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Guide · Floride et le Golfe

Chasse sous-marine en Floride et dans le Golfe

La Floride et le Golfe sont la mecque de la chasse sous-marine américaine : eau chaude, récifs artificiels par milliers, les Keys cristallines et les plus grands programmes de récifs du pays. La Floride a le régime le plus développé — et le plus détaillé en interdictions. Le Golfe apporte le red snapper saisonnier, la culture de la plongée sur plateformes et une règle qui change tout au Texas : poisson « nongame » seulement. Ce guide met en ordre les règles de la FWC et de chaque État et renvoie à la prévision de chaque ville.

Ce qu'il faut avoir clair avant de te mouiller : dans les eaux d'État de Floride, powerheads, bangsticks et recycleurs sont interdits, et il y a une longue liste d'espèces interdites (snook, red drum, seatrout, tarpon, mérou goliath, requins, billfish…). La règle des 100 yards des plages/jetées/ponts et celle des 100 pieds des digues s'appliquent, et la chasse est interdite dans tous les parcs d'État et les Upper Keys (de Long Key vers le nord). Les eaux d'État du Golfe vont jusqu'à 9 mn en Floride et au Texas.

Ouvrir le phare — Key Largo →

Floride : espèces, engin et zones

La FWC réglemente par exclusion : tu peux flécher presque tout ce qui n'est pas sur la liste des interdits. L'essentiel :

Le Golfe : récifs, plateformes et États

Hors de la Floride, le Golfe est trouble près de la côte et clair au large, sur récifs artificiels et plateformes. Les règles changent par État :

Red snapper, saison et sécurité

Le red snapper est le roi du Golfe, et sa saison est un casse-tête : la saison fédérale « for-hire » a couru du 1er juin au 26 oct en 2026, mais chaque État fixe sa propre saison en eaux d'État (le Texas la garde ouverte toute l'année). Vérifie toujours les dates et tailles de l'année avec l'agence de l'État. La côte du Golfe ajoute les ouragans (juin–nov) et le sargasse sur la façade atlantique de la Floride — planifie le jour avec la prévision.

Where to dive, by region

Floride

Florida — the most developed US regime: snappers/groupers/hogfish/sheepshead, lionfish encouraged; Upper Keys ban, 100-yard rule, powerheads banned.

  • St. Augustine — St. Augustine's offshore concrete reefs — North Nine Mile, Rinker and Andy King — hold snapper and hogfish nine miles off the inlet. Florida's Atlantic…
  • Port Canaveral — Port Canaveral runs 15–35 km to the Anglers, FSFA and Cargo Pier reefs for snapper and cobia; the nearshore here is bare sand.
  • Vero Beach — Vero Beach has shallow nearshore worm-rock — Mitigation Rocks and Bethel Shoal — and the Wabasso patch reef for hogfish and snapper.
  • Fort Pierce — Fort Pierce fishes the high-relief Civic Center and Fish America reefs and the deep Muliphen wreck for mutton, hogfish and snapper.
  • Jupiter — Jupiter is famous for its natural drift ledges plus the Zion Train wreck and the Andrew Harris nearshore rock reef — mutton, hogfish and amberjack.
  • Palm Beach — Palm Beach drifts the 'Corridor of Ships' — Ana Cecilia, Thozina and the Princess Anne — for hogfish and mutton on the Gulf-Stream edge.
  • Boynton Beach — Boynton Beach drifts wrecks and reefs beside the Gulf Stream — the iconic Castor, Becks Reef and the deep Miller Lite reef — for hogfish and mutton.
  • Pompano Beach — Pompano's Shipwreck Park — the 324-ft Lady Luck, the clear-water Okinawa and the deep Rodeo-Lowrance — holds snapper and hogfish.
  • Fort Lauderdale — Fort Lauderdale's three reef lines and wrecks — Jay Scutti, Robert Edmister and Rebel — hold hogfish, mutton and lobster at easy depths.
  • Miami — Miami's wrecks off Government Cut — Rio Miami, Ophelia Brian and Tacoma — sit north of Biscayne NP for mutton, hogfish and lobster.
  • Key Largo — Key Largo is the reef capital of the Keys — the Spiegel Grove, Duane and Bibb are three of the most famous wrecks in the world.
  • Islamorada — Islamorada's Eagle wreck and its neighbours are iconic Upper-Keys dives on the reef-and-wreck line.
  • Marathon — Marathon, south of Long Key, opens up again — the huntable Thunderbolt wreck, the Seven Mile Bridge reef and the shallow Adelaide Baker — for hogfish and grouper.
  • Big Pine Key — Big Pine Key fishes the intact Adolphus Busch wreck and the American Shoal reef line for hogfish, grouper and snapper, outside the Looe Key SPAs.
  • Key West — Key West's world-famous Vandenberg, the shallow Joe's Tug and the Cayman Salvage Master give huntable wrecks outside the sanctuary preservation zones.
  • Fernandina Beach — Amelia Island's north-Florida coast: nearshore is sand, so the fishery is county artificial reefs and a snapper tug 18-24 km offshore holding snapper and grouper.
  • Jacksonville Beach — Duval County launches out of Mayport to ledges and wrecks 16-19 km offshore - barges and module reefs in 11-21 m holding snapper and grouper.
  • Ponce Inlet — Volusia County holds the closest reefs of the north-Florida set (~6 km): shallow concrete reefs off Flagler Avenue in 8-18 m, easy freedive on calm days.
  • Cocoa Beach — Cocoa Beach nearshore is sand; the structure is Brevard Reef ~15 km out and a deeper module cluster ~31 km offshore in 22-24 m, distinct from Port Canaveral's spots.
  • Sebastian Inlet — Sebastian Inlet State Park - the jetty and inlet - is no-spear, so the picks are module reefs ~9 km offshore in 14-17 m holding snapper.
  • Stuart — A strong Martin County coast: the Texas Reef rock pile has ~10 m of relief, plus barge wrecks and grouper reefs off the St.
  • Boca Raton — Boca Raton's shallow rock ledges (Boca Step, ~4.
  • Naples — Southwest Florida's ledge-and-wreck coast: Doctor's Pass and Gordon Pass reefs and offshore limestone ledges hold hogfish, grouper and cobia in warm, usually clear Gulf water.
  • Venice (FL) — Venice sits on Florida's shark-tooth coast with mid-shelf artificial reefs (M-15, M-9) holding hogfish and grouper.
  • Sarasota — Sarasota's offshore reefs (Gary Service M-1, Bob Johnson) rise from a shallow limestone shelf with hogfish and big grouper.
  • Clearwater — Clearwater's wrecks (USCGC Blackthorn) and rock ledges off Pinellas hold hogfish and grouper in clear, warm Gulf water.
  • Tarpon Springs — Sponge-diving heritage town with shallow nearshore reefs and offshore rock ledges for grouper and hogfish.
  • Steinhatchee — Big Bend hard-bottom and scallop country: shallow limestone flats and reefs for grouper in tannic, tea-stained Gulf water that grades low on visibility.
  • Apalachicola — Offshore Gulf reefs and old-bridge rubble (St George Island) for grouper and snapper; the bay and aquatic preserve are no-spear, so hunt the open Gulf.
  • Port St. Joe — Landing-ship wreck and MBARA tower reefs off Cape San Blas for grouper and snapper; St Joseph Bay is a no-spear preserve, so dive the open Gulf.
  • Panama City Beach — The Gulf's wreck-diving capital: the Black Bart, USS Strength and dozens of reefs hold snapper, grouper and amberjack in clear panhandle water.
  • Destin — Destin's clear emerald water and steel wrecks (Miss Louise, Liberty ships) hold snapper, grouper and amberjack.
  • Pensacola — Huge wreck fields including the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany, plus shallow barges, hold snapper, grouper and amberjack in clear panhandle water.
  • Marco Island — Collier County's shallow, often turbid Gulf: 2-3 mile artificial reefs in 6-7 m with hogfish and grouper, distinct from Naples' passes.
  • Fort Myers Beach — Shallow, turbid southwest-Florida Gulf: bridge-rubble and concrete reefs 8-9 km offshore in 7-8 m holding sheepshead and hogfish.
  • Boca Grande — Gasparilla Island at Boca Grande Pass: concrete reefs with ~4 m of relief and a shallow boulder mitigation reef hold grouper and hogfish.
  • Crystal River — Nature Coast Big Bend: tannic, grassy water and low-relief limestone mean the fishery is offshore module reefs 27 km and more out (one ~46 km) holding grouper and cobia.
  • Cedar Key — Big Bend Cedar Key: tannic, grassy water over low-relief hard bottom; the reefs are Levy module fields ~13 km out and a cleaner concrete reef ~17 km west.

Alabama

Alabama — the largest US artificial-reef program (>1,100 sq mi, Shipp zone); nongame only, .gpx coords public.

  • Orange Beach — Gateway to Alabama's reef zone — the largest artificial-reef program in the US, with 1,000+ sq mi of public reefs and rigs holding snapper, grouper and amberjack.
  • Gulf Shores — Alabama's nearshore eco-reefs sit just 5-12 km out in the largest US artificial-reef program - shallow, clear and easy freedive for snapper and triggerfish.
  • Dauphin Island — Offshore Liberty-ship wrecks and reefs south of the island hold big snapper and cobia, part of Alabama's vast public reef program.
  • Fort Morgan — Baldwin County at the turbid mouth of Mobile Bay: the nearest public reefs are 18-20 km offshore - hurricane bridge rubble and limestone pyramids in 18-22 m holding snapper, distinct from Dauphin Island and Gulf Shores.

Mississippi

Mississippi — spear/gig allowed for finfish; barrier islands, 1-mile ban around the national-seashore islands.

  • Biloxi — Behind the barrier islands the Mississippi Sound runs turbid, but the FH reefs south of Ship and Horn islands clear up for snapper.
  • Gulfport — Offshore FH reefs south of the barrier islands give the cleanest Mississippi water for snapper; the inshore Sound and Cat Island reefs are turbid and sheltered.
  • Pascagoula — Jackson County fish havens: the nearest reef is ~14 km out in the turbid western Sound, but the deeper havens south of the barrier islands (17-21 m) are cleaner and hold snapper, distinct from Biloxi and Gulfport.
  • Bay St. Louis — The weakest Mississippi stop: turbid western Mississippi Sound with only shallow inshore reefs (1-2 m) - limestone and old railroad-bridge rubble - plus a cleaner reef off Cat Island ~27 km out (partly federal; verify local).

Louisiane

Louisiana — home of rig-diving (rigs-to-reef); standard spear legal, flounder by barbless spear/gig only.

  • Grand Isle — Louisiana's only inhabited barrier island: reefed platforms and delta reefs offshore hold cobia, snapper and sheepshead, while Barataria Bay is sheltered but silty.
  • Venice (LA) — The end of the road at the Mississippi's Birdfoot delta - famous rig and delta-reef diving for cobia, amberjack and snapper, but nearshore water is brown with river plume.
  • Port Fourchon — Rig-diving gateway: reefed platforms just offshore hold snapper and cobia, while Timbalier Bay is sheltered and silty.
  • Cocodrie — A Terrebonne bayou town on Lake Pelto - sheltered limestone reefs for drum and sheepshead in very turbid, plume-fed water.
  • Empire — A spot-poor delta town at the Mississippi's edge: inshore is turbid estuary, so the real fishery is far-offshore standing and reefed rigs (~60 km around the delta) holding snapper and cobia, plus Breton Sound rubble ~16 km NE.
  • Cameron — Southwest Louisiana at the turbid Calcasieu and Sabine outflow: inshore Lake Calcasieu rubble reefs (2-4 m) are brackish and murky, while the West Cameron 45 reef ~31 km offshore is the clear-water pick.

Texas

Texas — spear for NONGAME only (sheepshead/flounder); gamefish (red drum/seatrout) pole-and-line only, rigs-to-reef.

  • Galveston — Granite jetties and offshore reefs off Galveston hold sheepshead, flounder and snapper.
  • Surfside Beach — Freeport's jetties and offshore Liberty-ship reefs give sheepshead, flounder and snapper.
  • Port O'Connor — A Matagorda Bay town with limited spearable structure - the ship-channel jetties are the shallow option; offshore reefs are deep.
  • Rockport (TX) — A bay-locked town that borrows Port Aransas's Gulf structure ~21 km south; the nearest clear water and jetties are there.
  • Port Aransas — Mustang Island's iconic granite jetty is the Texas freedive backbone, with offshore Liberty-ship reefs deeper out.
  • Corpus Christi — Packery Channel jetties to bedrock plus reefed offshore platforms hold sheepshead and snapper.
  • South Padre Island — Brazos Santiago Pass jetties give the clearest water on the Texas coast, with the Texas Clipper wreck offshore.
  • Port Isabel — At the Brazos Santiago Pass, granite jetties and the offshore Texas Clipper wreck hold sheepshead and snapper in the clearest Texas water.
  • Matagorda — A weak Matagorda Bay town at the Colorado River mouth: the granite river-mouth jetties in 2-7 m are the only practical freedive structure, with the nearest offshore reef ~26 km out in ~18 m.
  • Port Mansfield — A Laguna Madre town whose granite East Cut jetties through Padre Island (~26 km E) offer the clearest local water and the freedive backbone; TPWD's offshore reefs here are all reefed rigs and a Liberty ship on 69-71 m bottoms - deep scuba only.
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Frequently asked questions

Rules current as of 2026 — spearfishing law is STATE-by-state in the US. License, spearable species, powerhead rules and beach/pier buffers all vary; federal sanctuaries (Gray's Reef, FL Keys, Flower Garden Banks) ban spearfishing. Always confirm with the state agency and local ordinances before you go.

Que puis-je NE PAS flécher en Floride ?

Le snook, red drum, spotted seatrout, tarpon, permit, pompano, tripletail, tous les requins et billfish, le mérou goliath et de Nassau, et les familles ornementales (poisson-ange, perroquet, chirurgien…). Ni langouste ni crabe de pierre. La FWC réglemente par exclusion : ce qui n'est pas interdit, à taille/saison légale, oui.

Puis-je chasser dans les Keys de Floride ?

En partie. C'est INTERDIT dans les Upper Keys par la loi (de la ligne Miami-Dade/Monroe au sud jusqu'à Long Key), à John Pennekamp et dans les SPA/réserves du sanctuaire (bouées jaunes). Tu PEUX dans les Middle et Lower Keys hors de ces zones — Marathon, Big Pine, Key West donnent une eau cristalline. Key Largo et Islamorada tombent presque tous en zone fermée.

Pourquoi au Texas puis-je à peine flécher quelque chose de bon ?

Parce qu'au Texas le fusil ne prend QUE le poisson « nongame ». Les game fish — red drum, spotted seatrout, snook, black drum — sont à la canne seulement. Restent légaux le sheepshead et le flounder (nongame), et tout ce que tu prends au large en eaux fédérales selon les règles du Conseil du Golfe. Pour le reste, passe en Louisiane ou en Alabama.

Où trouver les coordonnées des récifs ?

Elles sont publiques. La Floride (FWC) publie ~4 500 récifs en KML/GIS ; l'Alabama offre la zone Shipp et ses 400+ sites en .gpx/.kml/.xls ; le Texas a une carte interactive interrogeable ; le Mississippi et la Louisiane publient leurs programmes. Charge-les sur ton plotteur et recoupe avec notre couche no-take avant de plonger.