Port Tampa and Picnic Island reefs

In-bay artificial reefs and shoreline park in Tampa Bay inshore waters

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InshoreUpdated October 11, 2026

Depth
19-26 ft
Access
By boat or from shore
Best months
January to April, June to September
Species
Sheepshead, Mangrove (gray) snapper, Black drum, Redfish (red drum), Spotted seatrout, Snook

A cluster of FWC-listed reefs off Port Tampa at the mouth of Old Tampa Bay: Port Tampa Reef (about 21 to 24 feet), Chief Reef (about 24 feet) and the Chamberlain High School reef (about 19 feet), with Picnic Island Reef in about 26 feet to the south and a module reef at the Picnic Island pier. The City of Tampa's Picnic Island Park has a two-lane ramp with the fishing pier beside it, plus FWC-listed paddle launches at the bayside beach and the mangrove tunnel. NOAA has a tide station at Old Port Tampa and a current meter at the Old Tampa Bay entrance.

How to fish it

Anchor up-current of the rubble and fish small hooks on the bottom with shrimp, sand fleas or fiddler crabs for sheepshead in late winter and early spring, and for snapper on the structure in summer. Find the structure on the sounder first; FWC's positions are a starting point.

Watch out for: The Coast Guard's Old Port Tampa security zone closes off the Old Port Tampa Channel just north of Picnic Island, and the MacDill Air Force Base security zone covers a large area to the southeast; you may not enter either without permission. Watch for ship traffic in the Port Tampa approach.
Rules here: Reef positions are FWC's. Check with the City of Tampa that the pier is open. The rules to check in Tampa Bay inshore waters

Wind and waves

Now and the next 48 hours, at one of the marked positions of Port Tampa and Picnic Island reefs (N27° 51.628' W082° 33.790')

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On the map

Port Tampa and Picnic Island reefs and the places around it

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Positions

  • N27° 51.710' W082° 33.800'27.861830, -82.563330
  • N27° 51.700' W082° 33.800'27.861660, -82.563330
  • N27° 51.628' W082° 33.790'27.860460, -82.563160
  • N27° 51.730' W082° 33.790'27.862160, -82.563160
  • N27° 51.631' W082° 33.790'27.860520, -82.563160
  • N27° 51.650' W082° 33.800'27.860830, -82.563330
  • N27° 49.967' W082° 33.606'27.832780, -82.560100
  • N27° 51.389' W082° 33.200'27.856490, -82.553330

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.