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Red grouperRetention openBay · Florida
Shell Point Cove
29.68°N · 84.80°W · Bay · Coastal Waters From Ochlockonee River to Apalachicola FL out to 20 Nm
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Florida pompano73
- Spanish mackerel66
- King mackerel64
- Red drum61
- Gray triggerfish54
- Red grouper54
- Red snapper54
- Sheepshead52
- Black drum50
- Wahoo50
- Gray snapper49
- Atlantic croaker35
- Atlantic tarpon35
- Cobia35
- Crevalle jack35
- Mahi-mahi35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Sailfish32
- Spotted seatrout30
- Permit29
- Gag grouper20
- Greater amberjack20
- Southern flounder20
Best score today · 7 AM · Red grouper
- Now
- 544 PM EST
- Best window
- 5-8 PMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding0.2 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Shell Point Cove 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
Monday, Nov 2 · 7 AM
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
37Tide: High slackCurrent: 0.8 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
91Wind: 11 kt NEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
85Water temp: 72°F, primeLight: DawnSolunar: Major periodSeas: 3.2 ftSeason & habitat · Red grouper
Species seasonality
44Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: Out of range
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Gulf state waters (Escambia through Collier counties)
Red grouper
Retention open- Daily limit
- 2 per day (4 Gulf grouper combined)
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Minimum 20 in, total length
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- Private-vessel anglers need the State Reef Fish Angler designation. Charter captain and crew bag limit is zero in state waters. No more than 4 grouper combined per person per day. Reef fish gear rules apply. Land with head and fins intact. Open year-round in Gulf state waters. Federal waters close February 1 through March 31 seaward of 20 fathoms.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: Groupers, 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 snapper Retention open (2 per day (10 snapper 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 (3 per day)
- Summer flounder Closed (No retention)
- Tarpon Catch & release (No retention)
- Wahoo Retention open (2 per day)
Source: FWC · synced today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Red grouper is best here
Shoulder season for Red grouper · 21 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Shell Point Cove
- Depth
- 1-5 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Bay · Outer · Semi-exposedBay · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonRed grouper
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 Shell Point Cove
Shell Point Cove is a bay in Coastal Waters From Ochlockonee River to Apalachicola FL out to 20 Nm, Florida. Depth is 1-5 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads bay, outer water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 23 species here; the best right now are Florida pompano, Spanish mackerel and king mackerel. 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 red snapper. Florida pompano peak from March through May and from October through November. Spanish mackerel peak from April through May and from October through November. King mackerel peak in May and in October.
Tackle & technique
- Red grouper
- Red grouper live on low limestone ledges and potholed live bottom across the West Florida Shelf, mostly in 60 to 250 feet. Drift to find hard bottom, then anchor and fish live pinfish, grunts or squid on the bottom with stout conventional tackle. Reel hard right after the bite, because they dive into holes, and use a descending device on fish released from deep water.
- 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
- Shell Point73
Cape · 0.4 mi
Top: Florida pompanoPeak season- Florida pompano 73
- Spanish mackerel 66
- King mackerel 64
12 kt EH 10:42 PM · 2.0 ftL 1:51 AM · 1.6 ft
- Rattlesnake Cove73
Bay · 0.7 mi
Top: Florida pompanoPeak season- Florida pompano 73
- Spanish mackerel 66
- King mackerel 64
12 kt EH 10:42 PM · 2.0 ftL 1:51 AM · 1.6 ft
- East Cove73
Bay · 1.6 mi
Top: Florida pompanoPeak season- Florida pompano 73
- Spanish mackerel 66
- King mackerel 64
12 kt EH 10:42 PM · 2.0 ftL 1:51 AM · 1.6 ft
- East Pelican Reef73
Bar · 1.7 mi
Top: Florida pompanoPeak season- Florida pompano 73
- King mackerel 68
- Spanish mackerel 66
12 kt EH 10:42 PM · 2.0 ftL 1:51 AM · 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.