- Depth
- 11-21 ft
- Access
- By boat
- Best months
- April to July, October to November
- Species
- Spanish mackerel, King mackerel (kingfish), Cobia, Tarpon, Sharks
The Coast Pilot says shoals reach 5 miles seaward of Egmont Key as a scatter of small lumps with 11 to 18 feet over them. Palatine Shoal is the named one, about 4.3 nautical miles west of Egmont Key Light and about 0.6 nautical miles south of the dredged Egmont Key Cut 1 channel, with charted soundings of about 16 to 21 feet. No agency reports fishing here; it's listed because shoals like this hold bait, and the mackerel, kingfish, cobia and tarpon that follow it.
How to fish it
Look for bait and birds, then drift live baits or cast spoons. Never stop or anchor in the ship channel.
Watch out for: The shoal is inside the charted Tampa safety fairway that ships use to approach Egmont Channel, about 0.6 nautical miles from the dredged channel. Ships of 50 meters or more broadcast on VHF 13, and the Coast Pilot says large ships move through Tampa Bay at more than 12 knots. The charted gas pipeline lies about 1 nautical mile south, and the ebb runs 2 knots or more in Egmont Channel.
Rules here: State water. Tampa Bay's regulated navigation area takes in Egmont Channel, and boats under 20 meters must not get in the way of a ship that can only navigate in a narrow channel or fairway. The rules to check in Tampa Bay nearshore waters