Pensacola spearfishing forecast — wind, swell, visibility, tides & live cameras

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◈Pensacola · United States
5.1
visibility: 1 m
visibility~1m

Dayisover

Today — right on the edge.

Sources: NWS · NDBC · Open-Meteo · Copernicus — high confidence · data 16:22

Sources & confidence

Sources
NWS · NDBC · Open-Meteo · Copernicus
Method
spearo sea-state engine: consensus of up to 6 models + satellite clarity (ZSD) + buoy-bias checks
Freshness
Re-read every hour, per coast

Compiled by the spearo sea-state engine · How it works →

The verdict comes from seven water factors and hard safety gates — not ten tabs. Go or stay.

How we score the water

Our own model

Our own forecast engine — not a third-party widget. It weighs these water factors into one go-or-stay verdict for this coast; the 0–10 dial is that verdict, read out as a number.

01
Swell & wave memory
Height, period and direction of the swell, plus the wake of recent storms — an old storm still stirs the water, and the engine remembers.
02
Wind & gusts
Speed and gusts, hour by hour — wind speed and an onshore push chop the surface and cut visibility.
03
Tide phase
Timing and range of the tide, calibrated per coast — big spring tides pull the verdict toward caution.
04
Water temperature
Sea-surface temperature — sharply cold water vetoes a green verdict.
05
Currents & outflow
Direction and drift of the current — it pushes you, and it drags turbid coastal water across where you dive.
06
Rain runoff & air clarity
Rain muddies the water inshore through land runoff, while fog and haze cut visibility at the surface.
07
Coast shape & exposure
How the coast faces the swell — a sheltered cove keeps the water clean; an exposed, head-on point takes a penalty.

Safety gates

  • Thunderstorm forecast — an instant red, no exceptions.
  • An official warning (MeteoAlarm / IPMA) — yellow, or red for the higher ranks.
  • Missing input data — a would-be green is capped to yellow rather than overstated.
  • Strong disagreement between forecast models — a green day is pulled back to yellow.
  • Night hours — where night spearfishing is banned by law the window is forced red; where it is legal (Australia outside NSW, New Zealand, South Africa) it is capped at yellow, never green.

It all folds into a single 0–10 score and one verdict: go or stay.

A forecast, not a guarantee — the sea has the last word.

Entry pointsNo-take zonesLive cams

Where to get in, where to hunt

Entry points with coordinates
Seabed relief — promising ground

This verdict — in your pocket. Open the app for the week's window.

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spearo.app · a private marine instrument · Pensacola · a planner, not a safety guaranteePrivacy
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0 m

Surface

Wind, wave and the swell windows — when to go and the best hours.

spearo.app
Small Craft Advisory · NWSupdated 16:22
Offshore marks — solo, off the rocks
Day is over
That is it for today — the day's windows have closed.
Tomorrow, best window 12:00–15:00
Best window · next 3 days
borderlineMonday · 15:00–18:00
you can see ~1 m ahead fish

↑ high tide 19:30 · slack water ~18:45–20:15 bite times: 10:10–12:10 · 16:34–17:34

Tell me when it's on

Just your email — nothing else needed.

Before entering, check the camera and the surge
Whole week — tap a day. is driving swell right now.
›
Solo risk: carry a float · tell someone your plan and exit time · doubt = don't go. A model-based planner; the call is made on site.
Selected day

Windows, hours
and the day's trends.

The day is picked above, in the hero. Here are that day's windows, the hour-by-hour map and the trends. Tap a window to break down the conditions.

Saturday · today2026-10-24
06:57–18:08 · full moon
▼ 03:00▼ 12:00▲ 20:00 · 0.3 m
Hours (06→20)
06
09
12
15
18
Day's trends
Tide0.00 m
Wave1.10 m
Wind14 km/h
Water27 °C
fish activity: moonset 05:16 · moderate · moon underfoot 11:10 · high · moonrise 17:04 · moderate · moon overhead 23:40 · high
Open the seafloor map with entry points →

Your best window — with you. Forecast in your pocket.

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−10 m

The water column

Visibility and what drives it — post-storm clearing, river plume, temperature and the thermocline.

What it is

A marine instrument,
go / no-go for solo hunting.

spearo.app folds wind, wave, swell period, visibility, tides, water temperature and risk into a single verdict — go to the spot or not. It computes 7 days ahead from open marine models (Open-Meteo, IPMA), with no sign-up and no accounts. Built for solo spearfishing off the rocks, where any mistake costs dearly.

Now live: 3016 spots across 406 stretches of coast — mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores.

See all spots →
−20 m

The seabed

Relief and bottom type, tides, and the depths of each spot.

On the rock

The forecast is the plan.
The call is on the rock.

The models set the window. Whether you go in is read only at the water: count the sets, watch the surge on the entry. If in doubt, you don't get in.

Entry points

Where to get in
off the rocks.

Scouted entries, coloured by today. The colour is the sea state at the spot, not a guarantee: the wash and a slippery entry you judge on site.

Open the seafloor map →
Gulf Islands National Seashore, Ft. Pickens beach access (Gulf Islands National Seashore, West Santa Rosa Island, Ft. Pickens)Nearshore marks
borderline
swell on the quarter today
window
—
Seabed depth of the selected area
≈0.7–2.6 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM, 3 m)

Gulf Islands National Seashore, Ft. Pickens beach access (Gulf Islands National Seashore, West Santa Rosa Island, Ft. Pickens): shore entry, 2.0 km from Pensacola. Florida 68B-20.003(2)(a): no spearfishing within 100 yards (91 m) of the beach. The deepest water here is close to 3 m.

Google Maps
🔒 Tex Edwards BargeNearshore marks
borderline
Pro · subscribers

One morning glance — and you know.

Download on theApp StoreGET IT ONGoogle Play
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point your camera
≈

Surfacing

Cameras, map and reference — to hand as you come up.

Live cameras, map & reference
Cameras · live

Look at the water
right now.

Check the cam BEFORE you leave. Foam, brown/green murk, or waves washing the entry rocks = No-go. At night/in fog the cam is useless — treat it as «unknown», NOT «green».

connecting to the stream…
● LIVE↗
SRIA West Cam — Pensacola Beach PierYouTube live — SRIA West Cam — Pensacola Beach Pier. Embedded live stream; if the ID rotates it opens the source page. Read the water before you go.camera: youtube ↗
connecting to the stream…
● LIVE↗
SRIA South Cam — Pensacola BeachYouTube live — SRIA South Cam — Pensacola Beach. Embedded live stream; if the ID rotates it opens the source page. Read the water before you go.camera: youtube ↗
Open the seafloor map →
Reference

What's in season,
what the law says.

In season now
  • sheepshead
    Archosargus probatocephalus · 2–15 m · legal
    Year-round across the façade. AL 12″ (30 cm) and 8/person, MS 14″ (36 cm) and 15, Louisiana neither a size nor a bag limit, TX 15″ (38 cm) and 5/day. Sheepshead is nongame in Texas, so gig, spear and speargun are lawful there.
  • cobia (ling)
    Rachycentron canadum · 3–30 m · ⚠️ closed season/limit
    In TEXAS cobia may NOT be taken by spear at all: it is on the game-fish list and 'game fish may be taken only by pole and line'; gig, spear and speargun are for nongame fish only. AL, MS and LA: year-round in state waters, min 36″ (91 cm), 1/person (MS 2), max 2/vessel.
  • gray (mangrove) snapper
    Lutjanus griseus · 5–35 m · legal
    The most reliable rig and jetty snapper from Alabama to Texas. Year-round in AL, MS and LA: min 12″ (30 cm), 10/person (in LA inside the 10-snapper aggregate). Texas lists no limit — unlisted species carry no bag or length limit there.
  • red grouper
    Epinephelus morio · 15–50 m · ⚠️ closed season/limit
    In Louisiana the rule is depth-keyed: year-round in state waters, but closed Feb 1–Mar 31 seaward of the 20-fathom (120 ft, ~37 m) line. Min 20″ (51 cm) in AL and MS, bag 2/person; in LA inside the 4-grouper aggregate. Texas lists no red grouper limit.
  • black drum
    Pogonias cromis · 0–15 m · ⚠️ closed season/limit
  • Fernandina Beach
  • Jacksonville Beach
  • Sarasota

    • Alabama

    • Orange Beach
    • Gulf Shores
    • Fort Morgan
    • Dauphin Island

    Mississippi

    • Pascagoula
    • Ocean Springs
    • Biloxi
    • Gulfport
    • Bay St. Louis

    Louisiana

    • Venice (LA)
    • Empire
    • Grand Isle
    • Port Fourchon
    • Cocodrie

    Georgia

    • Brunswick
    • Jekyll Island
    • St. Simons Island

    All 367 spots → · Region: Florida · spearo.app — All countries

    transparency ~3 m · satellite, 2 days agosatellite estimate · may differ right at the shore

    Atlantic hurricane season (Jun–Nov) — check the NHC forecast

    buoy Orange Beach, AL: 25.2° · wave 1.1 m/5 s · 28 min ago

    swell on the quarter today
    window
    —
    Seabed depth of the selected area
    ≈22–22 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM, 3 m)

    The full spot briefing is part of the subscription: entry, bottom, hazards, tide window.

    Open in the app →
    Three BargesNearshore marks
    borderline
    swell on the quarter today
    window
    —
    Seabed depth of the selected area
    ≈14–16 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM/CoNED, 3 m)

    Three shallow barges right outside Pensacola in 14 m — easy freediving and clean water. Snapper and sheepshead; the local training site of choice.

    Google Maps
    🔒 Navy Dive Tender YDT-14Offshore marks
    borderline
    Ultra · subscribers
    exposed head-on to the swell today
    window
    —
    Seabed depth of the selected area
    ≈28–29 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM, 10 m)

    The full spot briefing is part of the subscription: entry, bottom, hazards, tide window.

    Open in the app →
    🔒 Pete Tide IIOffshore marks
    borderline
    Pro · subscribers
    exposed head-on to the swell today
    window
    —
    Seabed depth of the selected area
    ≈29–30 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM, 10 m)

    The full spot briefing is part of the subscription: entry, bottom, hazards, tide window.

    Open in the app →
    San Pablo (Russian Freighter)Offshore marks
    borderline
    exposed head-on to the swell today
    window
    —
    Seabed depth of the selected area
    ≈24–25 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM, 10 m)

    Historic freighter with about 8 m of relief in 21 m, known locally as the Russian Freighter. Grouper and snapper among the torn plating, which was blown apart during the war.

    Google Maps
    USS OriskanyOffshore marks
    borderline
    exposed head-on to the swell today
    window
    —
    Seabed depth of the selected area
    ≈65–67 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM, 10 m)

    Sunken aircraft carrier about 41 km offshore — the largest artificial reef in the world, with the deck at 40 m. A technical dive; amberjack and snapper around the island.

    Google Maps

    SOLO is the biggest risk: underwater you can black out from lack of oxygen silently and fatally, with no one around. Solo is never truly «safe». Below are the best weather windows; carry a buoy, tell someone your plan and exit time, and any doubt — don't go.

    A shallow, dependable jetty and marsh-edge target. Year-round in LA and TX; LA slot 16–27″ (41–69 cm), 5/day with max 1 over 27″; TX 14–30″ (36–76 cm), 5/day with max 1 over 52″. MS lists no limit. Nongame in Texas, so lawful to spear there — unlike its red drum cousin.
  • hogfish
    Lachnolaimus maximus · 10–40 m · legal
    This card is LOUISIANA-anchored, not façade-wide: only LA carries an explicit hogfish line — year-round in state waters, min 14″ (36 cm), 5/person/day. No AL or MS hogfish line was found; do not read it as a Gulf-wide allowance. Florida does carry a Gulf line: min 14″ fork length, 5/person/day, year-round — so the sixteen Florida cities on this façade read Florida's rule, not Louisiana's.
  • lionfish
    Pterois volitans / P. miles · 1–60 m · invasive — target
    Invasive: no season, size or bag limit. But the basis here is negative space — lionfish is not a listed species in MS Title 22 Part 3, and Texas states plainly there are no limits except as listed. No AL or LA lionfish line was found. Florida's licence exemption DOES apply to the sixteen Florida cities on this façade: no licence is needed when taking lionfish with a pole spear, Hawaiian sling, hand-held net or a lionfish-specific device.
    • Regulated — check your state
    • red snapper📋 season by state
      Not merely 'typically May–Oct': TEXAS state waters are open ALL YEAR at 4 fish/day, min 15″ (38 cm). LA open from May 1 until further notice, 4/day, 16″. AL and MS set the season annually, 2/person, 16″ (41 cm). Red snapper is nongame in Texas, so spear and speargun are lawful gear. Florida sets its own Gulf state-waters season each year, separate from the federal one: min 16″ (41 cm), 2/person, and the free State Reef Fish Angler designation is required.
    • flounder📋 season by state
      Three DIFFERENT autumn closures inside one façade — there is no single season: AL closed all November, LA Oct 15–Nov 30, TX Nov 1–Dec 14 (bag 0), MS year-round. Min AL 14″ (36 cm), MS 12″ (30 cm), LA none, TX 15″ (38 cm). Flounder is nongame in Texas, so gigging and spearing are the normal legal method there.
    • greater amberjack📋 season by state
      The defining rig and wreck fish of the northern Gulf. Louisiana opens Sep 1 and closes Oct 14. AL/MS follow the federal season; Texas has no state closure. Min 34″ (86 cm), Texas 38″ (97 cm) — and it is nongame there, so fully spearable. Bag 1/person in all four states. Florida runs its own FWC Gulf season: min 34″ fork length, 1/person — check the current year's opening.
    • gray triggerfish📋 season by state
      Texas is the genuine outlier: 20 a day against one a day in AL, MS and LA. Min AL/MS 15″ (38 cm), TX 16″ (41 cm); in LA it sits inside the 20-reef-fish aggregate. Louisiana closed Jan 1–end of February and Jun 1–Jul 31.
    • gag grouper📋 season by state
      The practical spear season on the Louisiana shelf-edge banks is Sep 1–Dec 31 (to 23:59). AL and MS open; Texas has no state closure. Min 24″ (61 cm) in all four states, bag 2/person (in LA inside the 4-grouper aggregate). In Florida the Gulf gag season is set by FWC (in recent years Sep 1–Nov 10), min 24″, 2/person inside the 4-grouper aggregate — check the current year.
    Law
    • ✓Saltwater licence (+endorsement) per state: FL $17/$47, AL res $30, MS ~$13/$30, LA res $32, TX licence + saltwater endorsement.
    • ✓Texas: spear only (sheepshead/flounder); gamefish (red drum/seatrout/cobia) pole-and-line only.
    • ✓Red snapper: state-set season. Federal reef waters: spear + allowed outside the stressed area, descending device required.
    • ⛔ 🚫 FLORIDA's full no-spear list (FWC, FAC 68B-20.005): snook, bonefish, tarpon, goliath and Nassau grouper, red drum, spotted seatrout, weakfish, pompano, African pompano, permit, tripletail, spiny lobster, blue crab and stone crab, all billfish, sharks, manta ray and spotted eagle ray, sturgeon — plus any species whose harvest is prohibited by law.
    • ⛔ 🚫 Florida also bans spearing in fresh water, within 100 yards (91 m) of a public swimming beach, a commercial or public fishing pier or any part of a bridge from which public fishing is allowed, and within 100 ft (30 m) of the above-water part of a jetty; ornamental reef fish may not be speared. Federal Gulf waters follow the federal list instead.
    • ⛔ 🚫 Goliath/Nassau grouper, Gulf sturgeon, sawfish, sea turtles, mammals and many sharks — take prohibited.
    • ⛔ ⚠️ Texas & Alabama: gamefish (red drum/seatrout) pole-and-line only, NOT by spear. : banned in FL/TX, allowed in federal waters outside the stressed area.

    US spearfishing law is state-by-state. License, spearable species, powerhead rules and distances vary; federal sanctuaries (Gray's Reef, the Keys, Flower Garden Banks) ban spearfishing. Always confirm with the state agency and local ordinances.

    Safety protocol
    • Sets: watch the wave trains ≥15 min before entering; Hmax ≈ 2×Hs, the wash can run 50 m past the foam line. A lull >10 min with period >12 s = a big set «overdue», do NOT enter; enter right after a full set passes and re-check at minute 30.
    • Exit FIRST: find your exit AND a backup before entering. On a rocky/boulder shore a 0.5 m rise in swell can make the exit impossible — getting pinned/unable to climb out is the main killer.
    • Headland rip: prominent points often have a permanent topographic rip regardless of the model — locate it, enter/exit on the windward side, never swim against it.
    • Cold: wetsuit per the SST chip; the first shiver = a metabolic surge and a drop in breath-hold → get out at the first steady shiver. Cap the session at 45–60 min below 15 °C.
    • Solo discipline: buoy up; tell someone the spot and exit time; conservative breath-hold (never push it in cold/murky/surfy water); visibility <3 m — don't enter.
    • Afternoon wind: on many coasts the wind builds from midday — plan to be out of the water by midday; the chop builds — get out.
    • UV 11:00–15:00 (UVI ≥6): sunscreen and cover up on the surface interval.
    • Solo is a fundamental risk (hypoxic blackout with no buddy). Any doubt = No-go.
    Local guide · Pensacola

    Spearfishing in Pensacola: spots, seasons and rules

    Updated 2026-07-09 · By Oleksandr, spearfisher

    Spearfishing in Pensacola is structure-based. Three Barges is the accessible shallow freedive, San Pablo gives more wreck relief, and the USS Oriskany is the famous deep aircraft-carrier reef about 41 km offshore. Snapper, grouper, amberjack, hogfish and sheepshead may be part of a legal plan, but Florida rules decide the target list. Check the FWC prohibited species list before the trip, not after a fish appears under the boat.

    TL;DR

    • Pensacola is a wreck-field dive: shallow barges first, San Pablo next, USS Oriskany only for advanced crews.
    • South Gulf chop from 150-225 degrees can ruin visibility even when the beach still looks inviting.
    • Florida requires a saltwater license, and reef fish harvest needs the free State Reef Fish Angler designation.
    • FWC prohibits powerheads, rebreathers and spearing species such as snook, red drum, trout, sharks and goliath grouper.

    Best spearfishing spots in Pensacola

    Choose the wreck by depth and current. The short-run barges are the practical test; San Pablo is a step up; Oriskany is a dedicated offshore dive with serious depth. If the first drop shows dirty water or ripping current, do not make the second site deeper.

    SpotTypeDepthLevelAccessNotes
    Three BargesShallow artificial wrecksShallow close-in structureAccessible in settled waterBoat access from Pensacola Pass areaThe easiest listed freedive option and a good visibility check before committing farther offshore.
    San Pablo (Russian Freighter)Historic freighter wreck27 ft of reliefIntermediate to advancedBoat dive offshore of PensacolaMore relief and current exposure than the barges; plan the drift and pickup.
    USS OriskanyAircraft-carrier artificial reefDeep advanced wreckAdvanced onlyLong offshore boat runA major Gulf reef, not a casual backup dive. Use qualified crew and tight boat support.

    When is Pensacola visibility best?

    The south-facing coast suffers when short Gulf swell builds from 150-225 degrees. Several calm days, light wind and slack current give the wrecks their best chance. NOAA station 42012 and the Pensacola Beach cams are the two quick checks before launching.

    What fish can be taken?

    The regional list includes sheepshead, mangrove or mutton snapper, hogfish, cobia, flounder and grouper when seasons are open. Florida bans spearing snook, red drum, spotted seatrout, tarpon, bonefish, sharks, rays, billfish, goliath grouper, Nassau grouper, lobster and stone crab.

    What Florida rules shape the day?

    Carry a saltwater license and add SRFS for reef fish. FWC also sets distance buffers from public swimming beaches, public fishing piers, fishing bridges and most above-water jetty sections. Powerheads, bangsticks and rebreathers are prohibited for spearfishing.

    How do you stage the wreck run?

    Start shallow, confirm the anchor or drift, and keep one person dedicated to boat watch. Pensacola wrecks attract anglers and divers, so the float, flag and pickup lane should be settled before anyone drops.

    FAQ

    Is the USS Oriskany a beginner freedive?

    No. It is deep, offshore and suitable only for advanced crews.

    Do I need SRFS in Pensacola?

    Yes, for Florida reef fish harvest.

    Are powerheads legal?

    No. FWC prohibits powerheads and rebreathers for spearfishing.

    Which NOAA station should I check?

    NOAA NDBC station 42012 is the listed reference.

    Can I spear redfish or trout?

    No. Red drum and spotted seatrout are prohibited by spear in Florida.

    Sources

    • Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, spearing rules
    • NOAA NDBC, Station 42012 Orange Beach

    Nearby towns

    • Gulf Shores conditions today
    • Fort Morgan spearfishing guide
    • Dive spots near Destin
    • Dive spots near Dauphin Island
    • Biloxi conditions today
    Data partners
    dive centres that send us real visibility readings
    Águas VivasMilfontes · Sagres

    Sargassum: in seasonshore washups possibleAFAI satellite, 2026-10-23 · NOAA/USF