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Red snapperRetention openBay · Florida
Big Pass
30.09°N · 84.21°W · Bay · Apalachee Bay or Coastal Waters From Keaton Beach to Ochlockonee River Fl out to 20 Nm
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Atlantic croaker68
- Atlantic tarpon66
- Gray snapper66
- Red drum64
- Southern flounder59
- Black drum58
- Spanish mackerel57
- Crevalle jack56
- Permit56
- Florida pompano53
- Spotted seatrout50
- Gag grouper49
- Red snapper49
- King mackerel47
- Yellowfin tuna47
- Cobia46
- Gray triggerfish46
- Red grouper46
- Greater amberjack41
- Sailfish37
- Mahi-mahi36
- Wahoo36
- Sheepshead35
Best score today · 6 PM · Red snapper
- Now
- 493 AM EDT
- Best window
- 3-7 PMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing2.9 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Big Pass scores 75+
Checked every morning against the 14-day forecast. Free by push and email.
14-day forecast
Best days to fish
24-hour conditions · rolling from now
Conditions · 3 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
70Tide: EbbingCurrent: SlackWind & pressure
ECMWF
100Wind: 4 kt NEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
Open-Meteo Marine
58Water temp: 86°F, hotLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 0.3 ftSeason & habitat · Red snapper
Species seasonality
43Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Gulf state waters (Escambia through Collier counties)
Red snapper(private recreational)
Retention open- Daily limit
- 2 per day (10 snapper combined)
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Minimum 16 in, total length
- Season
- Sep 1 to Oct 4, 2026
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Changes
- Closed from Oct 5
- Other
- Applies to private recreational vessels in Florida Gulf state and federal waters, and to for-hire vessels without a federal permit in Gulf state waters only. Charter captain and crew bag limit is zero. Private-vessel anglers need the State Reef Fish Angler designation. Counts toward the 10-snapper aggregate per person per day. Reef fish gear rules apply. Land with head and fins intact. FWC sets this 2026 Gulf private recreational season for both Gulf state waters and Gulf federal waters off Florida.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: Snappers, read Sep 13
Other species here
- Atlantic croaker Retention open
- Black drum Retention open (5 per day)
- Bluefish Retention open (10 per day)
- Bonefish Catch & release (No retention)
- Cobia Retention open (1 per day)
- Crevalle jack Retention open
- Florida pompano Retention open (6 per day)
- Gag grouper Retention open (2 per day (4 Gulf grouper combined))
- Gray snapper Retention open (5 per day (10 snapper combined))
- Gray triggerfish Retention open (1 per day)
- Greater amberjack Retention open (1 per day)
- King mackerel Retention open (3 per day)
- Mahi-mahi Retention open (10 per day)
- Permit Retention open (2 per day)
- Red drum Retention open (1 per day)
- Red grouper Retention open (2 per day (4 Gulf grouper combined))
- Sailfish Retention open (1 per day (1 billfish combined))
- Sheepshead Retention open (8 per day)
- Snook Retention open (1 per day)
- Southern flounder Retention open (5 per day)
- Spanish mackerel Retention open (15 per day)
- Spot Retention open
- Spotted seatrout Retention open (5 per day)
- Summer flounder Retention open (5 per day)
- Tarpon Catch & release (No retention)
- Wahoo Retention open (2 per day)
Source: FWC · synced yesterday
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Red snapper is best here
Shoulder season for Red snapper · 31 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Big Pass
- Depth
- 1-2 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Pass · Outer · Semi-exposedPass · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonRed snapper
NOAA NCEI DEM, sampled Sep 13 on a 3.4 m grid. Depths are feet below NAVD 88, not chart datum (MLLW), so they can differ from a chart by a few feet. Not for navigation.
About this spot
Fishing Big Pass
Big Pass is a bay in Apalachee Bay or Coastal Waters From Keaton Beach to Ochlockonee River Fl out to 20 Nm, Florida. Depth is 1-2 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads pass, outer water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 23 species here; the best right now are Atlantic croaker, Atlantic tarpon and gray snapper. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, gray snapper and red drum, and shoulder season for Atlantic tarpon, southern flounder, black drum and Spanish mackerel. Atlantic croaker peak from July through September. Atlantic tarpon peak from May through July. Gray snapper peak from June through September.
Tackle & technique
- Red snapper
- Red snapper school over rigs, wrecks, artificial reefs and natural ledges, mostly in 60 to 250 feet. Anchor or drift over the structure, chum, and drop cut or live cigar minnows, sardines or squid on circle hooks, using as little weight as the current allows. Federal rules require circle hooks with natural bait in the Gulf and a descending device or venting tool on board.
- Atlantic croaker
- Croaker feed on mud and sand bottom along channel edges, oyster bars, piers and deeper holes in bays and sounds, mostly in 5 to 30 feet of water. A two-hook bottom rig with small hooks and shrimp, bloodworm or squid catches them from piers, the surf and small boats. Fish the hours around high tide and into the evening.
- Atlantic tarpon
- Tarpon roll along beaches, in passes and channels, and under bridges from late spring through fall, and in South Florida some fish stay through winter in warm canals and backcountry rivers. Live crabs, mullet or pinfish drifted through a pass on the outgoing tide, or a fly or soft plastic cast ahead of a rolling string of fish, are the main approaches. Use a long heavy leader, bow to the jumps, and keep big fish in the water for release.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Sprague Point68
Cape · 0.2 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 68
- Atlantic croaker 64
- Atlantic tarpon 63
4 kt NEL 6:48 AM · 1.6 ftH 12:56 PM · 3.6 ft
- Little Pass68
Channel · 0.6 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 68
- Red drum 68
- Gray snapper 66
4 kt NEL 6:48 AM · 1.6 ftH 12:56 PM · 3.6 ft
- Register Bayou66
Bay · 0.5 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 66
- Atlantic croaker 64
- Atlantic tarpon 63
4 kt NEL 6:48 AM · 1.6 ftH 12:56 PM · 3.6 ft
- Indian Point64
Cape · 0.9 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 64
- Red drum 64
- Atlantic tarpon 63
4 kt NEL 6:48 AM · 1.6 ftH 12:56 PM · 3.6 ft
Scores and forecasts are for planning only and can be wrong. Conditions on the water change fast; check the marine forecast before you go. Regulations change during the season, so confirm limits and closures with FWC before you keep a fish.