- Depth
- 4 ft
- Access
- By boat or from shore
- Best months
- March to November
- Species
- Snook, Tarpon, Spanish mackerel, Sheepshead, Redfish (red drum), Flounder
The Gulf mouth of John's Pass, a marked small-craft pass between Treasure Island and Sand Key into northern Boca Ciega Bay. FWC research names John's Pass as a snook spawning site. The flood sets northeast at about 2 knots and the ebb southwest at about 1.5 (Coast Pilot). John's Pass Park, a City of Madeira Beach park on the north side, gives shore access near the mouth. The piers by the bridge and the bay side belong to the inshore guide.
How to fish it
Fish the moving tide at the mouth for snook in the spawning season (FWC). It's also the way out for boats running to the Treasure Island, Madeira Beach and Pinellas South reefs.
Watch out for: The Coast Pilot says the channel shoals heavily between Daybeacon 1 and Buoy 3 and calls for extreme caution and local knowledge; NOAA's chart notes 4 feet reported off the entrance in February 2024. The bascule bridge has 28 feet of clearance when closed, and the bridge tender works VHF 9.
Rules here: FWC's Tampa Bay rules for snook and redfish apply. The rules to check in Tampa Bay nearshore waters