Scallop Season Summary and Report

Dates

The open harvest season is July 1 through September 10 of each year.

Region

Bay scallop harvest is only allowed in the Gulf of Mexico from north of the Pasco-Hernando County Line (28.26.016 North at the Aripeka boat ramp) and east and southeast of a line extending due south from the west bank at the mouth of Mexico Beach Canal in Bay County (85.25.84 West). It is illegal to possess bay scallops on the water outside of the allowable harvesting area (see map above).

Catch Restrictions

Bay scallops shall only be harvested by hand or by or with the use of a landing or dip net. Each harvester of bay scallops is subject to a bag limit of 2 gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell or 1 pint of shucked bay scallop meat per day; provided, however, that no more than 10 gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell, or ½ gallon of shucked bay scallop meat shall be possessed aboard any vessel at any time. (in any situation involving the simultaneous possession of whole bay scallops in the shell and shucked bay scallops meat, the meat possessed shall be converted to its “in the shell” equivalent by counting each pint of meat as 2 gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell).

No person shall purchase, sell, or exchange any bay scallop, or harvest any bay scallop for commercial purposes (except bay scallops that have been legally harvested in another state and have entered Florida in interstate commerce, with proper paperwork).

The Early Report

A recent pre-season survey conducted by Dr. Bill Arnold with the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) indicates that there are no “hot spots” this year and concludes that is probably be a fair, but not an exceptional year for bay scallop harvest. The usual spots (St. Joseph Bay, Steinhatchee, and Homosassa/Crystal Rive) will yield bay scallops, but harvesters will probably have to work for their scallops. Early reports from Steinhatchee reveal few if any scallops and word on the water is to start searching in deeper water (8 - 11 ft. )

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