The great thing about Florida is that no matter where you are, you are only a couple of hours from a body of water. Naturally, this puts the Sunshine State at the top of the list for quality and quantity of seafood restaurants, with scallops being a popular menu item. If you’re interested in going out and catching your own though, you can do so with the proper knowledge. Scallop season starts as early as June in some areas and remains open late into September in others. There is nothing like spending a day on the water with family and friends scooping up your daily allotment of Florida Bay Scallops.
Florida Bay Scallops are only available to harvest between the points of the Gulf County line and the Pasco County Line, and can only be grabbed from State Waters (the space from shore to 9 nautical miles out). There are 5 fishing zones between these points that each have different scallop seasons and particular location restrictions, which we will discuss further below. These zones are: Gulf County; Franklin-NW Taylor County; Fenholloway-Suwannee River; Levy, Citrus and Hernando counties; and Pasco County.
If you wish to harvest these yummy creatures, recreational fisherman over the age of 16 must purchase a Florida saltwater fishing license whether they are residents or just visiting. As it applies to scallop harvesting, you do not need a license if you hold a shoreline fishing license and are wading from shore. Your feet must not leave the ocean floor to swim, dive or snorkel while harvesting in this manner, nor are you allowed to use a vessel to reach or return from your harvesting location. Other exemptions may apply to you in regards to the need for a saltwater fishing license. For example, you do not need a saltwater fishing license if you are a Florida resident over the age of 65, are on a for-hire boat, or are scalloping off a recreational vessel whose operator holds a recreational saltwater vessel license. Read more about fishing licenses and other exemptions in our full guide.
In addition to understanding the rules surrounding licensing, you will need to be aware of the regulations concerning methods and quantities before you head out looking for your bag of fresh scallops. There are only 2 ways you are permitted to catch these mollusks: by hand or using a landing or dip net. The bag limit per person and per vessel is based on which zone you are in and what time of year it is. If you are fishing within the Gulf, Franklin-NW Taylor, Levy, Citrus and Hernando or Pasco zones, the per person bag limit is 2 gallons of whole scallops in shell or 1 pint of shelled scallop meat. The per vessel bag limit in these zones is 10 gallons of whole scallops in shell or ½ gallon of scallop meat. As for the Fenholloway-Suwannee River zone, if you are out between June 15-30, the per person limit is 1 gallon of whole bay scallops in shell or 1 cup shucked, while the vessel limit is 5 gallons whole or 2 pints shucked. If you are out between July 1 and Labor Day, you are allowed 2 gallons whole or 1 pint scallop meat per person and 10 gallons whole or ½ gallon (4 pints) meat per vessel. There is no minimum size limit for scallops.
Please note that vessel limits do not allow individuals to exceed the per person bag limit. Additionally, please discard of your scallop shells properly. They are not to be discarded in inshore waters that are used for recreation such as the Crystal or Homossassa Rivers. Discarded shells can lead to abnormal plant growth and injury. With your scallops in hand, it is very important to remain in regulated scallop waters at all times, including when returning to shore, or docking your vessel.
Below is a list of opening and end dates for the 2023 Scallop Season, with details on the approved regulated areas.
June 15th, 2023 – Labor Day (September 4th, 2023)
On June 15th, scallop season will officially start in in this zone, which includes all state waters east of Rock Island near the mouth of the Fenholloway River in Taylor County, and north of Alligator Pass daybeacon #4 near the mouth of the Suwannee River in Levy County. This includes Keaton Beach and the Steinhatchee area. The bag limit for this zone is lower between June 15-30.
July 1st, 2023 – September 24th, 2023
All state waters from the westernmost point of St. Vincent Island (Franklin County) to Rock Island near the mouth of Fenholloway River (Taylor County) are open to scallopers as of July 1st. This includes Carrabelle, St. Marks and Lanark.
July 1st, 2023 – September 24th, 2023
On July 1st, the scallop season will opened for Levy County all the way down to the Hernando-Pasco County line. This stretch of water includes great scalloping places such as Cedar Key, Crystal River, Homosassa Bay and Homosassa River.
August 16th, 2023 – September 24th, 2023
This zone reaches from the Mexico Beach Canal in Bay County to the westernmost point of St. Vincent Island. There is an area, however, south of Black’s Island that is restricted; it is marked with FWC buoys for Bay Scallop Restoration. These waters will be open for less than 2 months this year, so make sure you get your share of scallops for the whole year!
July 21st, 2023 – July 30th, 2023
The Pasco County scallop season only lasts for 10 full days this July, starting on the 21st. The Anclote River is the most popular spot for scallops in this singular county, but the zone includes all state waters south of the Hernando-Pasco county line and north of the Anclote Key Lighthouse. If you love local scallops, you may want to go get ‘em before this years’ 10 days are up.
Spotting and capturing Scallops is rather simple, but getting them out of the shell can sometimes be a hassle. Scallops love mud and grass so they can often be found on or near the sea grass beds. With their many blue eyes, you can generally spot them easily, although once they see you or your net, they may try to swim away. Good news is, they can’t swim very fast, so they won’t get far. Once you have grabbed or scooped one up, some great advice would be to put them into a mesh dive bag. If you put them in into a pocket or in your swimsuit, you are liable to get pinched. They are feisty!
If you decide to put them on ice, be sure to get as little water in the shell as possible, by putting a towel down across the ice and then setting your scallops on top. Once chilled, the ice will help lessen the bacterial growth.
After catching and preparing your freshly caught scallops, you’ll want to shuck them yourself. Here are a couple of tips you might want to consider:
If you’ve refrigerated the scallops, take them from the fridge and soak the meat with a small amount of food vinegar (preferably red wine vinegar) for a few minutes. A lemon/lime is also a good way to cure the meat. This will rinse the scallops and leave it tasting fresh. There is one word of warning, don’t leave them in the citrus acid too long. The acid can “cook” the meat and leave it a little dry tasting. Rinse well with fresh water. If you prefer a slightly saltier taste, add a teaspoon or two of soy sauce before you prep your meal. Either way you dice it, scallops are tasty and you should take scallop season for granted. Nothing beats a fresh bacon wrapped scallop, caught by yours truly.
If you’re crazy about lobsters, then you know every year there is always a 2-day mini lobster season that falls on the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday in July. That precedes the 8 month long regular lobster season in August. The August dates are always August 6 through March 31. This July you are going to want to call off for the mini lobster season. Tell your boss you have come down with lobster fever!
Remember that there is a bag limit of 6-12 lobsters per person per day. The Ingman Marine family wishes you the best of luck!
