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Best permit lakes in Florida

45 Florida waters list permit (official records or labelled estimates), 45 mapped with survey or official-chart depth data. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality, leading with the waters in our reviewed search catalog — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. A wary flats and structure specialist that follows crabs across sandy shallows, channels and outer-bay reefs.

1. Boca Ciega Bay — 51 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 29 public access sites, 16 carry-in or shore-oriented
2. Middle Tampa Bay — 60 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 15 public access sites, 6 carry-in or shore-oriented
3. Lower Tampa Bay — 80 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 10 public access sites, 6 carry-in or shore-oriented
4. East Central Florida Bay — 10 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
5. Lemon Bay — 17 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 12 public access sites, 7 carry-in or shore-oriented
6. South-Central Outer Biscayne Bay — 23 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 13 public access sites, 7 carry-in or shore-oriented
7. North Banana River Lagoon — 42 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, SheepsheadWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites, 3 carry-in or shore-oriented
8. Upper Pine Island Sound — 38 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
9. Hillsborough Bay — 55 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 7 public access sites, 4 carry-in or shore-oriented
10. North Indian River Lagoon — 23 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Snook, PermitWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 7 public access sites, 6 carry-in or shore-oriented
11. South-Central Mid-Bay Biscayne Bay — 14 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites, 4 carry-in or shore-oriented
12. North Sarasota Bay — 23 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
13. South Banana River Lagoon — 30 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites, 3 carry-in or shore-oriented
14. San Carlos Bay — 31 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 8 public access sites, 6 carry-in or shore-oriented
15. Card Sound — 18 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
16. Lower Pine Island Sound — 24 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
17. Upper Sarasota Bay — Sarasota — 28 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites, 4 carry-in or shore-oriented
18. Estero Bay — 24 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 10 public access sites, 7 carry-in or shore-oriented
19. Lakes Passage — 28 ft max · real survey depth contours · Permit, Atlantic Tarpon, Great Barracuda, BonefishWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
20. Lower Choctawhatchee Bay — 46 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, SheepsheadWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
21. Central Banana River Lagoon — 53 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, SheepsheadWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 7 public access sites, 3 carry-in or shore-oriented
22. North-Central Outer Biscayne Bay — 25 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Sheepshead, Snook, Gray Snapper (Mangrove Snapper)Why #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites, 3 carry-in or shore-oriented
23. Nassau Sound — 39 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Summer Flounder (Fluke), Southern FlounderWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
24. Lower Sugarloaf Sound — 17 ft max · real survey depth contours · Spotted Seatrout, Gray Snapper (Mangrove Snapper), Permit, Atlantic TarponWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
25. Upper Sugarloaf Sound — 17 ft max · real survey depth contours · Spotted Seatrout, Gray Snapper (Mangrove Snapper), Permit, Atlantic TarponWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site

…plus 20 more Florida waters holding permit.

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When to fish permit in Florida

• Spring 3–25 ft — Sight-fish clean sand beside grass and channels, or drift crabs over outer-bay structure on moving water.
• Summer 3–35 ft — Pole shallow flats in low wind or fish crabs around reefs, wrecks and channel mouths when current is established.
• Fall 5–45 ft — Follow fish toward passes and outer-bay structure while continuing to check warm sand flats on calm days.
• Winter 15–60 ft — Most fish shift deeper or offshore; treat winter bay spots as low-confidence opportunities on outer structure.

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