A picture of Crystal River Florida Fishing Adventures Updated 2024 Guide To Florida Scalloping

Last Updated on September 10, 2024 by Eric Bonneman

Every summer, along Florida’s coastline, scalloping season kicks off on the scalloping grounds located between Gulf and Pasco Counties. It’s not just tourists lining up for this—locals, families, and adventurers of all kinds are all over it. It is an underwater scavenger hunt for some of the best-tasting morsels found along the ocean floor.

The best part is that this takes place in shallow and easy to access areas. Scalloping takes minimal gear, little experience, and is a great way to spend a warm summer day. A simple snorkel set, a mesh bag for collecting those scallops, and maybe a pair of fins—that’s about all the equipment you need. And even if you’ve never done it before, you’ll pick it up fast. It’s just swimming around, enjoying the sunshine and the water, while you scoop up scallops from the seafloor.

The 2024 Florida Scalloping Season

The Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission has set the season dates for the 2024 Scalloping Season. There are a few different regulated areas and each have their own specific dates.

2024 Scalloping Season Dates By Florida County

The scalloping season dates by county are as follows:

St. Joseph Bay & Gulf County: Aug. 16-Sept. 24, 2024
Franklin County through northwestern Taylor County (including Carrabelle, Lanark, and St. Marks): July 1 through Sept. 24, 2024
Fenholloway through Suwannee Rivers Zone (including Keaton Beach and the Steinhatchee area): June 15 through Labor Day 2024
Levy, Citrus, and Hernando counties (including Cedar Key, Crystal River, and Homosassa): July 1 through Sept. 24, 2024
Pasco County: (UPDATED) Heads up! The Pasco scalloping zone is temporarily CLOSED to harvest for the 2024 season as of July 24.

Tip: With the Pasco zone closed, out nearby Citrus or Hernando counties. Both areas have beautiful, clear waters and plenty of scallops waiting to be scooped up. Plus, the season there runs through late September, so you’ve still got plenty of time.

The FWC Regional Bay Scallops Season Map For 2024

To better understand where these areas are, here is the official FWC Scalloping Season Map:

Closed Harvest Areas

The FWC has closed harvest areas labeled “study areas” where Bay Scallop populations are considered to be in a fragile state and are monitored. These waters need a break to let the scallop populations do their thing and rebuild. These areas are:

Pensacola Bay (Santa Rosa and Escambia Counties)
St. Andrew Bay (Bay County)
Anclote (Pasco and Pinellas Counties)
Tampa Bay (Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Manatee Counties)
Pine Island Sound (Lee County)

*The FWC does allow the direct transit of legally harvested bay scallops through closed areas.

It’s important to note that while direct harvesting in these areas is prohibited, the FWC does permit the direct transit of legally harvested bay scallops through these zones. This means you can still pass through these areas with scallops collected from other open regions, provided you adhere to all the legal guidelines and restrictions.

All About Bay Scallops

Bay Scallops (scientific name Argopecten irradians) are found along Florida’s Gulf Coast spanning between Pensacola and the Florida Keys. Alongside, there are smaller, more localized, populations that can be found in Florida Bay. Most of these areas have a very delicate balance between ecology and populations which is why you cannot harvest Bay Scallops from all of these locations. Changes in water quality, seagrass health, predation, and many other environmental factors can affect scallop populations year-to-year.

Always remember to check the latest regulations and closed areas before planning your scalloping trip. (See “Closed Harvest Areas” above. For more information about 2024 Florida scalloping rules and regulations, continue reading further down in this article.)

What Is a Bay Scallop?

A Bay Scallop is a Mollusk that falls into the class Bivalve. Bivalves are simply shelled creatures with two halves.

Scallops aren’t deep-sea dwellers, they like it shallow. You’ll find them hanging out in seagrass beds, usually between 4 and 8 feet deep, right where the sunlight dances through the water. These underwater meadows provide food, as scallops are filter-feeders, as well as camouflage from predators like starfish and crabs.

Starfish, or sea stars, are especially skilled hunters of scallops. They are patient and persistent, using their multiple arms to slowly envelop and pry open the scallop’s tightly clamped shells. Once successful, the starfish extends its stomach inside the shell to consume its soft-bodied prey, leaving behind only the empty halves of the scallop’s shell. Crabs take a more forceful approach. With their strong claws, they can simply crack open a scallop’s shell, reaching the tender meat with brutal efficiency.

They’ve got around 18 pairs of bright blue eyes lining the edges of their mantles. These aren’t just for show; they help the scallop detect motion and light, aiding in their defense against predators. Yep—a bivalve that can actually “see” what’s around it!

They’ve got a neat trick for feeding: They crack their shells open just a bit to filter out tiny bits of organic material and algae from the water—sifting through their food and picking out the good stuff.

Bay Scallops also have a unique way of moving through the water. Unlike their bivalve cousins who might just sit tight in the mud, scallops can swim! They can perform surprising bursts of speed by clapping their shells together, jetting water to propel themselves backward. This is the main survival tactic they use to escape threats. The sudden motion can dislodge a tenacious starfish or startle a crab, giving the scallop a chance to escape to denser seagrass or deeper waters.

When it comes to size, these scallops can puff up to about 3 1/2 inches, but that’s on the heftier side. Down here in Florida, most of the Bay Scallops you’ll scoop up are just a bit smaller, typically maxing out around a respectable 3 inches. Scallops’ lives are quick ones—while they can live up to 2 years under the right conditions, most only make it to about a year, especially if they’re in a popular scalloping spot.

How To I.D. a Bay Scallop

Most of us have a pretty decent picture of what a scallop, in general, looks like – similar to the Shell Gas Station logo.

Their top shell is usually a dark color, to aid in camouflage from above, while the bottom half is more of a bright yellow or orange color. They also have several bright blue eyes that can be seen from a short distance, while their shell is cracked open. As you approach closer, they will close these and the string of little blue dots will disappear.

Tip: If you get too close, a bay scallop will react by snapping its shells shut, causing the blue eyes to disappear and making itself harder to spot.

As mentioned, if a Bay Scallop feels threatened, it can propel itself backward away from the incoming threat. By rapidly clapping its shells together, it will jet water out and propel itself in reverse, away from potential danger. This surprising burst of movement often allows the scallop to escape from hungry fish (or in this case, scallopers).

2024 Florida Scalloping Regulations

Due to Bay Scallop populations in each individual area as found by the FWC’s population surveys, there are a few regulations that you must be aware of. Also, commercial harvesting of Bay Scallops is not currently allowed, only recreational harvesters are permitted.

License Requirements

Scalloping in Florida is considered a form of fishing. And so, it requires a Florida Saltwater Fishing License. As stated by the FWC, “(A saltwater fishing license is) required to take or attempt to take saltwater fish, crabs, clams, marine plants or other saltwater organisms.” Thus, despite it not being the traditional ‘line-and-hook’ type of fishing that might first come to mind, a saltwater fishing license is required to scallop in the State of Florida.

The current rates are as follows:

Resident Annual: $17.00
Resident Five-Year: $79.00
Non-Resident Annual: $47.00
Non-Resident 3-Day: $17.00
Non-Resident 7-Day: $30.00

(Note: These rates were last checked and updated in August 2024.)

For those who will be hiring a local fishing guide, who is a licensed Captain in Florida, your fishing license is already covered during your trip—you will not need to purchase your own. This is because licensed Captains in Florida have the ability to cover their passengers under their own permits. This simplifies things significantly and makes sure everyone aboard is compliant with local fishing regulations.

Gear Requirements

The FWC has set a few basic gear regulations, and the overall required gear list is fairly short (and inexpensive). These are listed below under the How To Harvest Bay Scallops section.

*According to FWC – harvest is only allowed by hand or by using a landing/dip net.

Bag Limits

Bag limits for scalloping can vary from one area to another, just like the dates for scallop season. It’s important to remember that there aren’t any rules about the size of the scallops you can collect – there’s no minimum or maximum size. However, the number of scallops you’re allowed to actually take home is restricted. These limits are in place to prevent overharvesting.

Also, vessel limits do not allow you to exceed personal limits. In other words, the limit applies to each person individually, and you can’t exceed this limit, even if you’re on a boat with other people. You also cannot combine limits with other passengers.

Gulf Through NW Taylor Counties and Levy through Pasco Counties

Each person can have up to 2 gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell (or 1 pint of bay scallop meat, shucked). The vessel maximum is 10 gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell (or 1/2 gallon bay scallop meat, shucked).

Fenholloway through Suwannee River Zone

*This area has changing bag limits based on dates.

June 15-30, 2024:
Each person can have up to 1 gallon of whole bay scallops in the shell (or one cup meat, shucked). The vessel maximum limit is 5 gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell (or two pints meat, shucked).

July 1-Labor Day 2024:
Each person can have up to 2 gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell (or 1 pint of bay scallop meat, shucked). The vessel maximum limit is 10 gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell (or 1/2 gallon bay scallop meat, shucked).

Dive Flag Requirements

For a safe and successful scalloping adventure, proper use of a dive flag is important. It’s a critical safety measure, mandated by law in many states including right here in Florida. A dive flag serves as a signal to alert nearby boaters that there are divers or snorkelers in the water, which is especially important in popular scalloping grounds where boat traffic can be heavy. The flag used for this purpose has a distinct design to make it easily recognizable—red with a white diagonal stripe running from the top left corner to the bottom right.

By raising a dive flag, you communicate to other watercraft to steer clear and maintain a safe distance, typically a minimum of 300 feet in open water and 100 feet in rivers, inlets, or channels. When diving, it should be displayed whenever a member of your group is in the water. As soon as everyone is back on board, the flag should be lowered to indicate that the area is clear. Scalloping with no dive flag can result in hefty fines (even if people are only wading) but more importantly, it can compromise the safety of those in the water.

Best Practices

Visibility & Placement: The dive flag must be visible from all directions. It should be placed on the highest point of the vessel or on a buoy close to the diving activity to ensure it is seen from a distance.
Local Laws: In Florida, the laws are specific and strict about the use of dive flags. Fines for non-compliance can be significant, underlining the importance the state places on water safety.
Communication: Aside from legal requirements, using a dive flag is a good practice for effective communication on the water. It alerts all nearby vessels to the presence of divers and significantly reduces the risk of accidents.
Education: It is advisable for all members of a diving party, especially those new to the activity, to understand the significance and the correct use of a dive flag. Awareness can be the difference between a safe trip and a dangerous situation.
Respect for the Flag: All boaters, whether they are part of your group or not, are required by law to slow down and maintain a safe distance from the dive flag.

Scallop Shell Disposal

First-time scallopers often ask how to dispose of scalloping shells. We encourage everyone to help preserve our inshore waters, such as the Homosassa River and Crystal River.

Consider the impact of discarded shells in areas like these that are used for recreation, as they can unintentionally pose risks for swimmers and can damage local seagrass habitats. Discarded scallop shells can create problems along the beaches and shallows along our beautiful local rivers, left-behind shells can be more than just unsightly. They can pose physical hazards to swimmers—sharp edges can cause cuts and bruises. More importantly, when scallop shells accumulate, they can disrupt the local seagrass habitats.

Disposal of scallop shells either in a trash receptacle or in larger bodies of water, where they can disperse more effectively, is preferred. Shells left in shallow, frequented areas, like the sandy shores near Hunter Springs or the clear waters around Three Sisters Springs can be very problematic. They can pose physical risks to swimmers and snorkelers and may also damage the delicate seagrass beds that are vital for the local ecosystem.

The simplest and often the best way to dispose of scallop shells is by using trash receptacles. Many scalloping spots are equipped with designated bins for shell disposal.

If you are disposing of shells directly back into the water, consider doing so in deeper waters where they can disperse naturally over a wider area, minimizing the impact on any single habitat. This can help in areas where natural shell deposition contributes to the marine calcium cycle, supporting the growth of other bivalves and marine organisms.

Important: Always check local guidelines and regulations regarding shell disposal. Some areas might have specific rules based on ongoing conservation efforts or the particular needs of the habitat.

How To Harvest Bay Scallops

Harvesting Bay Scallops is a fun and fairly easy method of fishing. While doing so, in many of the scalloping locations, you will be immersed in amazing natural surroundings and have the opportunity to swim with sea life. Spotting turtles, manatees, and dolphins are all possibilities along Florida’s gulf coastline.

Method

Once on the scalloping grounds, the hunt begins. Scallopers hit the water and hunt the bottom looking for scallops. In general, once the first is spotted many more can be harvested from that immediate area. While in the water, most choose a mesh bag to store their catch of scallops while swimming around, they are then transferred to a cooler once back on the boat.

Once you’ve run out of scallops in that spot, you move to the next (unless you’ve already hit your bag limit).

How to Go Scalloping (Step by Step)

Arrival at Scalloping Grounds: Begin by navigating to the designated scalloping area, typically identified through local guides or maps. Many opt to go with a charter service for this part, as they’re experts in pinpointing the best locations quickly and safely. If you’re heading out with a charter, your captain will navigate directly to the designated scalloping areas.
Entering the Water: Suit up with your snorkeling gear and prepare to enter the water. Ensure that your dive flag is visible to signal your presence to other boaters.
The Hunt Begins: Start searching the seafloor for scallops. Scallops can often blend in with the seabed, so look closely for their distinctive shell shape and the slight opening between the shells.
First Find: Once you spot the first scallop, inspect the surrounding area closely. Scallops tend to cluster, so finding one often means there are more nearby.
Collecting Scallops: Use a mesh bag to collect the scallops. This allows the water to flow through while securely holding your catch.
Storing the Catch: After collecting a number of scallops, return to your boat to transfer them from the mesh bag to a cooler. This helps keep the scallops fresh until you’re ready to head back.
Moving On: If the scallops in the current spot seem to be depleted, and you haven’t reached your bag limit, move to another location within the scalloping grounds and repeat the process.
Monitoring Your Catch: Keep track of the number of scallops in your cooler to ensure compliance with local bag limits.
Return to Shore: Once you have reached your bag limit or are ready to call it a day, head back to shore with your catch.
Cleaning and Prep: Back on shore, clean your scallops if you plan to prepare them yourself or have them cleaned professionally if available.

Gear

To get in the water and harvest scallops, you really don’t need much. You mostly just need to be able to get around and see in the water. Basic snorkel gear covers these needs.

Here is a complete list:

Mask
Snorkel
Fins
Mesh Net (to store your harvest)
Dive Flag (for safety)

Florida Scalloping Grounds

The areas in which scallops are found along Florida’s Gulf coast are based around localized populations. They each share some common characteristics that you should be on the lookout for. These include shallow depths (4-6 feet of water) and dense grass bottoms. These underwater “meadows” are made up of species including turtle grass, manatee grass, and shoal grass, which are essential for young scallops, offering them shelter from predators as well as good feeding grounds.

We on the Gulf Coast also experience natural fluctuations that can affect our local scallop populations. Seasonal temperature changes, salinity levels, and predator presence are all factors that can influence scallop numbers. For example, an increase in predator populations such as crabs and fish can lead to a decrease in scallop numbers, whereas an unexpectedly mild winter can promote survival and growth. Scallops require clean, clear waters to thrive, as they are filter feeders. The clarity of the water affects their ability to feed on plankton and other small particles suspended in the water. Regions along the Gulf Coast are monitored for water quality, and efforts such as reducing runoff and preserving wetlands are crucial to maintaining the clarity and health of these waters.

Crystal River, Florida

Crystal River is one of the most popular destinations for visitors to the state, as well as locals within the state looking for nearby scalloping grounds. This part of Florida is located along The Nature Coast. Here, there is an amazing inshore ecosystem that provides both amazing scallop habitat as well as wildlife viewing and immersion opportunities. The scallop populations are healthy and the water is clear and temperate. You can learn more about our guided scalloping trips, here.

Homosassa, Florida

Homosassa is another popular destination for much the same reason as Crystal River. To add, both areas have expansive beds of seagrass and are river-fed. Homosassa has a more historic Florida vibe and appeals to those looking for that experience. Scalloping combines well with the Old Florida feel of the area, offering an experience that’s as cultural as it is natural.

Homosassa is famous for the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, where visitors coming to scallop can go see Florida panthers, black bears, red wolves, and a variety of bird species.

Port St. Joe, Florida

Port St. Joe is located between Mexico Beach and Cape San Blas. This area is considered “The Forgotten Coast” and can provide a great scalloping experience.

Interestingly, as of the last population count performed in 2019 by the FWC – scallop populations have exploded in this area.

Fun fact: This was once the site of the second largest mill in the world for processing longleaf yellow pine, Port St. Joe was a major player in the naval stores industry.

Keaton Beach, Florida

Located within Taylor County, Keaton Beach is another popular scalloping destination. The grass beds here are expansive (made up of both Manatee and Turtle grass). This area can also get crowded with boats where scallops are found, for best results you may want to consult with a local in order to find areas with less competition on the scalloping grounds.

Tip: The fishing tournaments around here also attract fishermen from across the country who target redfish, trout, and cobia.

Hernando Beach, Florida

Hernando Beach, located in Hernando County within the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, is considered the furthest south area to find prime scalloping grounds. This area is home to nearly 250,000 acres of coastal grass beds where scallops thrive.

This is also part of the same ecology that is shared by its neighbors to the north, Crystal River and Homosassa. However, Hernando Beach is unique in that it offers opportunities further south than most other scalloping grounds, extending the geographical range for those seeking this experience.

Resources

If you are looking for more info, we have a few resources below for you to dive further into.

Hiring A Local Guide

This is an important topic as it can make or break your scalloping trip. Hiring a guide is one of the best ways to go scalloping for both visitors and those new to this type of fishing. It takes local knowledge and study to know where to head for a day of scalloping and local guides are your key. When looking for a guide you will want to find one who is a USCG licensed Captain, has years of experience in your chosen area, and has a list of verifiable reviews that are easily found on 3rd party websites.

We offer guided scalloping trips in Crystal River and meet all of the above-mentioned requirements. You can even reserve your scalloping adventure online, and in real-time – here. If you need help planning or have any further questions regarding guided scalloping trips in Crystal River – Contact Us.

Important Links

FWC Scallop Regulations

FWC Bay Scallop Overview

Florida Fishing License

Updated 2024 Guide To Florida Scalloping