Red grouper fishing out of Clearwater: season and setting
Red grouper fishing out of Clearwater goes on most of the year, mostly in about 80 to 120 ft over hard bottom and coral reef. Every distance and bearing on this page is measured from Clearwater Pass, the Gulf inlet that serves the Clearwater port page grounds. The wider picture is in the red grouper fishing in the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico fishing guide.
For biology and the wider picture, see the red grouper guide. This page covers how far to run, how deep to fish and which bearing to take. It doesn’t promise fish; it helps you decide where to look.
Where boats run for red grouper
Bigger red grouper out of Clearwater sit farther offshore, so boats run past the shallow reefs toward about 80 to 120 ft of hard bottom and coral reef. Short fish are common on the inside structure, and keepers are found beyond it.
Nearshore fish and size
Close to shore, many red grouper are undersized (20 inch minimum), so a bucket of fish from the shallow reefs often yields nothing you can keep. Going farther and deeper solves this; a different bait won’t. Current limits are in the Regulations section below.
The 80 to 120 ft zone
FishEye targets red grouper over hard bottom and coral reef in about 80 to 120 ft. Every named reef and ledge in the next section sits in 20 to 55 ft, shallower than this zone, so none of them are keeper grounds.
Longer runs for bigger fish
Stella says the larger red grouper live farther offshore, reached on 8, 10 and 12 hour trips. Read Stella Fishing Co. trips as a signal that the fish are a long way past the pass. We don’t convert those hours to miles, because speed and stops vary by boat.
Named grounds and structure off Clearwater Pass
The named reefs and ledges off Clearwater Pass run from 20 to 55 ft and 5.0 to 14.3 mi out.
| Name | Type | Depth (ft) | Distance (mi) from Clearwater Pass | Bearing (degrees) from Clearwater Pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sand Key Reef | reef | 20 | 5.0 | 194 |
| Clearwater Reef | reef | 27-32 | 5.0 | 311 |
| Loggerhead Ledge | ledge | 40 | 9.4 | – |
| Rube Alan Reef | reef | 50 | 12.0 | 260 |
| Veteran Reef | reef | 45 | 12.8 | 300 |
| Gregs Ledge | ledge | 55 | 13.8 | 289 |
| Indian Shores Reef | reef | 42 | 14.3 | 238 |
| Dunedin Reef | reef | 27-33 | – | – |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
The inside reefs are where short fish are found. The ledges and reefs at the far end of the table are the deepest named structure here, and they still stop short of 80 ft. Use them as reference marks on the way to the target depth rather than as the destination.
For the wider reef fish picture, see the reef fish guides. You can lay these grounds out as waypoints on Chart Contours in Breakpoint to plan the run. Chart layers are not for navigation.
How red grouper are fished locally
Red grouper here are bottom fished with live or cut bait, at anchor or drifting.
Bait
Local boats use squid, sardines, pinfish and grunts, fished live or cut.
Anchor or drift
Both are used over hard bottom. Boats set an anchor on a mark or drift across it.
Who fishes red grouper out of Clearwater
Clearwater grouper charters that list red grouper include Double Eagle, Stella Fishing Co., Reel Deal and FishEye.
- Double Eagle: Double Eagle Deep Sea Fishing runs Double Eagle II and Double Eagle III.
- Stella Fishing Co.: Its 8, 10 and 12 hour trips are the long runs described above.
- Reel Deal: Reel Deal Sportfishing in Clearwater runs Reel Deal and Reel Deal II, both 34 ft diesel sportfishers.
- FishEye: Capt. Brandon Fraley is named as the author of its fishing reports.
The fleet’s longer trips agree with the depth figures: the fishing is past the shallow structure.
FAQ: red grouper fishing out of Clearwater
When are red grouper fished out of Clearwater?
Most of the year.
How far do boats run for bigger red grouper?
Past the 20 to 55 ft named reefs and ledges toward 80 to 120 ft. Stella reaches the larger fish on 8, 10 and 12 hour trips.
What depth do locals target?
About 80 to 120 ft over hard bottom and coral reef, per FishEye.
What bait works for red grouper here?
Squid, sardines, pinfish and grunts, live or cut.
Do boats anchor or drift?
Both. Boats bottom fish at anchor or drifting.
Where do I check conditions before running out of Clearwater Pass?
Use the NDBC station CWBF1 page for Clearwater Beach (27.978N 82.832W), which is also NOAA tide station 8726724. Read wind, wave height and period there, and check the official marine forecast. CWBF1 is a shore station and does not show conditions out at 80 to 120 ft.
