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422-acre Shipping Cove fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo shallow-water contours (98.36% measured, 98.38% assessed), exact 2,344-record FWC fish and forage, measured wreck, pier and seagrass spots, two Carrabelle ramps, three forage calendars and current Florida rules. The water tops out around 22 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:
Traced from the shoreline, Shipping Cove runs 422 acres with 3.8 miles of edge. A shoreline index of 1.3 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. About 32% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. The basin spans about 1.7 mi end to end and 0.6 mi across at its widest. The nearest mapped water is Carrabelle River, 5 mi to the north.
Start shallow in spring: sheepshead sit in 4 to 22 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 3 to 15 ft covers summer, 7 to 22 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: NOAA charted pier, a dock line in the 2 ft range, prime in summer. 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 | 4 to 22 ft | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (2 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + fiddler, Sheepshead jig + shrimp piece |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn | NOAA charted pier (2 ft) | Small jig + crab piece |
| Fall | 5 to 20 ft | midday | NOAA charted pier (2 ft) | Jighead + shrimp, Small crab jig |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (2 ft) | Heavier jig + crab (deep pilings) |
Early season permit use the shallows, holding in 3 to 22 ft. Even in summer they hold at 2 to 22 ft; winter keeps them in 6 to 22 ft. The chart's best answer is Dangerous NOAA charted wreck — wreck, 2 ft, prime for fall. Best bite is early morning and midday. Tie on a crab fly or a crab imitation and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 22 ft | dawn | 2010 continuous seagrass edge (6 ft) | Small crab fly, Shrimp-pattern jig |
| Summer | 2 to 22 ft | dawn & midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (2 ft) | Crab fly, Crab imitation |
| Fall | 2 to 22 ft | dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (2 ft) | Crab imitation, Shrimp-pattern jig |
| Winter | 6 to 22 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (2 ft) | Crab imitation worked deep |
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 7 to 22 ft. NOAA charted pier is the standout, a dock line at roughly 2 ft, rated good 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 | NOAA charted pier (2 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail, Bucktail + scented shrimp |
| Summer | 4 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (2 ft) | Paddletail dragged on bottom, Bucktail + swimming mullet |
| Fall | 5 to 22 ft | midday & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | 3/8 oz bucktail + scented grub, Paddletail on a heavier jighead |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Slow jig + scented grub |
Spring black sea bass on Shipping Cove hold shallow, usually 6 to 22 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 6 to 22 ft in summer, 7 to 22 ft once it turns cold. Put Dangerous NOAA charted wreck first on the milk run — a wreck near 2 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run midday and early morning. The summer box starts with a bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 6 to 22 ft | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (2 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 6 to 22 ft | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (2 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 6 to 22 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (2 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (2 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
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 2010 continuous seagrass edge, a seagrass edge in about 6 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 | 2010 continuous seagrass edge (6 ft) | Gold weedless spoon, Paddletail on 1/4 oz jighead |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (2 ft) | Weedless gold spoon, Paddletail swimbait |
| Fall | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | 1/2 oz spoon (schools), Big paddletail |
| Winter | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Scented soft plastic on 1/8 oz head, Slow-rolled paddletail |
In spring, gag grouper run shallow here, mostly 4 to 22 ft. Summer keeps them at 4 to 22 ft, and they winter in 6 to 22 ft. Spring gag grouper concentrate at 2010 continuous seagrass edge, a prime-rated seagrass edge around 6 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a deep-diving plug or a heavy paddletail most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 22 ft | dawn & dusk | 2010 continuous seagrass edge (6 ft) | Diving plug over grass potholes, Paddletail near rubble |
| Summer | 4 to 22 ft | dawn & dusk | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (2 ft) | Deep-diving plug, Heavy paddletail |
| Fall | 4 to 22 ft | dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (2 ft) | Deep-diving plug, Vertical jig |
| Winter | 6 to 22 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (2 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
Shipping Cove also holds lane snapper (2 to 22 ft in summer), spotted seatrout (4 to 15 ft in summer), bluefish (4 to 22 ft in summer), jack crevalle (2 to 22 ft in summer), black drum (3 to 18 ft in summer), gray snapper (mangrove snapper) (3 to 22 ft in summer), southern flounder (3 to 18 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
12 pieces of structure are mapped here — Surveyed channel edge, around 12 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: Florida FWC — Boat Ramp Inventory (OBJECTID 620; RampID FR00057MB). 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 Shipping Cove specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Florida fishing regulations →
Shipping Cove is about 22 ft (7 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, permit, gulf flounder, black sea bass, red drum (redfish), gag grouper, lane snapper, spotted seatrout, bluefish, jack crevalle, black drum, gray snapper (mangrove snapper), southern flounder on Shipping Cove.
Dangerous NOAA charted wreck is the top-rated area: a wreck in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for permit in fall. The interactive chart above rates every 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 Shipping Cove 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.
Carrabelle River 5 mi · Saint Marks River 36 mi · St. Joseph Bay 42 mi · Lake Talquin 45 mi · Lake Jackson (Leon) 55 mi · East Bay 56 mi · Lake Hall 56 mi · Lake Martin 62 mi · Lake Iamonia 64 mi · Deer Point Lake 66 mi · Main St. Andrew Bay 67 mi · North Bay 68 mi
See how Shipping Cove stacks up: best red drum (redfish) lakes in Florida · best spotted seatrout lakes in Florida · best southern flounder lakes in Florida · best bluefish lakes in Florida
Browse all Florida fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 98% measured, 0% 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.