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58,980-acre outer Tampa Bay section with NOAA survey contours across passes, channels, reefs, wrecks and seagrass edges. The water tops out around 80 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.
On the chart, Lower Tampa Bay draws 59,105 acres inside 130.8 miles of shoreline — 84 islands included. A development index of 3.8 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 45% of this chart. Call it 13.6 mi long by 11 mi wide at the broadest reach. The nearest mapped water is Terra Ceia Bay, 5 mi to the southeast.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: snook in 2 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 3 to 15 ft, wintering in 4 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: 2024 continuous seagrass edge, a seagrass edge in the 4 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a flair hawk jig (passes, night) or a big swimbait in the current gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | 2024 continuous seagrass edge (4 ft) | Paddletail on 1/4 oz head, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | 2024 continuous seagrass edge (4 ft) | Flair hawk jig (passes, night), Big swimbait in the current |
| Fall | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | 2024 continuous seagrass edge (4 ft) | Big paddletail (mullet run), Topwater walker |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | midday | open water | Slow-rolled paddletail, Scented jerkbait crawled in canals |
Start shallow in spring: sheepshead sit in 5 to 25 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 3 to 15 ft covers summer, 10 to 30 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: 2024 oyster bars edge, an oyster reef in the 5 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a small jig + crab piece until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | 2024 oyster bars edge (5 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + fiddler, Sheepshead jig + shrimp piece |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn | 2024 oyster bars edge (3 ft) | Small jig + crab piece |
| Fall | 5 to 20 ft | midday | 2024 oyster bars edge (5 ft) | Jighead + shrimp, Small crab jig |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday | Egmont Key Reef (Bay), 25 (21 ft) | Heavier jig + crab (deep pilings) |
Spring spotted seatrout on Lower Tampa Bay hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 20 ft. Put 2024 continuous seagrass edge first on the milk run — a seagrass edge near 4 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a popping cork + shrimp or a 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | 2024 continuous seagrass edge (4 ft) | Topwater walker, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn | 2024 continuous seagrass edge (4 ft) | Popping cork + shrimp, 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn | 2024 continuous seagrass edge (4 ft) | Popping cork rig, Soft plastic jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | Suspending twitchbait (long pauses), Scented plastic crawled on bottom |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: red drum (redfish) in 1 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 2 to 12 ft before dropping to 3 to 15 ft for winter. The spot to know is 2024 oyster bars edge, an oyster reef in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for red drum (redfish) in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a weedless gold spoon or a paddletail swimbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | 2024 oyster bars edge (3 ft) | Gold weedless spoon, Paddletail on 1/4 oz jighead |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | 2024 oyster bars edge (3 ft) | Weedless gold spoon, Paddletail swimbait |
| Fall | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & midday | 2024 oyster bars edge (3 ft) | 1/2 oz spoon (schools), Big paddletail |
| Winter | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (16 ft) | Scented soft plastic on 1/8 oz head, Slow-rolled paddletail |
Spring gray snapper (mangrove snapper) on Lower Tampa Bay hold shallow, usually 3 to 22 ft. They move out to 4 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 45 ft. Put Egmont Key Reef (Bay), 25 first on the milk run — an artificial reef near 21 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small bucktail or a paddletail.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 22 ft | dawn & dusk | 2024 oyster bars edge (3 ft) | Small paddletail, Jighead + shrimp imitation |
| Summer | 4 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Egmont Key Reef (Bay), 25 (21 ft) | Small bucktail, Paddletail |
| Fall | 5 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Egmont Key Reef (Bay), 25 (21 ft) | Small vertical jig, Jighead + paddletail |
| Winter | 8 to 45 ft | midday | Egmont Key Reef (Bay), 25 (21 ft) | Small jig worked slowly |
Spring puts gulf flounder in skinny water — 2 to 14 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 12 to 40 ft. Shallow feeding flat is the standout, a feeding flat at roughly 17 ft, rated prime for summer gulf flounder. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A paddletail dragged on bottom or a bucktail + swimming mullet covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 14 ft | dawn | Shallow feeding flat (16 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail, Bucktail + scented shrimp |
| Summer | 4 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | Paddletail dragged on bottom, Bucktail + swimming mullet |
| Fall | 6 to 28 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | 3/8 oz bucktail + scented grub, Paddletail on a heavier jighead |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft | midday | open water | Slow jig + scented grub |
Lower Tampa Bay also holds gag grouper (6 to 35 ft in summer), permit (3 to 35 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 146 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Sharp break, sits near 41 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 Lower Tampa Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Florida fishing regulations →
Lower Tampa Bay is about 80 ft (24 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 snook, sheepshead, spotted seatrout, red drum (redfish), gray snapper (mangrove snapper), gulf flounder, gag grouper, permit on Lower Tampa Bay.
Egmont Key Reef (Bay), 25 is the top-rated area: an artificial reef in about 21 ft of water that rates prime for gray snapper (mangrove snapper) in fall. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For snook, 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 Lower Tampa Bay 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.
Terra Ceia Bay 5 mi · Bunces Pass 5 mi · Pass A Grille Channel 8 mi · Manatee River Estuary 8 mi · Manatee River 10 mi · North Sarasota Bay 11 mi · Longboat Pass 11 mi · Boca Ciega Bay 11 mi · Middle Tampa Bay 13 mi · Southwest Sarasota Bay 20 mi · Big Sarasota Pass 22 mi · Hillsborough Bay 23 mi
See how Lower Tampa Bay stacks up: best red drum (redfish) lakes in Florida · best spotted seatrout lakes in Florida · best sheepshead lakes in Florida · best snook lakes in Florida
Browse all Florida fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 77% measured, 22% 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.