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12,671-acre Anclote Anchorage coastal embayment with quality-assured NOAA and 2022 USACE survey contours, exact-polygon FWC fish evidence, mapped seagrass and oyster habitat, a charted wreck, and verified public carry-in access. The water tops out around 21 ft. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetry referenced to NAVD88; directly measured coverage remains distinguished from source interpolation. The channels, holes and drop-offs come from the source data, not a distance-from-shore model. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
The outline encloses 12,690 acres, worked by 31 miles of shoreline, broken up by 12 islands. A middling shoreline index (2) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout. The basin spans about 6.8 mi end to end and 5.3 mi across at its widest. Its nearest charted neighbour, North St. Joseph Sound, is 4 mi to the south.
Spring gulf flounder on Anclote Anchorage hold shallow, usually 2 to 14 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 21 ft. The chart's best answer is Deepest basin — deep basin, 17 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a paddletail dragged on bottom or a bucktail + swimming mullet.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 14 ft | dawn | 1751932800000 continuous seagrass edge (6 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail, Bucktail + scented shrimp |
| Summer | 4 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | 1751932800000 continuous seagrass edge (6 ft) | Paddletail dragged on bottom, Bucktail + swimming mullet |
| Fall | 5 to 21 ft | midday & dusk | open water | 3/8 oz bucktail + scented grub, Paddletail on a heavier jighead |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Deepest basin (17 ft) | Slow jig + scented grub |
Spring puts gray snapper (mangrove snapper) in skinny water — 3 to 21 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 3 to 21 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 21 ft. Fall gray snapper (mangrove snapper) concentrate at Dangerous NOAA charted wreck, a prime-rated wreck around 9 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A small bucktail or a paddletail covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 21 ft | dawn & dusk | 2020 oyster edge (4 ft) | Small paddletail, Jighead + shrimp imitation |
| Summer | 3 to 21 ft | dawn & dusk | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (9 ft) | Small bucktail, Paddletail |
| Fall | 3 to 21 ft | dawn & dusk | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (9 ft) | Small vertical jig, Jighead + paddletail |
| Winter | 4 to 21 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (9 ft) | Small jig worked slowly |
Spring red drum (redfish) on Anclote Anchorage hold shallow, usually 1 to 8 ft. They move out to 2 to 12 ft in summer and finish the year down in 3 to 15 ft. Put 2020 oyster edge first on the milk run — an oyster reef near 4 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a weedless gold spoon or a paddletail swimbait.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | 2020 oyster edge (4 ft) | Gold weedless spoon, Paddletail on 1/4 oz jighead |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | 2020 oyster edge (4 ft) | Weedless gold spoon, Paddletail swimbait |
| Fall | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & midday | 2020 oyster edge (4 ft) | 1/2 oz spoon (schools), Big paddletail |
| Winter | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Deepest basin (17 ft) | Scented soft plastic on 1/8 oz head, Slow-rolled paddletail |
Come spring, look for black drum tight to the bank in 3 to 21 ft. Through summer count on 3 to 18 ft; the winter hold is 5 to 21 ft. Start at 2020 oyster edge. It's an oyster reef holding about 4 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A shrimp imitation dragged slowly or a small crab jig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 21 ft | midday & dusk | 2020 oyster edge (4 ft) | Crab-tipped bottom jig, Shrimp on a jighead |
| Summer | 3 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | 2020 oyster edge (4 ft) | Shrimp imitation dragged slowly, Small crab jig |
| Fall | 4 to 21 ft | dawn | 2020 oyster edge (4 ft) | Crab-tipped jig, Scented shrimp jig |
| Winter | 5 to 21 ft | midday | 2020 oyster edge (5 ft) | Heavy bottom jig + crab |
Early season sheepshead use the shallows, holding in 4 to 21 ft. Even in summer they hold at 3 to 15 ft; winter keeps them in 6 to 21 ft. The chart's best answer is 2020 oyster edge — oyster reef, 4 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a small jig + crab piece and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 21 ft | midday & dawn | 2020 oyster edge (4 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + fiddler, Sheepshead jig + shrimp piece |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn | 2020 oyster edge (4 ft) | Small jig + crab piece |
| Fall | 5 to 20 ft | midday | 2020 oyster edge (5 ft) | Jighead + shrimp, Small crab jig |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | 2020 oyster edge (5 ft) | Heavier jig + crab (deep pilings) |
Spring puts spotted seatrout in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 15 ft, wintering in 5 to 20 ft. Winter spotted seatrout concentrate at Deepest basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 17 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A popping cork + shrimp or a 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | 1751932800000 continuous seagrass edge (6 ft) | Topwater walker, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn | 1751932800000 continuous seagrass edge (6 ft) | Popping cork + shrimp, 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn | 1751932800000 continuous seagrass edge (6 ft) | Popping cork rig, Soft plastic jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dusk | Deepest basin (17 ft) | Suspending twitchbait (long pauses), Scented plastic crawled on bottom |
Count 21 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deepest basin, sits near 17 ft.
Access data: Florida FWC — Boat Ramp Inventory. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Florida waters are set by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (saltwater) — and special regulations can apply to Anclote Anchorage specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Florida fishing regulations →
Anclote Anchorage is about 21 ft (6 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetry referenced to NAVD88; directly measured coverage remains distinguished from source interpolation. The contours reflect measured and quality-assessed source depths.
Anglers target gulf flounder, gray snapper (mangrove snapper), red drum (redfish), black drum, sheepshead, spotted seatrout on Anclote Anchorage.
2020 oyster edge is the top-rated area: an oyster reef in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for black drum in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For gulf flounder, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Anclote Anchorage is regulated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (saltwater). Check the official Florida regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
North St. Joseph Sound 4 mi · Pithlachascotee River 6 mi · Lake Tarpon 8 mi · South St. Joseph Sound 8 mi · North Clearwater Harbor 13 mi · South Clearwater Harbor 19 mi · Old Tampa Bay 21 mi · Hillsborough Bay 32 mi · Boca Ciega Bay 32 mi · Lake Thonotosass 33 mi · Middle Tampa Bay 36 mi · Pass A Grille Channel 36 mi
See how Anclote Anchorage stacks up: best red drum (redfish) lakes in Florida · best spotted seatrout lakes in Florida · best sheepshead lakes in Florida · best gulf flounder lakes in Florida
Browse all Florida fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 91% measured, 9% source-interpolated). How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.