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Gray snapperRetention openBar · Florida
Waccasassa Reefs
29.11°N · 82.87°W · Bar · Coastal waters from Tarpon Springs to Suwannee River FL out 20 NM
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Atlantic croaker63
- Red drum63
- Gray snapper58
- Atlantic tarpon57
- Black drum54
- Spanish mackerel52
- Crevalle jack50
- Southern flounder50
- Gag grouper49
- Red snapper49
- Florida pompano45
- Gray triggerfish45
- King mackerel45
- Red grouper45
- Yellowfin tuna45
- Permit43
- Spotted seatrout43
- Cobia42
- Greater amberjack40
- Sailfish39
- Mahi-mahi35
- Sheepshead35
- Wahoo35
Best score today · 9 AM · Gray snapper
- Now
- 585 AM EDT
- Best window
- 8 AM-8 PMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing2.0 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Waccasassa Reefs 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 · 5 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
49Tide: EbbingCurrent: WeakWind & pressure
ECMWF
95Wind: 3 kt NNEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
75Water temp: 87°F, warmLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 0.3 ftSeason & habitat · Gray snapper
Species seasonality
68Season: PeakHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Gulf state waters (Escambia through Collier counties)
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 Retention open (2 per day (4 Gulf grouper 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))
- 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 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 Gray snapper is best here
Peak season for Gray snapper · 1 more week at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Waccasassa Reefs
- Depth
- 6-10 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Bar · Outer · Semi-exposedBar · flat bottom
- Season
- Peak seasonGray 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 Waccasassa Reefs
Waccasassa Reefs is a bar in Coastal waters from Tarpon Springs to Suwannee River FL out 20 NM, Florida. Depth is 6-10 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads bar, outer water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 23 species here; the best right now are Atlantic croaker, red drum and gray snapper. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, red drum and gray snapper, and shoulder season for Atlantic tarpon, black drum, Spanish mackerel and crevalle jack. Atlantic croaker peak from July through September. Red drum peak from September through November. Gray snapper peak from June through September.
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.
- 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.
- Red drum
- Redfish feed on shallow grass flats, oyster bars and marsh edges, often in 1 to 4 feet of water, and drop into channels, deep holes and tidal creeks when the water turns very hot or cold. Work a live shrimp under a popping cork or a soft plastic along the grass line on a rising tide, then fish creek mouths and drains as the tide falls. Bull reds over 30 inches school in the surf, passes and jetties in late summer and fall, where cut mullet or a live crab on the bottom is the standard approach.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Waccasassa Bay63
Bay · 2.1 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 63
- Atlantic croaker 62
- Atlantic tarpon 58
4 kt NEL 7:03 AM · 1.7 ftH 12:15 PM · 3.5 ft
- West Pass63
Channel · 3.4 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 63
- Red drum 61
- Gray snapper 60
4 kt NEL 6:08 AM · 1.8 ftH 12:08 PM · 3.8 ft
- Compass Point62
Cape · 3.4 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 62
- Atlantic croaker 61
- Gray snapper 57
4 kt NEL 7:03 AM · 1.7 ftH 12:15 PM · 3.5 ft
- Kelly Creek Point61
Cape · 3.2 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 61
- Atlantic croaker 59
- Atlantic tarpon 56
5 kt NEL 6:08 AM · 1.8 ftH 12:08 PM · 3.8 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.