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27,711-acre sound near Gulf Breeze. The water tops out around 25 ft. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetric surveys, so measured depths remain distinct from source interpolation. The channels, holes and drop-offs come from the source data, not a distance-from-shore model. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
The drawn water covers 27,549 acres wrapped in 106.7 miles of bank, broken up by 9 islands. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 4.6) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. About 90% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. The basin spans about 35.9 mi end to end and 3 mi across at its widest. If the bite dies, East Bay is 8 mi to the northwest.
Spring red drum (redfish) on Santa Rosa Sound hold shallow, usually 1 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 2 to 12 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 15 ft. The chart's best answer is Nantahala Creek inflow — inflow / creek mouth, 3 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in 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 | Shallow bay flat (7 ft) | Gold weedless spoon, Paddletail on 1/4 oz jighead |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (7 ft) | Weedless gold spoon, Paddletail swimbait |
| Fall | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & midday | Nantahala Creek inflow (3 ft) | 1/2 oz spoon (schools), Big paddletail |
| Winter | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Old creek channel (13 ft) | Scented soft plastic on 1/8 oz head, Slow-rolled paddletail |
Spring puts spotted seatrout in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 20 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for spring spotted seatrout. Plan around early morning in the warm months. 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 | Shallow bay flat (7 ft) | Topwater walker, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn | Break off the point (6 ft) | Popping cork + shrimp, 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (7 ft) | Popping cork rig, Soft plastic jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dusk | Deep basin (19 ft) | Suspending twitchbait (long pauses), Scented plastic crawled on bottom |
Early season southern flounder use the shallows, holding in 2 to 15 ft. Summer is a 3 to 18 ft game here, winter an 8 to 25 ft one. The chart's best answer is Old creek channel — creek channel, 13 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a jighead + gulp swimming mullet or a bucktail tipped with shrimp and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn | Old creek channel (13 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (white/chartreuse), Bucktail + Gulp shrimp |
| Summer | 3 to 18 ft | dawn | Old creek channel (13 ft) | Jighead + Gulp swimming mullet, Bucktail tipped with shrimp |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | midday | Creek inflow (7 ft) | 3/8 oz bucktail + Gulp (passes), Big paddletail on the jetty edge |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (19 ft) | Slow jig + scented grub in the holes |
Early season sheepshead use the shallows, holding in 5 to 25 ft. Even in summer they hold at 3 to 15 ft; winter keeps them in 8 to 25 ft. Put Marina / dock area first on the milk run — a dock line near 4 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Dock / pier line (15 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + fiddler, Sheepshead jig + shrimp piece |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn | Marina / dock area (4 ft) | Small jig + crab piece |
| Fall | 5 to 20 ft | midday | Dock / pier line (15 ft) | Jighead + shrimp, Small crab jig |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Dock / pier line (15 ft) | Heavier jig + crab (deep pilings) |
24 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 19 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 Santa Rosa Sound specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Florida fishing regulations →
Santa Rosa Sound is about 25 ft (8 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetric surveys, so measured depths remain distinct from source interpolation. The contours reflect measured and quality-assessed source depths.
Anglers target red drum (redfish), spotted seatrout, southern flounder, sheepshead on Santa Rosa Sound.
Nantahala Creek inflow is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for red drum (redfish) in fall. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For red drum (redfish), 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 Santa Rosa 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.
East Bay 8 mi · North Pensacola Bay 15 mi · South Escambia Bay 16 mi · Escambia Bay 18 mi · Pensacola Bay 18 mi · Middle Pensacola Bay 20 mi · North Escambia Bay 21 mi · Lower Choctawhatchee Bay 21 mi · Pensacola Bay Mouth 22 mi · Choctawhatchee Bay 32 mi · Perdido Bay 32 mi, AL/FL · Bear Lake 34 mi
See how Santa Rosa Sound stacks up: best red drum (redfish) lakes in Florida · best spotted seatrout lakes in Florida · best southern flounder lakes in Florida · best sheepshead lakes in Florida
Browse all Florida fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA Office of Coast Survey (ENC soundings, MLLW datum). 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.