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6,456-acre North St. Joseph Sound section with quality-assured NOAA and 2022 USACE survey contours, exact-polygon FWC fish evidence, mapped seagrass and oyster habitat, charted wrecks, and verified unrestricted public access. The water tops out around 15 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. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
The outline encloses 6,466 acres, worked by 22.2 miles of shoreline, with 4 islands in the mix. With a 2 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. End to end it runs roughly 4.8 mi, about 4 mi across. If the bite dies, Anclote Anchorage is 4 mi to the north.
Come spring, look for gag grouper tight to the bank in 3 to 15 ft. Through summer count on 3 to 15 ft; the winter hold is 4 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it 1751932800000 patchy seagrass edge: a seagrass edge around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A deep-diving plug or a heavy paddletail is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | 1751932800000 patchy seagrass edge (4 ft) | Diving plug over grass potholes, Paddletail near rubble |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (8 ft) | Deep-diving plug, Heavy paddletail |
| Fall | 3 to 15 ft | dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (8 ft) | Deep-diving plug, Vertical jig |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (8 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
When the water first warms, sheepshead slide up into 3 to 15 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 3 to 15 ft, winter 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Dangerous NOAA charted wreck: a wreck around 8 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a small jig + crab piece rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (8 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + fiddler, Sheepshead jig + shrimp piece |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (8 ft) | Small jig + crab piece |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (8 ft) | Jighead + shrimp, Small crab jig |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (8 ft) | Heavier jig + crab (deep pilings) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: spotted seatrout in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 15 ft before dropping to 4 to 15 ft for winter. The spot to know is 1751932800000 patchy seagrass edge, a seagrass edge in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for spotted seatrout in spring. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a popping cork + shrimp or a 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | 1751932800000 patchy seagrass edge (4 ft) | Topwater walker, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn | 1751932800000 patchy seagrass edge (4 ft) | Popping cork + shrimp, 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn | 1751932800000 patchy seagrass edge (4 ft) | Popping cork rig, Soft plastic jerkbait |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (8 ft) | Suspending twitchbait (long pauses), Scented plastic crawled on bottom |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: gray snapper (mangrove snapper) in 2 to 15 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 15 ft through summer, 3 to 15 ft in winter. The spot to know is Dangerous NOAA charted wreck, a wreck in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for gray snapper (mangrove snapper) in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a small bucktail or a paddletail gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | 1751932800000 patchy seagrass edge (4 ft) | Small paddletail, Jighead + shrimp imitation |
| Summer | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (8 ft) | Small bucktail, Paddletail |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (8 ft) | Small vertical jig, Jighead + paddletail |
| Winter | 3 to 15 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (8 ft) | Small jig worked slowly |
When the water first warms, gulf flounder slide up into 2 to 14 ft. Summer is a 3 to 15 ft game here, winter a 5 to 15 ft one. Start at 1751932800000 patchy seagrass edge. It's a seagrass edge holding about 4 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a paddletail dragged on bottom or a bucktail + swimming mullet rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 14 ft | dawn | 1751932800000 patchy seagrass edge (4 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail, Bucktail + scented shrimp |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | 1751932800000 patchy seagrass edge (4 ft) | Paddletail dragged on bottom, Bucktail + swimming mullet |
| Fall | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dusk | open water | 3/8 oz bucktail + scented grub, Paddletail on a heavier jighead |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | open water | Slow jig + scented grub |
Start shallow in spring: permit sit in 2 to 15 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 1 to 15 ft covers summer, 4 to 15 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Dangerous NOAA charted wreck, a wreck in the 8 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in early morning and midday and you'll meet the bite. Throw a crab fly or a crab imitation until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn | 1751932800000 patchy seagrass edge (4 ft) | Small crab fly, Shrimp-pattern jig |
| Summer | 1 to 15 ft | dawn & midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (8 ft) | Crab fly, Crab imitation |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (8 ft) | Crab imitation, Shrimp-pattern jig |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (8 ft) | Crab imitation worked deep |
North St. Joseph Sound also holds red drum (redfish) (2 to 12 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 35 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Dangerous NOAA charted wreck, sits near 11 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 North St. Joseph Sound specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Florida fishing regulations →
North St. Joseph Sound is about 15 ft (5 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 gag grouper, sheepshead, spotted seatrout, gray snapper (mangrove snapper), gulf flounder, permit, red drum (redfish) on North St. Joseph Sound.
1751932800000 patchy seagrass edge is the top-rated area: a seagrass edge in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for gag grouper in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For gag grouper, 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 North St. Joseph Sound 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.
Anclote Anchorage 4 mi · South St. Joseph Sound 4 mi · Lake Tarpon 6 mi · North Clearwater Harbor 9 mi · Pithlachascotee River 10 mi · South Clearwater Harbor 15 mi · Old Tampa Bay 19 mi · Boca Ciega Bay 29 mi · Hillsborough Bay 30 mi · Pass A Grille Channel 32 mi · Middle Tampa Bay 33 mi · Lake Thonotosass 33 mi
See how North St. Joseph Sound 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; 65% measured, 35% 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.