- Depth
- 110-130 ft
- Access
- By boat
- Best months
- September to May
- Species
- Gag grouper, Red grouper, Red snapper, Scamp, Greater amberjack
NOAA's general chart puts the 120-foot line about 37 nautical miles due west of Egmont Key Light; from there it bends north-northwest and loops around the shallower bottom of the Middle Grounds. It's a depth guide, not a ledge, but it's past the 100-foot mark where UF/IFAS says most keeper red snapper are found. The map shows the stretches inside the Tampa Bay offshore area.
How to fish it
Use it to plan the depth you want, then scout this band for hard bottom and relief with your sounder.
Watch out for: Past 20 nautical miles you're in forecast zone GMZ873, and past 60 in the National Hurricane Center's offshore zone GMZ057.
Rules here: Amendment 62, effective Oct. 2, 2026, removed the federal recreational shallow-water grouper closure seaward of the 20-fathom line; as of Oct. 10, 2026, FWC's grouper page still showed it. Check both before you go. The rules to check in Tampa Bay offshore waters