June 10, 2021
By Florida Sportsman Editor
Bay scallop season opens June 15 between the Fenholloway and Suwannee rivers
Successful Scalloping. Carol Lyn Parrish, South Region FWC photo
Other 2021 season dates
Additional bay scallop season dates are as follows:
St. Joseph Bay/Gulf County: Aug. 16 through Sept. 24. This region includes all state waters from the Mexico Beach Canal in Bay County to the westernmost point of St. Vincent Island in Franklin County.
Franklin County through northwestern Taylor County (including Carrabelle, Lanark and St. Marks) : July 1 through Sept. 24. This region includes all state waters from the westernmost point of St. Vincent Island in Franklin County to the mouth of the Fenholloway River in Taylor County.
Levy, Citrus and Hernando counties (including Cedar Key, Crystal River and Homosassa) : July 1 through Sept. 24. This region includes all state waters from the mouth of the Suwannee River in Levy County to the Hernando – Pasco county line.
Pasco County : Open for 10 days starting the third Friday in July (July 16-25, 2021). This region includes all state waters south of the Hernando – Pasco county line and north of the Anclote Key Lighthouse, including all waters of the Anclote River.
Other Regulations
Scallops may be collected by hand or with a landing or dip net.
There is no commercial harvest allowed for bay scallops in Florida.
Direct and continuous transit of legally-harvested bay scallops is now allowed through closed areas. Boaters may not stop their vessels in waters that are closed to harvest and must proceed directly to the dock or ramp to land scallops in a closed area.
For information on
bay scallop regulations , visit
MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on “Saltwater Fishing,” “Recreational Regulations” and “Bay Scallops.”
Boater and scalloper safety
Be safe when diving for scallops. Wear a life jacket when underway and do not drink and boat. When scalloping in open water, divers should stay within 300 feet of a properly displayed divers-down flag or device, and within 100 feet of a properly displayed divers-down flag or device if on a river, inlet or navigation channel. Boat operators traveling within 300 feet of a divers-down flag or device in open water or within 100 feet of one on a river, inlet or navigational channel must slow to idle speed.
For more information , visit
MyFWC.com/Boating/Regulations and click on “Divers-down Warning Devices.”
Stow it, don't throw it
Please
do not discard scallop shells in inshore waters commonly used for recreational activities such as near boat ramps or swimming areas. Piles of discarded scallop shells can create hazards for swimmers and damage seagrass habitat.
Scallop shells can be discarded in a trash receptacle or in larger bodies of water where they are more likely to disperse.
Citizen Science
Done for the day? Help FWC's scallop researchers by
completing an online survey at
svy.mk/bayscallops . Harvesters can indicate where they harvested scallops, how many they collected and how long it took to harvest them. Participants can email BayScallops@MyFWC.com to ask questions or send additional information.
Learn more about long-term abundance trends in the open and closed scalloping areas by visiting
MyFWC.com/Research and clicking on “Saltwater,” “Bay Scallops” and “Bay Scallop Season and Abundance Survey.”
