- Depth
- 43 ft
- Access
- By boat
- Best months
- April to July, September to November
- Species
- Tarpon, King mackerel (kingfish), Cobia, Spanish mackerel, Gag grouper, Sheepshead
The dredged channel that brings deep-draft ships in from the Gulf through Egmont Channel, under the Skyway and up the bay to Port Tampa Bay. TBEP describes the largest channel as 43 feet deep and 40 miles long, in a bay that averages 11 feet. The channel edges, spoil banks and markers gather bait, and tarpon, mackerel and cobia work them in the warm months.
How to fish it
Fish the edges and the markers, never the channel itself, and keep a lookout behind you. Moving tides along the edges produce the most.
Watch out for: Ships are fast, quiet and can't stop or turn for you. The Coast Guard enforces a moving 500-yard security zone around cruise ships and ships carrying especially hazardous cargo, from Egmont Channel Lighted Buoys 9 and 10 to their berths, and a 200-yard zone around them when they're tied up. No loitering or anchoring under the Skyway's main span.
Rules here: Coast Guard security zones (33 CFR 165.703). Don't anchor in the channel or get in a ship's way. The rules to check in Tampa Bay inshore waters