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Red snapperClosedCape · Florida
Whetstone Point
30.00°N · 84.36°W · Cape · Apalachee Bay or Coastal Waters From Keaton Beach to Ochlockonee River Fl out to 20 Nm
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Florida pompano75
- Spanish mackerel71
- Red drum68
- King mackerel67
- Spotted seatrout59
- Gray triggerfish58
- Red grouper58
- Sheepshead58
- Black drum56
- Gray snapper55
- Wahoo51
- Atlantic croaker35
- Atlantic tarpon35
- Cobia35
- Crevalle jack35
- Mahi-mahi35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Permit34
- Sailfish31
- Gag grouper20
- Greater amberjack20
- Red snapper20
- Southern flounder20
Best score today · 7 AM · Red snapper
- Now
- 2010 AM EST
- Best window
- 6-9 PMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing2.2 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Whetstone Point 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
Sunday, Nov 8 · 9 AM
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
94Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.4 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
98Wind: 4 kt NNWPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
Open-Meteo Marine
85Water temp: 74°F, primeLight: MorningSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 0.4 ftSeason & habitat · Red snapper
Species seasonality
43Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: Out of range
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Gulf state waters (Escambia through Collier counties)
Red snapper(private recreational)
Closed- Daily limit
- No retention
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Not published
- Season
- Aug 1, 2026 to Jan 4, 2027
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Changes
- Retention open from Nov 7
- Other
- Closed between the 2026 open days. The fall season is daily September 1 through October 4, then weekends and holidays only through January 4, 2027. The 2027 season has not been announced.
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 Closed (No retention)
- Gray snapper Retention open (5 per day (10 snapper combined))
- Gray triggerfish Retention open (1 per day)
- Greater amberjack Closed (No retention)
- 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 Closed (No retention)
- Spanish mackerel Retention open (15 per day)
- Spot Retention open
- Spotted seatrout Retention open (5 per day)
- Summer flounder Closed (No retention)
- 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 · 25 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Whetstone Point
- Depth
- 1-4 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Point · Outer · Semi-exposedPoint · 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 Whetstone Point
Whetstone Point is a cape in Apalachee Bay or Coastal Waters From Keaton Beach to Ochlockonee River Fl out to 20 Nm, Florida. Depth is 1-4 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads point, outer water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 23 species here; the best right now are Florida pompano, Spanish mackerel and red drum. It is peak season now for Florida pompano, Spanish mackerel, red drum and spotted seatrout, and shoulder season for king mackerel, gray triggerfish, red grouper and sheepshead. Florida pompano peak from March through May and from October through November. Spanish mackerel peak from April through May and from October through November. Red drum peak from September through November.
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.
- Florida pompano
- Pompano feed on sand fleas and coquina clams in the trough between the beach and the first sandbar, and around the sandy edges of passes, inlets and bridges. Surf anglers fish a two-hook pompano rig with sand fleas, clams or shrimp, while boat and bridge anglers bounce small jigs along the bottom. The runs follow water temperature, heading north in spring and south in fall as the water cools.
- Spanish mackerel
- Spanish mackerel school along beaches and around inlets, jetties, piers and bridge-tunnel structures, and along tide rips in 5 to 40 feet of water once the water climbs above about 68 degrees F. Troll small spoons or cast metal jigs and retrieve fast, or look for birds diving on bait and cast into the school. FWC calls for a 30 to 60 pound monofilament leader because their teeth cut light line.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Dickson Bay75
Bay · 0.7 mi
Top: Florida pompanoPeak season- Florida pompano 75
- Red drum 72
- Spanish mackerel 71
9 kt ENEL 3:36 PM · 0.6 ftH 10:35 PM · 2.3 ft
- Levy Bay75
Bay · 1.1 mi
Top: Florida pompanoPeak season- Florida pompano 75
- Red drum 72
- Spanish mackerel 71
9 kt ENEL 3:36 PM · 0.6 ftH 10:35 PM · 2.3 ft
- Oyster Cove74
Bay · 0.9 mi
Top: Florida pompanoPeak season- Florida pompano 74
- Red drum 73
- Spanish mackerel 72
9 kt ENEL 3:27 PM · 0.5 ftH 10:07 PM · 3.0 ft
- Ullmore Cove73
Bay · 1.2 mi
Top: Florida pompanoPeak season- Florida pompano 73
- Red drum 73
- Spanish mackerel 72
9 kt ENEL 3:06 PM · 0.5 ftH 10:04 PM · 2.6 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.