UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN
Gray triggerfishRetention openSpecies here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Red drum76
- Spotted seatrout73
- Spanish mackerel67
- Black drum62
- Common snook62
- King mackerel62
- Florida pompano58
- Gray snapper57
- Gray triggerfish57
- Red grouper57
- Sheepshead55
- Atlantic croaker35
- Atlantic tarpon35
- Cobia35
- Crevalle jack35
- Permit35
- Gag grouper20
- Greater amberjack20
- Red snapper20
- Southern flounder20
Best score today · 6 PM · Gray triggerfish
- Now
- 5712 PM EST
- Best window
- 4-8 PMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing0.4 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Cross Bayou 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
Thursday, Nov 12 · 2 AM
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
100Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.6 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
100Wind: 5 kt ENEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
51Water temp: 74°F, primeLight: NightSolunar: Major periodSeason & habitat · Gray triggerfish
Species seasonality
43Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: Out of range
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Gulf state waters (Escambia through Collier counties)
Gray triggerfish
Retention open- Daily limit
- 1 per day
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Minimum 15 in, fork length
- Season
- Aug 1 to Dec 31, 2026
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Changes
- Closed from Jan 1
- Other
- Private-vessel anglers need the State Reef Fish Angler designation. Reef fish gear rules apply. Land with head and fins intact. Gulf season is March 1 through May 31 and August 1 through December 31. Federal waters can close early if the quota is met.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: Gray Triggerfish, 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))
- 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))
- Red snapper Closed (No retention)
- 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 yesterday
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Gray triggerfish is best here
Shoulder season for Gray triggerfish · 4 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Cross Bayou
- Depth
- Up to 1 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Estuary · Inner · ProtectedEstuary · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonGray triggerfish
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 Cross Bayou
Cross Bayou is a bay in Tampa Bay waters, Florida. Depth is up to 1 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads estuary, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 20 species here; the best right now are red drum, spotted seatrout and Spanish mackerel. It is peak season now for red drum, spotted seatrout, Spanish mackerel and Florida pompano, and shoulder season for black drum, common snook, king mackerel and gray snapper. Red drum peak from September through November. Spotted seatrout peak from March through May and from October through November. Spanish mackerel peak from April through May and from October through November.
Tackle & technique
- Gray triggerfish
- Gray triggerfish hover a few feet over reefs, wrecks and ledges, usually in 60 to 200 feet, and often show up while snapper fishing. Use small, strong circle hooks with small pieces of squid or cut bait on a short bottom rig, because they nibble and strip big baits. Keep the bait just off the bottom and reel steadily at the first solid pull.
- 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.
- Spotted seatrout
- Trout hold over grass beds and sandy potholes in 2 to 8 feet of water most of the year and slide into channels, deep creek bends and canals during cold snaps. A live shrimp under a slip or popping cork, a paddle tail on a light jighead, or a topwater walked at first light covers most situations. Keep the drag light because their mouths tear easily.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Boca Ciega Bay72
Bay · 3.6 mi
Top: Spanish mackerelPeak season- Spanish mackerel 72
- Red drum 71
- Spotted seatrout 69
10 kt EL 2:20 PM · 0.3 ftH 9:26 PM · 1.6 ft
- Devils Elbow72
Channel · 4.4 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 72
- Spotted seatrout 72
- Black drum 67
10 kt EL 2:20 PM · 0.3 ftH 9:26 PM · 1.6 ft
- Long Bayou71
Bay · 1.7 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 71
- Spotted seatrout 68
- Spanish mackerel 65
10 kt EL 1:00 PM · 0.3 ftH 8:30 PM · 1.7 ft
- Turtlecrawl Point65
Cape · 1.7 mi
Top: Spanish mackerelPeak season- Spanish mackerel 65
- Red drum 64
- Spotted seatrout 63
10 kt EL 1:00 PM · 0.3 ftH 8:30 PM · 1.7 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.