Waterlands

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Red snapperRetention open

Channel · Florida

East Pass

29.77°N · 84.69°W · Channel · Coastal Waters From Ochlockonee River to Apalachicola FL out to 20 Nm

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Best score today · 11 PM · Red snapper

75/100Great
Now
474 AM EDT
Best window
10 PM-12 AMFlood tide
Tide now
Ebbing2.0 ft ▼

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

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14-day forecast

Best days to fish

Best: Sun · 80

24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 4 AM · now

Time4ANOW
Score47Good
Tide2.0 ft ▼Ebbing
Current0.2 knmodeled · toward SSW
Wind4 kn NNEgusts 7 · steady
Sea stateLight chop0.6 ft · 3 s
Air temp76°Warm
WeatherPartly cloudy32% cloud
Water87°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Gulf state waters (Escambia through Collier counties)

IN EFFECT NOW

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 (3 per day)
  • Summer flounder Retention open (5 per day)
  • Tarpon Catch & release (No retention)
  • Wahoo Retention open (2 per day)
Always check with FWC ↗Fishing license ↗

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

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

Red snapper in Florida →

Spot profile

East Pass

Depth
10-20 ftSlope
Structure
Pass · Outer · ExposedPass · slope
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 East Pass

East Pass is a channel in Coastal Waters From Ochlockonee River to Apalachicola FL out to 20 Nm, Florida. Depth is 10-20 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads pass, outer water and exposed.

Waterlands scores 23 species here; the best right now are Atlantic croaker, Atlantic tarpon and red drum. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, red drum and gray snapper, and shoulder season for Atlantic tarpon, Florida pompano, black drum and southern flounder. Atlantic croaker peak from July through September. Atlantic tarpon peak from May through July. 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.
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

View all on map →
  • Pilot Harbor

    Bay · 2.9 mi

    71
    Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season
    • Atlantic croaker 71
    • Red drum 64
    • Gray snapper 61

    4 kt NNEL 8:15 AM · 1.5 ftH 1:28 PM · 2.3 ft

  • Saint George Sound

    Bay · 3.1 mi

    70
    Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season
    • Atlantic croaker 70
    • Red drum 61
    • Atlantic tarpon 59

    4 kt NNEL 8:15 AM · 1.5 ftH 1:28 PM · 2.3 ft

  • Marsh Point

    Cape · 6.6 mi

    69
    Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season
    • Atlantic croaker 69
    • Red drum 62
    • Atlantic tarpon 60

    4 kt NNEL 7:47 AM · 1.6 ftH 12:59 PM · 2.4 ft

  • Dickerman Cut

    Bay · 4.7 mi

    67
    Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season
    • Atlantic croaker 67
    • Red drum 65
    • Atlantic tarpon 63

    4 kt NNEL 6:29 AM · 2.1 ftH 12:31 PM · 3.0 ft

Open in the tide map

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.