The 2024 recreational bay scallop season in the Fenholloway – Suwannee River Zone will commence on June 15 and remain open through Labor Day, September 2. This area includes all state waters in Dixie County, a portion of Taylor County including Keaton Beach and Steinhatchee, and a portion of Levy County.
From June 15 to June 30, the daily bag limit is set at one gallon of whole bay scallops in the shell or one cup of shucked bay scallop meat per person, with a maximum of five gallons whole bay scallops in the shell or two pints (four cups) shucked bay scallop meat per vessel. From July 1 through Labor Day, these limits increase to two gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell or one pint of bay scallop meat per person, with a maximum of ten gallons whole bay scallops in the shell or half-gallon (four 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. Harvesting is permitted only by hand or using a landing or dip net. Commercial harvesting remains prohibited.
For detailed regulations on bay scalloping, visit MyFWC.com/Marine and navigate to “Recreational Regulations” under “Bay Scallops” within the “Crabs, Lobster and other Shellfish” tab.
A Florida saltwater fishing license is required for recreational harvesters unless exempted. Licenses can be purchased at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com, by calling toll-free at 888-FISH-FLORIDA (888-347-4356), or via the Fish|Hunt FL app available on Apple and Android devices.
Boater and diver safety measures include staying within 300 feet of a correctly displayed divers-down flag in open water or within 100 feet if on a river, inlet, or navigation channel. Boats should operate at idle speed within these distances from divers-down flags.
Regarding seagrass awareness, it is illegal to damage seagrass beds in certain areas within state waters. Boaters are advised to avoid shallow water seagrass beds and stay within marked navigation channels whenever possible due to their importance as habitats for marine life like manatees and green sea turtles.
Additionally, it is recommended not to discard scallop shells inshore near recreational areas such as boat ramps or swimming zones. Scallop shells should be disposed of properly either in trash receptacles or larger bodies of water where they can disperse safely. Ensuring trash is securely stowed on vessels helps prevent littering overboard.
