M-15 ReefVenice (FL)
borderlineexposed head-on to the swell today
- window
- tide
- shelter
- hazard
- access
Close inshore, 8-ft relief.
Google MapsVenice (FL) spearfishing forecast — wind, swell, visibility, tides & live cameras
5.3
wave 0.8 m head-on
visibility3m
Today — right on the edge — wave, wind and noticeable surge.
Sources: IPMA · NDBC · Copernicus — high confidence · data 18:32
Sources & confidence
- Sources
- IPMA · NDBC buoys · Copernicus Marine
- Method
- Model consensus, read per window
- Freshness
- Re-read every hour, per coast
Compiled by the spearo sea-state engine
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.
- 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.
- Wind & gusts
- Speed and gusts, hour by hour — wind speed and an onshore push chop the surface and cut visibility.
- Tide phase
- Timing and range of the tide, calibrated per coast — big spring tides pull the verdict toward caution.
- Water temperature
- Sea-surface temperature — sharply cold water vetoes a green verdict.
- Currents & outflow
- Direction and drift of the current — it pushes you, and it drags turbid coastal water across where you dive.
- Rain runoff & air clarity
- Rain muddies the water inshore through land runoff, while fog and haze cut visibility at the surface.
- 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 — forced red; the window is closed after dark.
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.
Where to get in, where to hunt
Entry points with coordinates
Seabed relief — promising ground
Surface
Wind, wave and the swell windows — when to go and the best hours.
spearo.app
calmupdated 18:32
Venice (FL) — solo, off the rocks
caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site · wind 16 km/h
wave 0.8 m head-onwind 16 km/hnoticeable surgevisibility ~4 m
today, best window 18:00–21:00
fish · Visibility 4 m · Water 31°C
confidence medium · verdict for the selected day
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.
Wednesday · today2026-07-22
06:48–20:23 · first quarter
▲ 06:00▼ 15:00▲ 23:00 · 0.5 m
Hours (06→20)
18
Day's trends
Tide-0.09 m
Wave0.80 m
Wind5 km/h
Water31 °C
fish activity: moonset 01:05 · moderate · moon underfoot 08:00 · high · moonrise 14:57 · moderate · moon overhead 20:20 · high
Conditions window18:00–21:00
caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site fish
Hs 0.82 mperiod 5.2 s head-onwind 16→19surge 1.9viz 3 m
0.82 mup to ~1.64 · 258° head-on
5.2 sswell moderate
16→19gusts 19 km/h
1.9noticeable surge
0.11m/s
3 mrecent swell
31°C5 mm + hood
▲23:00tide rising
Atmosphere22 kmlandmarks visible
highmoon overhead
- wind 16 km/h
- northerly wind picks up after midday
- flood — water rising
confidence mediumtwilight
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: 1152 spots across 189 stretches of coast — mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores.
See all spotsThe 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
M-9 Site Reefex #3Venice (FL)
borderlineexposed head-on to the swell today
- window
- tide
- shelter
- hazard
- access
High-relief reef-balls.
Google MapsSarasota Sportsman Reef M-17Venice (FL)
borderlineexposed head-on to the swell today
- window
- tide
- shelter
- hazard
- access
Mid-shelf reef; snapper.
Google MapsSOLO 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.
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».
Reference
What's in season,
what the law says.
In season now
- sheepshead
- mangrove/mutton snapper
- gag/red grouperSeason is state-set — check before you go.
- hogfish
- cobia
- flounder
Law
- ✓Florida: saltwater licence $17 res / $47 non-res; reef fish need the free State Reef Fish Angler (SRFS) designation. NC: CRFL; SC/GA: saltwater licence.
- ✓Distances (FL): 100 yd from beaches/piers/bridges, 100 ft from the above-water part of a jetty. banned in FL and SC; rebreathers are illegal for spearfishing in FL.
- ✓SC: gamefish (red drum/seatrout/cobia/tarpon/striped bass) hook-and-line only (§50-5-1700). GA: speargun doubtful in state water — real hunting on federal reefs.
- ⛔ 🚫 Do not spear (FL FAC 68B-20.005): snook, red drum, spotted seatrout, tarpon, bonefish, pompano, goliath/Nassau grouper, billfish, sharks, rays + ornamental reef families.
- ⛔ 🚫 Spiny lobster/stone crab — hand-take only (no puncturing). banned in FL and SC. Monroe County (Long Key north to the Miami-Dade line — incl. Key Largo): spearfishing banned; the lionfish licence exemption does NOT override it — hand-held nets only there.
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.
Spearfishing in Venice (FL): spots, seasons and rules
Spearfishing in Venice, Florida is boat-based reef diving over a warm Gulf shelf. M-15 is the close inshore relief, Sarasota Sportsman Reef M-17 is the mid-shelf snapper stop, and M-9 Reefex #3 offers higher reef-ball relief. Hogfish, sheepshead, snapper, legal grouper, cobia and flounder can be part of the plan when open. The legal filter is strict: follow FWC spearing rules and confirm seasons before running offshore.
TL;DR
- Venice is a shark-tooth-coast reef plan: M-15 close, M-17 mid-shelf, M-9 higher relief.
- Light east wind and low Gulf chop clean the shelf; west and southwest energy from 215-300 degrees muddies it.
- Florida requires a saltwater license and SRFS designation for reef fish.
- Do not spear snook, red drum, seatrout, tarpon, bonefish, sharks, rays, goliath grouper, lobster or stone crab.
Best spearfishing spots in Venice, FL
The three sites step up by commitment. Start with M-15 for a short-run check, move to M-17 for mid-shelf structure, and save M-9 for settled days. A pretty beach does not guarantee good bottom visibility offshore.
| Spot | Type | Depth | Level | Access | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M-15 Reef | Close inshore artificial reef | About 8 ft of relief | Intermediate | Boat access off Venice | A short-run visibility test with modest relief and strict legal target selection. |
| Sarasota Sportsman Reef M-17 | Mid-shelf artificial reef | Moderate shelf depth | Intermediate boat dive | Boat access offshore | A snapper-minded reef; confirm season, size and SRFS status. |
| M-9 Site Reefex #3 | High-relief reef balls | Higher relief structure | Advanced boat dive | Longer offshore run | Better relief and more commitment. Use a disciplined ascent and boat-watch plan. |
When is Venice visibility best?
The bad sector is about 215-300 degrees, with west around 260 degrees stirring the shelf. Light east wind and stable weather help push cleaner water offshore. NOAA station 42013 and Venice beach cams work best together.
What fish are realistic?
The regional list includes sheepshead, mangrove or mutton snapper, hogfish, cobia, flounder and gag or red grouper when open. Grouper seasons change, so check before the run. Shoot only identified, legal fish with enough size margin.
What Florida rules apply?
Carry a saltwater license and SRFS for reef fish. FWC prohibits powerheads and rebreathers, and bars spearing many species including snook, red drum, spotted seatrout, tarpon, sharks, rays, billfish, goliath grouper, Nassau grouper, lobster and stone crab.
How should the reef order be used?
M-15 is the reality check. If it is dirty or surgey, do not assume M-17 or M-9 will be easier. If it is clean, use the longer run only with enough daylight and fuel margin.
FAQ
What is the closest listed Venice reef?
M-15 Reef, with about 8 ft of relief.
Which NOAA buoy fits Venice?
NOAA NDBC station 42013.
Can I spear snook or redfish?
No. Florida prohibits spearing both.
Do reef fish need SRFS?
Yes. SRFS is required for Florida reef fish harvest.
Is M-9 beginner-friendly?
No. It is a higher-relief offshore reef-ball site.
Sources
Nearby towns
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