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43,059-acre St. Joseph Bay fishing map with federal MLLW survey contours (82.84% measured, 99.89% assessed), source-traceable measured wreck, pier, channel and seagrass spots, nine exact-bay fish profiles, four forage calendars, five public access sites and current Florida rules. The water tops out around 40 ft. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetry referenced to MLLW; 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Traced from the shoreline, St. Joseph Bay runs 43,135 acres with 82.5 miles of edge, broken up by 8 islands. The 2.8 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 36% of this chart. Call it 16.2 mi long by 6.7 mi wide at the broadest reach. The nearest mapped water is East Bay, 24 mi to the northwest.
In spring, red drum (redfish) run shallow here, mostly 1 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 2 to 12 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 15 ft. Port St Joe channel edge is the standout, a channel edge at roughly 15 ft, rated prime for winter red drum (redfish). Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a weedless gold spoon or a paddletail swimbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | 2023 patchy (discontinuous) seagrass edge (2 ft) | Gold weedless spoon, Paddletail on 1/4 oz jighead |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Port St Joe channel edge (12 ft) | Weedless gold spoon, Paddletail swimbait |
| Fall | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & midday | Port St Joe channel edge (15 ft) | 1/2 oz spoon (schools), Big paddletail |
| Winter | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Port St Joe channel edge (15 ft) | Scented soft plastic on 1/8 oz head, Slow-rolled paddletail |
Come spring, look for spotted seatrout tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 15 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 20 ft. Start at 2023 patchy (discontinuous) seagrass edge. It's a seagrass edge holding about 2 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning. A popping cork + shrimp or a 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | 2023 patchy (discontinuous) seagrass edge (2 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 | 2023 patchy (discontinuous) seagrass edge (3 ft) | Popping cork rig, Soft plastic jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dusk | Port St Joe channel edge (15 ft) | Suspending twitchbait (long pauses), Scented plastic crawled on bottom |
Start shallow in spring: gulf flounder sit in 2 to 14 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 12 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Port St Joe channel edge, a channel edge in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for gulf flounder in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a paddletail dragged on bottom or a bucktail + swimming mullet until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 14 ft | dawn | Port St Joe channel edge (12 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail, Bucktail + scented shrimp |
| Summer | 4 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Port St Joe channel edge (15 ft) | Paddletail dragged on bottom, Bucktail + swimming mullet |
| Fall | 6 to 28 ft | midday & dusk | Port St Joe channel edge (15 ft) | 3/8 oz bucktail + scented grub, Paddletail on a heavier jighead |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft | midday | Port St Joe channel edge (33 ft) | Slow jig + scented grub |
Spring puts sheepshead in skinny water — 5 to 25 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 3 to 15 ft, and winter fish hold in 10 to 30 ft. Summer sheepshead concentrate at NOAA charted pier, a prime-rated dock line around 3 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A small jig + crab piece covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (6 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + fiddler, Sheepshead jig + shrimp piece |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn | NOAA charted pier (3 ft) | Small jig + crab piece |
| Fall | 5 to 20 ft | midday | NOAA charted pier (7 ft) | Jighead + shrimp, Small crab jig |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (17 ft) | Heavier jig + crab (deep pilings) |
Start shallow in spring: black drum sit in 4 to 25 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 3 to 18 ft covers summer, 8 to 35 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Port St Joe channel edge, a channel edge in the 33 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a shrimp imitation dragged slowly or a small crab jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 25 ft | midday & dusk | Port St Joe channel edge (15 ft) | Crab-tipped bottom jig, Shrimp on a jighead |
| Summer | 3 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Port St Joe channel edge (15 ft) | Shrimp imitation dragged slowly, Small crab jig |
| Fall | 4 to 22 ft | dawn | Port St Joe channel edge (15 ft) | Crab-tipped jig, Scented shrimp jig |
| Winter | 8 to 35 ft | midday | Port St Joe channel edge (33 ft) | Heavy bottom jig + crab |
Start shallow in spring: cobia sit in 5 to 25 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 40 ft, and winter fish settle into 12 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Dangerous NOAA charted wreck, a wreck in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for cobia in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around midday and early morning. Throw a bucktail + eel-style trailer or a large paddletail until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (6 ft) | 1-2 oz bucktail, Large paddletail |
| Summer | 5 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (6 ft) | Bucktail + eel-style trailer, Large paddletail |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (17 ft) | Heavy bucktail, Paddletail swimbait |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (17 ft) | Heavy vertical jig on deep offshore structure |
St. Joseph Bay also holds spanish mackerel (5 to 40 ft in summer), gray snapper (mangrove snapper) (4 to 30 ft in summer), bluefish (5 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
153 pieces of structure are mapped here — Port St Joe channel edge, around 36 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 St. Joseph Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Florida fishing regulations →
St. Joseph Bay is about 40 ft (12 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetry referenced to MLLW; directly measured coverage remains distinguished from source interpolation. The contours reflect measured and quality-assessed source depths.
Anglers target red drum (redfish), spotted seatrout, gulf flounder, sheepshead, black drum, cobia, spanish mackerel, gray snapper (mangrove snapper), bluefish on St. Joseph Bay.
Port St Joe channel edge is the top-rated area: a channel edge in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for gulf flounder in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each 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 St. Joseph 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.
East Bay 24 mi · Lake Martin 29 mi · Main St. Andrew Bay 33 mi · North Bay 37 mi · Deer Point Lake 38 mi · Carrabelle River 41 mi · West Bay 42 mi · Shipping Cove 42 mi · Lake Talquin 66 mi · Merritts Mill Pond 70 mi · Saint Marks River 73 mi · Choctawhatchee Bay 76 mi
See how St. Joseph Bay stacks up: best red drum (redfish) lakes in Florida · best spotted seatrout lakes in Florida · best spanish mackerel lakes in Florida · best bluefish lakes in Florida
Browse all Florida fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA Office of Coast Survey, National Centers for Environmental Information, National Geodetic Survey, Office for Coastal Management and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Joseph Bay federal hydrographic and topobathymetric survey union (MLLW; 83% measured, 17% 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.