UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN
Red snapperRetention openSpecies here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Florida pompano67
- Spotted seatrout67
- Red drum66
- Spanish mackerel66
- Common snook62
- King mackerel62
- Black drum59
- Red snapper59
- Gray triggerfish58
- Red grouper58
- Sheepshead56
- Gray snapper55
- Atlantic croaker35
- Atlantic tarpon35
- Cobia35
- Crevalle jack35
- Permit35
- Gag grouper20
- Greater amberjack20
- Southern flounder20
Best score today · 6 PM · Red snapper
- Now
- 595 PM EST
- Best window
- 6-8 PMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding0.7 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Hooker Point 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
Sunday, Nov 8 · 8 AM
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
86Tide: FloodingCurrent: SlackWind & pressure
ECMWF
96Wind: 3 kt EPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
86Water temp: 78°F, primeLight: DawnSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 0.5 ftSeason & habitat · Red snapper
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 snapper(private recreational)
Retention open- Daily limit
- 2 per day (10 snapper combined)
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Minimum 16 in, total length
- Season
- Oct 30 to Nov 1, 2026
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Changes
- Closed from Nov 2
- 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 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 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 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 snapper is best here
Shoulder season for Red snapper · 25 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Hooker Point
- Depth
- 3-10 ftNearest water
- Structure
- Point · Inner · ProtectedPoint · flat bottom
- 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 Hooker Point
Hooker Point is a cape in Tampa Bay waters, Florida. Depth in the nearest water is 3-10 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads point, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 20 species here; the best right now are Florida pompano, spotted seatrout and red drum. It is peak season now for Florida pompano, spotted seatrout, red drum and Spanish mackerel, and shoulder season for common snook, king mackerel, black drum and red snapper. Florida pompano peak from March through May and from October through November. Spotted seatrout peak from March through May and from October through November. 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.
- 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.
- 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
- Snead Island Cutoff70
Channel · 0.7 mi
Top: Spotted seatroutPeak season- Spotted seatrout 70
- Red drum 68
- Common snook 64
13 kt EH 5:24 AM · 2.1 ftL 1:32 PM · 0.2 ft
- Champlain Bayou69
Bay · 1.5 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 69
- Spotted seatrout 68
- Florida pompano 63
13 kt EH 5:24 AM · 2.1 ftL 1:32 PM · 0.2 ft
- Clambar Bayou69
Bay · 1.8 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 69
- Spotted seatrout 68
- Florida pompano 63
13 kt EH 5:24 AM · 2.1 ftL 1:32 PM · 0.2 ft
- Bishop Point63
Cape · 1.8 mi
Top: Florida pompanoPeak season- Florida pompano 63
- Spotted seatrout 63
- Red drum 62
13 kt EH 5:24 AM · 2.1 ftL 1:32 PM · 0.2 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.
