InshoreUpdated October 11, 2026

Depth: 19-24 ft
Access: By boat
Best months: June to August, October to March
Species: Sheepshead, Mangrove (gray) snapper, Gag grouper, Red grouper, Black sea bass, Spotted seatrout

One of Hillsborough County's in-bay reefs, about 2.5 nautical miles west-northwest of Bahia Beach near Ruskin, on the east side of the middle bay. FWC records 20 deployments from 1989 to 2006 in 19 to 24 feet, mostly concrete bridge decking, railings and rubble from the old Treasure Island Causeway bridge (2005-2006) and the old St. Petersburg Municipal Pier (2001-2002), with about 6 to 8 feet of relief. Hillsborough's other in-bay reefs include Port Manatee Reef (17 to 21 feet), Egmont Key Reef (18 feet) and the Picnic Island and Port Tampa reefs.

How to fish it

A small-boat reef for a calm day out of E.G. Simmons. Anchor up-current and fish the rubble: sheepshead in late winter, mangrove snapper in summer. TBEP notes the bay's hard bottom also holds red grouper.

Watch out for: Open to the wind across the middle bay, and snaggy.

Rules here: State water: FWC's reef fish gear rules apply, and you need the State Reef Fish Angler designation to fish for or keep listed reef fish from a private boat. The rules to check in Tampa Bay inshore waters

Wind and waves

Now and the next 48 hours at Bahia Beach Reef

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On the map

Bahia Beach Reef and the places around it

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Position

N27° 44.939' W082° 30.950'27.748990, -82.515830

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.