Sheepshead regulations

Fiddler crabs, shrimp and barnacles fished tight to pilings, bridges, jetties and reefs. Winter spawning aggregations are the best time.

Applies to: Gulf and Atlantic State Waters

Species / zone	Season	Size	Bag	Notes
Sheepshead Statewide	open now Open year-round	12" total length	8 per person Vessel Limit: 50 per trip during March and April	Legal Gear: hook and line, cast net, seine, spear or gig Illegal Gear: Harvest prohibited by or with the use of any multiple hook in conjunction with live or dead natural bait; Snatching prohibited State regulations extend into federal waters. Vessel limit of 50 per trip applies during March and April. Special regulations apply for this species when fishing in Biscayne National Park.

Oysters have closed seasons, bag limits, size limits and can only be legally harvested in specific shellfish harvesting areas that are classified as "approved" or "conditionally approved" and in the "open" status. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Aquaculture manages these shellfish harvesting areas.
Barnacles do not have size limits or specified bag limits, which means that you can harvest up to 100 pounds per person per day with a recreational saltwater fishing license and you can use them to chum sheepshead. You can also simply scrape them off bridge piles and allow them to sink and attract sheepshead. Do not scrape barnacles from private docks or other private structures without permission of the property owner.

Source: FWC, extracted 2026-10-29.

Seasonal pattern

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec