There's no Tampa-specific data on either, so treat them as a bonus, more likely well offshore.

Deep-dropping the shelf edge

Golden tilefish live in burrows on mud and sand slopes from 250 to 1,500 feet (FWC). Off Tampa Bay that depth starts about 80 nautical miles due west of Egmont Key Light, and the 100-fathom curve is about 100 out, with depths passing 800 feet within about 10 more. It's a run of more than 100 nautical miles each way, so pick a settled weather window and keep a full fuel reserve. The shelf break is also where most sightings of the endangered Rice's whale have been: slow to 10 knots or less, keep a lookout and stay at least 100 yards away (NOAA).

Getting released fish back down

Fish pulled up from deeper than about 50 feet often suffer barotrauma (FWC), so every spot out here calls for a descending device. The federal rule describes one as a weighted hook, lip clamp or container with at least a 16-ounce weight and 60 feet of line that releases the fish at depth. Get released fish down quickly. Return 'Em Right offers free online training, and eligible Gulf reef fish anglers can get low-cost release gear through it.

What's biting

A typical year in Tampa Bay offshore waters, month by month

  • Peak
  • Good
  • Fair
  • Rare
How good the fishing usually is for each species in each month
SpeciesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Gag grouperRocky bottom, reefs and drop-offs in water over 60 feet (FWC), such as Treasure Island II and other offshore ledges and wrecks.January: PeakFebruary: PeakMarch: GoodApril: GoodMay: GoodJune: GoodJuly: FairAugust: GoodSeptember: PeakOctober: PeakNovember: PeakDecember: Peak
Red grouperHard and muddy bottom offshore; FWC says the adults over about 6 years old live offshore.January: PeakFebruary: PeakMarch: GoodApril: GoodMay: GoodJune: GoodJuly: GoodAugust: GoodSeptember: PeakOctober: PeakNovember: PeakDecember: Peak
ScampNearshore and offshore reefs, ledges and rocky bottom (FWC).January: GoodFebruary: GoodMarch: GoodApril: GoodMay: GoodJune: GoodJuly: GoodAugust: GoodSeptember: GoodOctober: GoodNovember: GoodDecember: Good
Red snapperOffshore structure; UF/IFAS says most keepers are in 100 feet or more, as at Treasure Island II and past the 20-fathom curve.January: GoodFebruary: GoodMarch: GoodApril: GoodMay: GoodJune: PeakJuly: PeakAugust: PeakSeptember: PeakOctober: PeakNovember: GoodDecember: Good
Vermilion snapperOffshore over structure (FWC).January: GoodFebruary: GoodMarch: GoodApril: GoodMay: GoodJune: GoodJuly: GoodAugust: GoodSeptember: GoodOctober: GoodNovember: GoodDecember: Good
Mangrove (gray) snapperOffshore wrecks and reefs.January: FairFebruary: FairMarch: FairApril: GoodMay: GoodJune: PeakJuly: PeakAugust: PeakSeptember: GoodOctober: GoodNovember: FairDecember: Fair
Greater amberjackRocky reefs, debris and wrecks, typically in 60 to 240 feet (FWC), such as Treasure Island II.January: GoodFebruary: GoodMarch: GoodApril: GoodMay: GoodJune: GoodJuly: GoodAugust: GoodSeptember: GoodOctober: GoodNovember: GoodDecember: Good
King mackerel (kingfish)Coastal to offshore water (FWC).January: GoodFebruary: GoodMarch: GoodApril: PeakMay: GoodJune: FairJuly: FairAugust: FairSeptember: GoodOctober: PeakNovember: PeakDecember: Good
HogfishOffshore; FWC's Pinellas and Hillsborough listing puts them with the offshore fish.January: GoodFebruary: GoodMarch: GoodApril: GoodMay: FairJune: FairJuly: FairAugust: FairSeptember: FairOctober: FairNovember: FairDecember: Good
CobiaAround buoys, pilings and wrecks (FWC); mainly a nearshore and inshore fish.January: FairFebruary: FairMarch: GoodApril: GoodMay: GoodJune: FairJuly: FairAugust: FairSeptember: FairOctober: FairNovember: FairDecember: Fair
Blackfin tunaOpen water, usually seaward of the shelf (Florida Museum), so more likely the farther out you run.January: GoodFebruary: GoodMarch: GoodApril: GoodMay: FairJune: FairJuly: FairAugust: FairSeptember: FairOctober: GoodNovember: GoodDecember: Good
Dolphinfish (mahi)Warm offshore water along weedlines; young mahi live in floating sargassum (FWC).January: RareFebruary: RareMarch: RareApril: FairMay: GoodJune: GoodJuly: GoodAugust: FairSeptember: FairOctober: RareNovember: RareDecember: Rare
WahooOffshore water, usually not in schools (FWC).January: FairFebruary: FairMarch: FairApril: FairMay: FairJune: FairJuly: FairAugust: FairSeptember: FairOctober: FairNovember: FairDecember: Fair
Golden tilefishMud and sand slopes from 250 to 1,500 feet (FWC), which off Tampa Bay start about 80 nautical miles due west of Egmont Key Light.January: FairFebruary: FairMarch: FairApril: FairMay: FairJune: FairJuly: FairAugust: FairSeptember: FairOctober: FairNovember: FairDecember: Fair
Gray triggerfishHard bottom, reefs, ledges and artificial reefs in about 80 to 300 feet (NOAA).January: GoodFebruary: GoodMarch: GoodApril: GoodMay: GoodJune: GoodJuly: GoodAugust: GoodSeptember: GoodOctober: GoodNovember: GoodDecember: Good
Gag grouper
FWC lists offshore grouper here as best in winter and again from late summer into early fall. They spawn from January to May, and Steamboat Lumps and The Edges were closed to protect spawning gag and other grouper. The season to keep them is short and set each year; this row shows when they bite, not when you can keep one.
Red grouper
UF/IFAS says they're common from about 10 to 300 feet, sit deeper when the water's warm and move shallower as it cools. They spawn in April and May (FWC).
Scamp
They spawn in late spring (FWC). A federal rule sets a fixed recreational closed season, starting Jan. 1, 2027, for the "other shallow-water grouper" group: scamp, yellowmouth, black and yellowfin grouper (not gag or red grouper). There's no local timing data, so the months are a flat placeholder.
Red snapper
Found from about 30 to 620 feet, most often 30 to 200 (UF/IFAS), and they spawn from June to October (FWC). Florida sets the private-angler season for state and federal water, and NOAA sets it for federally permitted charter boats.
Vermilion snapper
They spawn from April to September and grow slowly (FWC). There's no local seasonal data, so the months are a flat placeholder.
Mangrove (gray) snapper
FWC says those caught offshore commonly run 8 to 10 pounds, and they spawn from June to August. FWC's Pinellas and Hillsborough listing, which covers the inshore and coastal fishing, gives the best bite as late spring to early fall.
Greater amberjack
FWC says they're thought to spawn offshore through most of the year. The recreational season is short and set each year; this row shows when they bite, not when you can keep one.
King mackerel (kingfish)
FWC lists kingfish as a fall and winter offshore fish for Pinellas and Hillsborough, and the schools move north from South Florida in spring.
Hogfish
FWC lists hogfish as a winter and spring offshore target here. They're on the State Reef Fish Survey list.
Cobia
FWC lists cobia as a spring-to-fall inshore and coastal fish in Pinellas and Hillsborough waters, so offshore they're a bonus around wrecks.
Blackfin tuna
The Florida Museum says blackfin are most common off Florida in fall, winter and spring; FWC's Panhandle listings put them from late summer to early winter. There's no Tampa-specific data. Blackfin need no federal HMS permit.
Dolphinfish (mahi)
FWC's Panhandle listings put mahi in summer, or late spring to mid-fall. Off Tampa they're an occasional catch, usually well offshore, and there's no Tampa-specific data.
Wahoo
Caught by trolling baits and lures on flat lines (FWC). FWC's only Gulf-coast timing is for the far western Panhandle (summer and fall), and there's no Tampa data, so the months are a flat placeholder.
Golden tilefish
Getting to them depends on the run and the weather more than the season. FWC says spawning peaks from April to June in the Gulf.
Gray triggerfish
They spawn from April to August (NOAA), and the Tampa Bay Times lists triggerfish among the Pipe's catches. The months are a flat placeholder.

Typical seasons from long-term patterns, not a fishing report. Weather, water temperature and bait move fish from year to year. Biting isn't the same as open to keep: some fish have closed seasons. Can you keep it today?

Can you keep it today?Draft

Federal waters, past 9 nautical miles. Rules as of October 11, 2026.

Checking today's rules…

Rules change, sometimes at short notice, and some fish need a permit or FWC's State Reef Fish Angler designation. Check before you keep a fish: Saltwater fishing rules (FWC) and Federal waters rules and closures (NOAA Fisheries).

Where to launch and fish from shore

Ramps, launches, piers and beaches

  • Fort De Soto Park boat rampPublic boat ramp

    Pinellas County; fee; open 24 hours; 22 lanes in FWC's inventory, on the Bunces Pass side of Mullet Key. The county describes an 800-foot launch with eleven floating docks, but FWC's inventory says all ramps are open with only one boarding dock available, so call the county for the latest. It's the closest big ramp to Bunces Pass, Shell Key, the Pass-a-Grille channels and the bay mouth, about 3.6 nautical miles from Egmont Key Light, and the ferries to Shell Key and Egmont Key leave from here. To reach the Gulf: Bunces Pass is unmarked with less than a foot reported over its bar in 2001, North Channel at Pass-a-Grille had 3 feet in 2022, or go around by Egmont Channel (Coast Pilot).

  • Maximo Park boat rampPublic boat ramp

    City of St. Petersburg; 6 lanes; no fee; daytime use only, so check before planning a dark launch. On lower Boca Ciega Bay near the Skyway, with a longer run to the Gulf by Pass-a-Grille Channel or the bay mouth. FWC also lists a paddle launch here.

  • Madeira Beach Municipal Marina rampMarina boat ramp

    City of Madeira Beach; 5 lanes; fee; 7 a.m. to sunset, which rules out a launch before dawn; only 6 trailer spaces. The closest launch to John's Pass.

  • Pinellas War Veterans Memorial Park boat rampPublic boat ramp

    Pinellas County; 6 lanes; fee; open 24 hours; on northern Boca Ciega Bay. FWC says the ramp is open but has no boarding docks at this time. Boats reach the Gulf through John's Pass.

  • E.G. Simmons Park boat rampPublic boat ramp

    Hillsborough County; 4 lanes; fee; shoreline fishing; a kayak launch nearby. FDEP says boats often launch here for Cockroach Bay. For an offshore trip it's about 17.5 nautical miles in a straight line to the bay entrance, and farther by channel, each way.

  • Tierra Verde marinas (fuel)Marina fuel

    The Coast Pilot says the marinas at the north end of Tierra Verde have berths, gasoline, diesel, pump-out and marine supplies: the nearest listed fuel to the bay mouth for topping off before a long run.

Hours, fees and lanes change: check with whoever runs it before you go.

Safety and navigation

Runs and fuel. From Egmont Key Light it's about 29 nautical miles to Treasure Island II and about 37 due west to the 20-fathom curve. The nearest corner of the Middle Grounds protected area is about 75 at roughly 298° true, the area NOAA's chart names "Florida Middle Ground" is about 89 to 109 out, and buoy 42036 is about 107. Steamboat Lumps is about 102 to 108, and the 100-fathom edge due west about 100. A Middle Grounds trip is a 150- to 220-nautical-mile round trip before you wet a line. Plan fuel by the one-third rule the Anna Maria Island Power Squadron teaches: a third out, a third back and a third in reserve, remembering that fuel burn changes with load and sea conditions. The Coast Pilot lists fuel at the marinas at the north end of Tierra Verde, close to the bay mouth.

Leaving the bay. Egmont Channel is the deep, marked way out. Shoal lumps with 11 to 18 feet over them reach 5 miles seaward of Egmont Key, Southwest Channel had about 14 feet and shoals, and the breakers and shoals around Passage Key are to be avoided because of unexploded ordnance reported in 2020. Bunces Pass is unmarked, with less than a foot reported over the bar in 2001, North Channel at Pass-a-Grille had 3 feet in 2022, and John's Pass shoals between Daybeacon 1 and Buoy 3. Ships use Egmont Channel and the Tampa safety fairway, a lane 2 nautical miles wide running due west about 100 nautical miles to 84°39' W, with ship anchorages just north of it near Tampa Bay Lighted Buoy T. That sea buoy, with the racon "T", 13.5 miles west of Egmont Key, makes a departure waypoint rather than a place to fish: from it, it's about 16 nautical miles to Treasure Island II, 63 to the south tip of the Middle Grounds protected area and 87 to the 100-fathom curve. Inbound ships report to Tampa Traffic 15 minutes before reaching it, so keep well clear. Don't stop to fish in the lane: cross it promptly. Boats under 20 meters must not get in the way of ships confined to a channel or fairway, and Tampa Traffic monitors VHF 16, 13 and 12.

Forecasts and buoys. Read the NWS Tampa Bay forecasts for zones GMZ853 (out to 20 nautical miles) and GMZ873 (20 to 60). Past 60 nautical miles, including the Middle Grounds, use the National Hurricane Center's Offshore Waters Forecast for zone GMZ057. Check the buoys before you commit: 42098 at the Egmont Channel entrance, 42013 on the 25-meter line, 42022 on the 50-meter line, 42099 offshore and 42036 beside the Middle Grounds. Never tie up to a data buoy or a navigation aid; NOAA treats tying up to a buoy as vandalism.

Radio and emergencies. File a float plan with someone ashore. Connect your DSC VHF radio to your GPS, which the Coast Guard urges "in the strongest terms possible," and program it with your boat's MMSI. Carry a registered 406 MHz EPIRB or PLB, because long runs take you well past reliable VHF range from shore.

Hazards on the grounds. NOAA charts sections of the Gulfstream pipeline as exposed: never anchor on it or drag gear across it. North of 28°10' N and west of a line running up to 28°40' N, 84°49' W lies the Eglin Air Force Base missile-test danger zone, which covers the pipeline route west of about 84°34' W, the north strip of Steamboat Lumps and all of The Edges. It's used now and then in daylight, and patrol boats may order you out of the area during firing. Artificial reefs are popular dive sites, and FWC requires boats in open water to slow to idle speed within 300 feet of a divers-down flag. The endangered Rice's whale lives in the Gulf year-round, mostly along the shelf break; in 2009 a female was found dead in Tampa Bay, killed by a vessel strike. Slow to 10 knots or less where whales may be, stay at least 100 yards away and report sightings to (877) WHALE-HELP.

Rules to check

None of the limits or season dates are given here, because they change. Check these before every trip:

  • Federal water (FWC): everything past 9 nautical miles is managed by the Gulf Council and NOAA (Gulf Council), and state and federal rules can differ. NOAA announces in-season changes in its bulletins.
  • Reef fish gear (FWC, 50 CFR 622.30): in federal water you need non-stainless circle hooks with natural bait and a dehooking tool. The federal descending-device requirement expired in January 2026 and NOAA is still deciding whether to bring it back (NOAA), but FWC's gear page still lists one for federal waters, so carry one anyway.
  • State Reef Fish Angler designation (FWC): free, renewed every year, and required on private boats for red, vermilion, mutton and yellowtail snapper; gag, red and black grouper; greater and lesser amberjack; banded rudderfish; almaco jack; gray triggerfish; and hogfish, even if you're 65 or older.
  • Red snapper (FWC): Florida sets the private-angler season for state and federal water; federally permitted charter boats fish under NOAA's season.
  • Gag and other grouper (FWC) and amberjack (FWC): short seasons set each year.
  • Recent and coming federal changes: Amendment 62, effective Oct. 2, 2026, revised red grouper catch limits and removed the old federal shallow-water grouper closure seaward of the 20-fathom line (Federal Register); as of Oct. 10, 2026, FWC's grouper page still showed that closure. A fixed recreational closed season for the federal "other shallow-water grouper" group (scamp, yellowmouth, black and yellowfin grouper; not gag or red grouper) starts Jan. 1, 2027 (Federal Register). A proposed rule would change the deep-water grouper catch limits (Amendment 58B).
  • Florida Middle Grounds (50 CFR 622.74): no bottom longlines, bottom trawls, dredges, pots or traps year-round. Hook and line is allowed.
  • Steamboat Lumps and The Edges (50 CFR 622.34): Steamboat Lumps is closed year-round to all fishing except for Atlantic highly migratory species, which have their own rules, and a recreational boat may not have Gulf reef fish aboard there. The Edges is closed to all fishing and to having fish aboard during its annual closure, except while passing through with gear stowed.
  • Highly migratory species (FWC, NOAA HMS permits): a federal HMS Angling permit is needed in federal water for billfish, swordfish, sharks and bluefin, bigeye, albacore, yellowfin and skipjack tuna (and for those tunas in state water too), but not for blackfin tuna, Atlantic bonito or little tunny.
  • Charter and headboat operators (NOAA) need federal Gulf for-hire permits for reef fish and coastal pelagics in federal water.
  • Other species pages: kingfish (FWC), mahi (FWC), wahoo (FWC) and tilefish (FWC).
  • The Eglin danger zone (33 CFR 334.720) and the Tampa safety fairway (33 CFR 166.200).
  • Boating (FWC): divers-down distances and the ban on tying up to navigation aids.
  • Red tide (FWC status).
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.