Florida Public Waters
5 notable public water bodies. Use “Fishing near me” to sort by distance.
| Water | Type | Distance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Okeechobee FL | lake | — | Legendary largemouth bass. |
| Lake Tarpon FL | lake | — | Big largemouth. |
| St. Johns River FL | river | — | Bass and crappie. |
| Florida Keys FL | coast | — | Reef and flats fishing. |
| Tampa Bay FL | bay | — |
Coordinates are approximate. Always confirm public access, boat-launch status, and local rules with the managing agency before you travel.
Spot profiles
Each profile covers the water’s type, the species recorded there, access notes, and the regulations or special rules that apply to that specific waterbody.
Lake Okeechobee
Lake Tarpon
St. Johns River
Florida Keys
Tampa Bay
Planning a trip in Florida
Everything below is drawn from FishFig's verified Florida data layer — license fees, stocking records, resolved statewide limits, and reported license-free dates. Each figure names its source.
Public waters in Florida covered here
This state hub indexes 5 notable public water bodies: 2 lakes, 1 river, 1 coast, 1 bay. The dataset is a curated list of destination waters rather than every public access point, so a productive local pond or municipal lake near you may still be missing.
Species profiles exist for 5 of the 5 tracked waters. Commonly indexed destinations include Lake Okeechobee, Lake Tarpon, St. Johns River and Florida Keys.
Use the "Fishing near me" sorter on this page to reorder the list by straight-line distance from your location. Straight-line distance is a planning estimate, not a drive time — a water 20 miles away across a ridge or a bay can take far longer to reach than one 40 miles down a highway, and seasonal closures, launch fees, and permit requirements are set by the managing agency rather than by this list.
What a Florida fishing license costs
A resident annual license for Florida is $17.00, and the non-resident annual license is $47.00 — a difference of $30.00. The non-resident rate is roughly 2.8 times the resident rate — meaning the license is usually the smallest expense in the trip budget.
Short-term options as published: 3-day $17.00; 7-day $30.00 (nonresident short-term must be purchased in person at tax collector office/agent in 2026).
At the published short-term prices, a resident annual license breaks even at about 1 three-day passes, 1 seven-day passes. Below that trip count the short-term pass is cheaper; above it the annual license is. (Break-even arithmetic from the published fees — confirm current products with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).)
Saltwater: Saltwater license $17.00 resident / $47.00 nonresident; free resident shoreline-only license (shore/structure, not from vessel); snook $10.00, spiny lobster $5.00, tarpon $51.50 permits extra; State Reef Fish Angler designation free..
Senior and reduced-rate options: Residents 65+ fish license-free year-round..
Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) — 2026 Hunting & Fishing License Fees (GoOutdoorsFlorida.com). https://myfwc.com/license/
Stocking in Florida
A statewide annual stocking total for Florida is pending verification in this dataset, so this tool shows no number rather than an estimate. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) publishes stocking by water, county, and species.
Stocking totals for Florida are pending verification. State fish agencies publish annual stocking lists by water, county, and species; consult Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) for current figures before relying on any number.
Source: verify locally — see Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) stocking reports.
Why stocking matters to planning: put-and-take fisheries are the most catch-rate-sensitive to plant timing, so a water that fishes poorly in April can fish well in May once the trucks arrive. Check the current-year plant list before writing off a water, and check it again before assuming a hot bite will last.
Size and bag limits tracked for Florida
Florida has 9 statewide limits resolved in this tool — Bluegill, Crappie, Flounder, Largemouth Bass, Red Drum (Redfish), Snook, Spotted Bass and Striped Bass, among 9 in the tracked set. Each entry below carries the agency citation it came from.
Bluegill: bag 50 (combined panfish: bluegill, redear, etc.); season Year-round. Citation: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission — 2026-2027 Florida Freshwater Sport Fish Regulations (eRegulations).
Crappie: bag 25; season Year-round; Black crappie (speckled perch); no statewide minimum.. Citation: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission — 2026-2027 Florida Freshwater Sport Fish Regulations (eRegulations).
Flounder: bag 5 per harvester; season Year-round (closed Oct. 15-Nov. 30). Citation: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission — 2026-2027 Florida Saltwater Fishing Regulations, Coastal Species (eRegulations).
Largemouth Bass: bag 5 (only 1 over 16 in); season Year-round; No statewide minimum for Florida/largemouth bass; Suwannee, shoal, spotted and Choctaw bass under 12 in may not be possessed. Many lakes/FMAs have special rules (e.g., Lake Okeechobee 18 in min).. Citation: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission — 2026-2027 Florida Freshwater Sport Fish Regulations (eRegulations).
Red Drum (Redfish): protected slot 18–27 in (release fish in the slot); bag 1 per person; season Year-round; Vessel limit 2 (Tampa Bay/SW/SE) or 4 (Panhandle/Big Bend/Northeast) by region; Indian River Lagoon is catch-and-release only.. Citation: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission — 2026-2027 Florida Saltwater Fishing Regulations, Coastal Species (eRegulations).
Snook: protected slot 28–33 in (release fish in the slot); bag 1 per day; season Regional: most areas closed Jun 1-Aug 31 (Atlantic) / May 1-Aug 31 (Gulf); reopens Sept 1 (some through Sept 30); Gulf/NW regions 28-32 in; snook permit required.. Citation: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission — 2026-2027 Florida Saltwater Fishing Regulations (Snook).
These are statewide general rules only. Slot limits, special-regulation waters, catch-and-release stretches, and zone-by-zone seasons override them — and a general rule that is absent from this list is not the same as no restriction. Confirm the rule for the exact water you are fishing with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) before keeping a fish.
Free fishing days in Florida
Reported license-free dates for 2026: Freshwater: April 4–5 & June 13–14; Saltwater: June 6–7, Sept 5 & Nov 28, 2026. Most states waive the license only, not the rules — size and bag limits, gear restrictions, seasons, and any required report card still apply, and some states still require a free or zero-cost license to be issued before you fish.
Reported for 2026 by public aggregators and may not match the official state schedule. Always confirm the current year’s dates and any species/stamp exceptions with the agency before planning.
Source: Compiled from 2026 public Free-Fishing-Day roundups (modefreefinds.com, heyitsfree.net, fishkillflea.com). Not an official source — verify with the state agency. (compiled 2026-08-29).
State agency & contact
Licenses, regulations, and stocking are set by the agency below. When FishFig can’t verify a figure, contact them directly.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)
FishFig is an independent guide and is not affiliated with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Verify every figure with the agency before purchasing a license, keeping fish, or relying on stocking data.