The 2023 recreational bay scallop season for Franklin, Wakulla, Jefferson, a portion of northwest Taylor, Levy, Citrus and Hernando Counties opens on Saturday and will remain open through Sept. 24. This includes Carrabelle, Lanark, St. Marks, Cedar Key, Crystal River and Homosassa.
The daily bag limit is 2 gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell or 1 pint of bay scallop meat per person, with a maximum of 10 gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell or 1/2 gallon (4 pints) shucked bay scallop meat per vessel.
Throughout the season and region-wide, vessel limits do not allow an individual to exceed their personal bag limit.
Other 2023 season dates
There are different regional bay scallop seasons but the regulations do allow direct and continuous transit of legally harvested bay scallops through closed areas. When transiting, 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. The other bay scallop season dates are as follows:
St. Joseph Bay/Gulf County: Aug. 16 – 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.
Pasco County: Open July 1 – Aug. 6. 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.
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.
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. Also, don’t forget to stow your trash securely on your vessel so that it doesn’t blow overboard.
Author
