Waterlands

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Gray snapperRetention open

Bar · Florida

Parsonage Shoal

24.48°N · 81.92°W · Bar · Bayside and Gulfside from Craig Key to West End of Seven Mile Bridge

LOADING MAP

Best score today · 11 AM · Gray snapper

72/100Great
Now
6311 AM EDT
Best window
11 AM-2 PMEbb tide
Tide now
Ebbing1.3 ft ▼

Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 11 AM · now

Time11ANOW
Score63Good
Tide1.3 ft ▼Ebbing
CurrentEbb0.6 kn · toward SSW
Wind3 kn WSWgusts 8 · steady
Sea stateLight chop1.1 ft · 4 s
Air temp80°Warm
WeatherOvercast41% chance of rain
Water87°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Monroe County state waters (Florida Keys)

IN EFFECT NOW

Gray snapper

Retention open
Daily limit
5 per day (10 snapper combined)
Possession
Not published
Size
Minimum 10 in, total length
Season
No closed season on file
Annual quota
Not published
Other
Open year-round in Gulf and Atlantic state waters. Special rules apply in Biscayne National Park. Counts toward the 10-snapper aggregate per person per day. Reef fish gear rules apply. Land with head and fins intact. Federal waters have a 12-inch minimum and a 10-fish bag.

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 triggerfish Retention open (10 per day)
  • Greater amberjack Retention open (1 per day)
  • King mackerel Retention open (3 per day)
  • Mahi-mahi Retention open (5 per day)
  • Permit Retention open (1 per day)
  • Red drum Retention open (1 per day)
  • Red grouper Retention open (3 per day (3 Atlantic grouper and tilefish combined))
  • Red snapper Check regulations
  • Sailfish Retention open (1 per day (1 billfish combined))
  • Sheepshead Retention open (8 per day)
  • Snook Catch & release (No retention)
  • Southern flounder Retention open (5 per day)
  • Spanish mackerel Retention open (15 per day)
  • Spot Retention open
  • Spotted seatrout Retention open (3 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 Gray snapper is best here

Shoulder season for Gray snapper · 31 more weeks at shoulder

Gray snapper season by week of the year. Shoulder season for Gray snapper · 31 more weeks at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

Gray snapper in Florida

Spot profile

Parsonage Shoal

Depth
35-40 ft
Structure
Shoal · Outer · Exposed
Season
Shoulder seasonGray snapper

NOAA NCEI DEM, sampled Sep 13 on a 464 m grid. Depths are feet below mean sea level, not chart datum (MLLW), so they can differ from a chart by a few feet. Not for navigation.

About this spot

Fishing Parsonage Shoal

Parsonage Shoal is a bar in Bayside and Gulfside from Craig Key to West End of Seven Mile Bridge, Florida. Depth is 35-40 ft. Its profile reads shoal, outer water and exposed.

Waterlands scores 18 species here; the best right now are crevalle jack, Atlantic tarpon and common snook. It is peak season now for crevalle jack and common snook, and shoulder season for Atlantic tarpon, gray snapper, permit and red drum. Crevalle jack peak from April through May and from September through November. Atlantic tarpon peak from March through June. Common snook peak from April through May and from September through November.

Tackle & technique

Gray snapper
Mangrove snapper hold tight to mangrove roots, bridge pilings, jetties and reef ledges, from a few feet deep inshore to 150 feet offshore. Chum to pull them out of cover, then freeline or lightly weight a live shrimp or pilchard on fluorocarbon leader, since they shy away from heavy line in clear water. The bite improves at dusk and after dark.
Crevalle jack
Jacks roam in schools through inlets, passes, bays, river mouths and along beaches, pushing bait to the surface, and big fish also hold on nearshore reefs and wrecks. Watch for birds and surface blowups, then cast a popper, a spoon or a bucktail into the school and retrieve fast. Bring heavy spinning tackle, because a jack over 15 pounds runs hard and fights for a long time.
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

  • West Channel

    Channel · 2.0 mi

    78
    Top: Crevalle jackPeak season
    • Crevalle jack 78
    • Atlantic tarpon 77
    • Common snook 76

    3 kt WSWL 2:18 PM · 0.5 ftH 8:32 PM · 1.6 ft

  • West Channel

    Channel · 1.8 mi

    77
    Top: Crevalle jackPeak season
    • Crevalle jack 77
    • Atlantic tarpon 77
    • Common snook 74

    3 kt WSWL 2:18 PM · 0.5 ftH 8:32 PM · 1.6 ft

  • Sand Key Channel

    Channel · 2.5 mi

    74
    Top: Crevalle jackPeak season
    • Crevalle jack 74
    • Atlantic tarpon 74
    • Common snook 72

    3 kt WSWL 2:18 PM · 0.5 ftH 8:32 PM · 1.6 ft

  • Middle Ground

    Bar · 1.6 mi

    72
    Top: Crevalle jackPeak season
    • Crevalle jack 72
    • Common snook 71
    • Atlantic tarpon 69

    3 kt WSWL 2:18 PM · 0.5 ftH 8:32 PM · 1.6 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.