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291-acre Pelican Bay fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo shallow-water contours (91.08% measured, 99.97% assessed), exact 1,045-record FWC fish and forage, measured pier and seagrass spots, Cayo Costa and mainland boat access, three forage calendars and current Florida rules. The water tops out around 11 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 291 acres, worked by 3.9 miles of shoreline. A middling shoreline index (1.6) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. Figure 1.3 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.6 mi at the beam. If the bite dies, Captiva Passage is 5 mi to the south.
Spring sheepshead on Pelican Bay hold shallow, usually 2 to 11 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 2 to 11 ft in summer, 3 to 11 ft once it turns cold. Put NOAA charted pier first on the milk run — a dock line near 5 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a small jig + crab piece.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted pier (5 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + fiddler, Sheepshead jig + shrimp piece |
| Summer | 2 to 11 ft | dawn | NOAA charted pier (5 ft) | Small jig + crab piece |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday | NOAA charted pier (5 ft) | Jighead + shrimp, Small crab jig |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | NOAA charted pier (5 ft) | Heavier jig + crab (deep pilings) |
In spring, spotted seatrout run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 11 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 11 ft. 2021 continuous seagrass edge is the standout, a seagrass edge at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for spring spotted seatrout. Time it for early morning. You won't need more than a popping cork + shrimp or a 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | 2021 continuous seagrass edge (5 ft) | Topwater walker, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn | 2021 continuous seagrass edge (5 ft) | Popping cork + shrimp, 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | dawn | 2021 continuous seagrass edge (5 ft) | Popping cork rig, Soft plastic jerkbait |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (6 ft) | Suspending twitchbait (long pauses), Scented plastic crawled on bottom |
In spring, gray snapper (mangrove snapper) run shallow here, mostly 2 to 11 ft. Summer keeps them at 1 to 11 ft, and they winter in 2 to 11 ft. NOAA charted pier is the standout, a dock line at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for summer gray snapper (mangrove snapper). Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a small bucktail or a paddletail most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (5 ft) | Small paddletail, Jighead + shrimp imitation |
| Summer | 1 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (5 ft) | Small bucktail, Paddletail |
| Fall | 2 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (5 ft) | Small vertical jig, Jighead + paddletail |
| Winter | 2 to 11 ft | midday | NOAA charted pier (5 ft) | Small jig worked slowly |
When the water first warms, snook slide up into 2 to 11 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 11 ft, winter 3 to 11 ft. Start at NOAA charted pier. It's a dock line holding about 5 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a flair hawk jig (passes, night) or a big swimbait in the current rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (5 ft) | Paddletail on 1/4 oz head, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 2 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (5 ft) | Flair hawk jig (passes, night), Big swimbait in the current |
| Fall | 2 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (5 ft) | Big paddletail (mullet run), Topwater walker |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | NOAA charted pier (5 ft) | Slow-rolled paddletail, Scented jerkbait crawled in canals |
Spring lane snapper on Pelican Bay hold shallow, usually 1 to 11 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 1 to 11 ft in summer, 1 to 11 ft once it turns cold. Put 2021 continuous seagrass edge first on the milk run — a seagrass edge near 5 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small vertical jig or a bucktail.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | 2021 continuous seagrass edge (5 ft) | Small bucktail, Shrimp-pattern jig |
| Summer | 1 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | 2021 continuous seagrass edge (5 ft) | Small vertical jig, Bucktail |
| Fall | 1 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | 2021 continuous seagrass edge (5 ft) | Shrimp-pattern jig, Small bucktail |
| Winter | 1 to 11 ft | dusk | 2021 continuous seagrass edge (5 ft) | Small jig worked slowly, Bottom bucktail |
Come spring, look for jack crevalle tight to the bank in 1 to 11 ft. Through summer count on 1 to 11 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 11 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Surveyed channel edge: a drop-off around 6 ft that scores good in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A pencil popper or a casting spoon is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (6 ft) | Surface popper, Metal jig |
| Summer | 1 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (6 ft) | Pencil popper, Casting spoon |
| Fall | 1 to 11 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (6 ft) | Topwater walker, Metal jig |
| Winter | 2 to 11 ft | dusk | Surveyed channel edge (6 ft) | Compact metal jig, Slow-rolled paddletail |
Pelican Bay also holds gulf flounder (2 to 11 ft in summer), gag grouper (2 to 11 ft in summer), great barracuda (1 to 11 ft in summer), permit (1 to 11 ft in summer), red drum (redfish) (2 to 11 ft in summer), black sea bass (3 to 11 ft in summer), black drum (2 to 11 ft in summer), mutton snapper (1 to 11 ft in summer), bluefish (2 to 11 ft in summer), yellowtail snapper (2 to 11 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 7 structure features on Pelican Bay; the deepest is 2021 continuous seagrass edge at about 6 ft.
Access data: Florida State Parks — Cayo Costa State Park. 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 Pelican Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Florida fishing regulations →
Pelican Bay is about 11 ft (3 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 sheepshead, spotted seatrout, gray snapper (mangrove snapper), snook, lane snapper, jack crevalle, gulf flounder, gag grouper, great barracuda, permit, red drum (redfish), black sea bass, black drum, mutton snapper, bluefish, yellowtail snapper on Pelican Bay.
NOAA charted pier is the top-rated area: a dock line in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for gray snapper (mangrove snapper) in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For sheepshead, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Pelican 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.
Captiva Passage 5 mi · Upper Pine Island Sound 5 mi · Gasparilla Pass 9 mi · Matlacha Pass 12 mi · Lower Pine Island Sound 13 mi · Stump Pass 16 mi · San Carlos Bay 19 mi · Lemon Bay 19 mi · Estero Bay 30 mi · Blackburn Bay 37 mi · Little Sarasota Bay 40 mi · Roberts Bay 45 mi
See how Pelican Bay stacks up: best red drum (redfish) lakes in Florida · best spotted seatrout lakes in Florida · best bluefish lakes in Florida · best black sea bass 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.