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BoatFlorida Gulf State Waters: Sarasota Bay RegionSheepshead · Open

Buttonwood Harbor

27.38°N · 82.63°W

Species

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14-Day Forecast

Data from: ECMWF + GFS + BlueCaster
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24-Hour Conditions

All times EDT

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Conditions
Time
1 PM
Now
Score
76
Good
Tide
0.1 ft ▲
Flooding
Current
—
Flood
Wind
9 kn
E · steady
Sea state
Easy
1 ft chop
Air temp
78°
Warm
Weather
Partly cloudy
31% cloud
Hour 1 PM. Score 76 Good. Tide 0.1ft Rising ▲. Current +0.7kn Flood. Wind 9kn E G16. Sea 1 ft chop Easy. Air 77.5°.

Why this score

Current
Slack
Prime

Current regulations

In effect now

What you can keep at this spot today

Sheepshead
Retention open
Daily limit
8 per day
Possession
Not published
Size
Minimum 12"
Gear
Legal: hook and line, cast net, seine, spear or gig. Illegal: multiple hooks with live or dead natural bait; snatching.
Annual quota
Not published
Other
Minimum 12 in total length. Vessel limit 50 per trip during March and April. State regulations extend into federal waters. Special regulations apply in Biscayne National Park (not relevant here).
Other species here
Red Drum Retention openCommon Snook Retention openSpanish Mackerel Retention openGray Snapper Retention openSpotted Seatrout Retention open
Always check with FWC ↗

Source: FWC · Florida Gulf State Waters: Sarasota Bay Region · synced today

Seasonality

52-week view · today highlighted

When Sheepshead is best at this spot

Shoulder seasonShoulder season for Sheepshead
~2 more weeks in shoulder
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Peak seasonShoulder seasonOff season

SPOT PROFILE

DEPTH
3-12 ft
Mud
STRUCTURE
Bay
Inner Protected

Nearby Spots

View all on map →

Other productive spots within easy run

Walker Reef
Florida Gulf State Waters: Sarasota Bay Region
83
Top: SheepsheadSHOULDER SEASON
Sheepshead 83 · Gray Snapper 83 · Spotted Seatrout 83
0006121824
11 kt E
H 2:34 AM · 0.7 m
L — · 0.0 m
Hart Family Reef (#2)
Florida Gulf State Waters: Sarasota Bay Region
81
Top: Red DrumPEAK SEASON
Red Drum 81 · Sheepshead 81 · Spanish Mackerel 81
0006121824
11 kt E
H 2:34 AM · 0.7 m
L — · 0.0 m
Alan Fisher Reef
Florida Gulf State Waters: Sarasota Bay Region
81
Top: Spanish MackerelPEAK SEASON
Spanish Mackerel 81 · Sheepshead 81 · Gray Snapper 81
0006121824
11 kt E
H 2:34 AM · 0.7 m
L — · 0.0 m
Bird Key Park
Florida Gulf State Waters: Sarasota Bay Region
81
Top: Common SnookOFF SEASON
Common Snook 81 · Spotted Seatrout 81 · Red Drum 81
0006121824
11 kt E
H 2:34 AM · 0.7 m
L — · 0.0 m

About Buttonwood Harbor

Buttonwood Harbor is a protected inner bay in the Sarasota Bay region of Florida's Gulf state waters, with a mud bottom and depths of 5 to 10 feet. Common Snook peak from May through July, Gray Snapper from June through August, and Red Drum from September through October, while Sheepshead round out the resident lineup. Spanish Mackerel move through in two windows, March through May and again September through November, when casting small spoons, jigs, and plugs works the open water. Snook respond to live bait fishing with live pilchards, live pinfish, and live shrimp, and paddletail swimbaits and soft plastic jerkbaits cover the same shallow mud flats. Red Drum cruise the protected shallows for sight casting with gold spoons and live pilchards, and bottom fishing with cut mullet or live shrimp reaches them in the deeper stretches near 10 feet.

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Buttonwood Harbor is one of the spots we track around Sarasota. More spots in Sarasota · All of Florida.

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