Phenomena Atlas · Live tracker

Florida scallop season, zone by zone.

FWC opens five Gulf zones on a staggered summer calendar — a rolling treasure hunt down the coast from St. Joe Bay to Pasco. The bag limit is written per vessel, so the whole season runs on boats. Here's the plan, with countdowns.

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Zones5

SeasonJun 15 – Sep 24

Vessel limit10 gal

Live zone board

Five zones. One staggered summer.

4 of 5 zones open today. Next change: St. Joe Bay opens in 29 days.

St. Joe Bay

St. Joseph Bay & Gulf County

Opens in 29 days

Aug 16 – Sep 24, 2026FWC window: “Aug. 16 – Sept. 24”

State waters from the Mexico Beach Canal (Bay County) to the westernmost point of St. Vincent Island (Franklin County)

Per vessel: max 10 gal whole in shell (or ½ gal meat) · per person: 2 gal whole (or 1 pint meat)

Apalachicola NERR — RV guide Florida campgrounds we cover Find a boat

Franklin coast

Franklin – Northwest Taylor

Open · 68 days left

Jul 1 – Sep 24, 2026FWC window: “July 1 through Sept. 24”

Carrabelle · Lanark · St. MarksFWC-named launch areas

Per vessel: max 10 gal whole in shell (or ½ gal meat) · per person: 2 gal whole (or 1 pint meat)

Apalachicola NERR — RV guide Florida in June — month guide Find a boat

Steinhatchee

Fenholloway – Suwannee Rivers

Open · 51 days left

Jun 15 – Sep 7, 2026FWC window: “June 15 through Labor Day” — Labor Day 2026 falls on September 7.

Keaton Beach · SteinhatcheeFWC-named launch areas

Per vessel: max 10 gal whole in shell (or ½ gal meat) · per person: 2 gal whole (or 1 pint meat)Jun 15–Jun 30: reduced limits — 1 gal whole (or 1 cup shucked) per person · 5 gal whole (or 2 pints shucked) per vessel.

Florida campgrounds we cover Florida in June — month guide Find a boat

Crystal River

Levy – Citrus – Hernando

Open · 68 days left

Jul 1 – Sep 24, 2026FWC window: “July 1 through Sept. 24”

Cedar Key · Crystal River · HomosassaFWC-named launch areas

Per vessel: max 10 gal whole in shell (or ½ gal meat) · per person: 2 gal whole (or 1 pint meat)

Tampa RV base Orlando RV base Find a boat

Pasco

Pasco Zone

Open · 31 days left

Jul 10 – Aug 18, 2026FWC window: “July 10 – Aug. 18”

Pasco County Gulf coast

Per vessel: max 10 gal whole in shell (or ½ gal meat) · per person: 2 gal whole (or 1 pint meat)

Tampa RV base Florida campgrounds we cover Find a boat

FWC — Recreational Bay Scallops · checked July 17, 2026

Status computes on your device from the FWC calendar — verify with FWC before you launch; rules can change mid-season.

The vessel rule

The bag limit is per vessel. This is a boat trip.

FWC writes the cap per boat, not per cooler: “Maximum of 10 gallons of whole bay scallops in shell or 1/2 gallon bay scallop meat” — one number the whole crew shares. That makes the boat itself the trip's real equipment on the seagrass flats off Steinhatchee or Crystal River. Pair it with an RV basecamp and the rig carries the cooler home.

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The rules, straight from FWC

“Bay scallops may only be harvested in state waters.”
“Harvest permitted only by hand or by using a landing or dip net.”
Standard limits — per person: 2 gallons of whole bay scallops in shell or 1 pint of bay scallop meat. Per vessel: maximum of 10 gallons of whole bay scallops in shell or 1/2 gallon bay scallop meat.
A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt, or you use the no-cost shoreline license while wading from shore without swimming, snorkeling or diving.

FWC — Recreational Bay Scallops · checked July 17, 2026 FWC dive & boating safety rules

Plan it like a local

Florida RV rentalsThe rig that hauls the cooler, the trailer and the crew.Florida in JuneNOAA-cited conditions for the earliest zone weeks.Florida campgroundsAgency-cited basecamps with fees and booking windows.Apalachicola NERRThe estuary behind the Franklin-coast launch towns.Tide pool almanacMore shallow-water hunting, cited coast by coast.Phenomena AtlasEvery tracker and seasonal field guide we publish.

Calendar collision: 2026 international soccer tournament — Miami matches, Jun 15 – Jul 18 — the same weeks the first four zones are open. If your dates touch the tournament window, lock the rig first. Event trip plan

Scallop season, answered

When is Florida scallop season 2026?

FWC opens five Gulf zones on a staggered calendar. St. Joseph Bay & Gulf County (State waters from the Mexico Beach Canal (Bay County) to the westernmost point of St. Vincent Island (Franklin County)): Aug 16 – Sep 24, 2026. Franklin – Northwest Taylor (Franklin County through northwest Taylor County): Jul 1 – Sep 24, 2026. Fenholloway – Suwannee Rivers (Fenholloway through Suwannee Rivers zone): Jun 15 – Sep 7, 2026. Levy – Citrus – Hernando (Levy, Citrus and Hernando counties): Jul 1 – Sep 24, 2026. Pasco Zone (Pasco County Gulf coast): Jul 10 – Aug 18, 2026. Dates per the FWC recreational bay scallop page — always re-check it before you launch.

Which scallop zone opens first?

The Fenholloway–Suwannee zone (Keaton Beach and Steinhatchee) opens first, June 15 — with FWC's reduced bag limits through June 30, then standard limits July 1 through Labor Day (September 7 in 2026).

How many scallops can we keep?

FWC's standard limit is 2 gallons of whole bay scallops in shell or 1 pint of bay scallop meat per person, and a maximum of 10 gallons of whole bay scallops in shell or 1/2 gallon bay scallop meat — the vessel cap is the binding number for a full boat.

Do I need a fishing license to scallop?

A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt, or you use the no-cost shoreline license while wading from shore without swimming, snorkeling or diving. Harvest permitted only by hand or by using a landing or dip net — no mechanical harvest.

Do I need a boat to go scalloping?

Some people wade from shore — FWC's no-cost shoreline license exists for exactly that — but the productive seagrass flats sit offshore, most crews go by boat, and the 10-gallon bag limit is written per vessel. That's why this tracker pairs every zone with boat rentals and an RV basecamp.

Zone dates and limits verified against the FWC recreational bay scallop page on July 17, 2026. FWC publishes these zones as standing annual windows and announces any rule changes before each season — always re-check the official page before harvesting. Next season's page updates the day FWC posts changes.