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Pesca submarina na Florida e no Golfo

A Florida e o Golfo são a meca da pesca submarina americana: água quente, recifes artificiais aos milhares, os cristalinos Cayos e os maiores programas de recifes do país. A Florida tem o regime mais desenvolvido — e o mais detalhado em proibições. O Golfo traz o red snapper por época, a cultura do mergulho em plataformas e uma regra que muda tudo no Texas: só peixe «nongame». Este guia arruma as regras da FWC e de cada estado e liga-se à previsão de cada cidade.

O que deves ter claro antes de te molhares: nas águas estaduais da Florida estão proibidos os powerheads, bangsticks e rebreathers, e há uma longa lista de espécies vetadas (snook, red drum, seatrout, tarpão, mero-golias, tubarões, billfish…). Vale a regra dos 100 jardas de praias/molhes/pontes e a dos 100 pés de quebra-mares, e a caça é proibida em todos os parques estaduais e nos Upper Keys (de Long Key para norte). As águas estaduais do Golfo vão até 9 mn na Florida e no Texas.

Abrir o destaque — Key Largo →

Florida: espécies, arte e zonas

A FWC regula por exclusão: podes arpoar quase tudo o que não esteja na lista de proibidos. O essencial:

O Golfo: recifes, plataformas e estados

Fora da Florida, o Golfo é água turva junto à costa e limpa ao largo, sobre recifes artificiais e plataformas. As regras mudam por estado:

Red snapper, época e segurança

O red snapper é o rei do Golfo, e a sua época é um quebra-cabeças: a federal «for-hire» foi de 1-jun a 26-out em 2026, mas cada estado fixa a sua época de águas estaduais (o Texas mantém-na aberta o ano todo). Verifica sempre as datas e tamanhos do ano na agência estadual. A costa do Golfo soma furacões (jun–nov) e sargaço na vertente atlântica da Florida — planeia o dia com a previsão.

Onde mergulhar, por região

Florida

Flórida — o regime mais desenvolvido dos EUA: snappers/garoupas/hogfish/sheepshead, peixe-leão incentivado; proibição Upper Keys, regra dos 100 jardas, powerheads proibidos.

  • 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 — o maior programa de recifes dos EUA (>1100 mi², zona Shipp); só não-gamefish, coords .gpx abertas.

  • 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 — arpão/gig permitidos para peixe; ilhas-barreira, proibição de 1 milha à volta das ilhas do national seashore.

  • 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).

Luisiana

Louisiana — berço do mergulho em plataformas (rigs-to-reef); arpão padrão legal, solha só arpão sem farpa/gig.

  • 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 — arpão SÓ para não-gamefish (sheepshead/solha); gamefish (corvina-vermelha/seatrout) só anzol, recifes 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.
Ver todas as cidades →

Perguntas frequentes

Regras atuais em 2026 — a lei da pesca submarina é ESTADO a ESTADO nos EUA. Licença, espécies permitidas ao arpão, regras de powerhead e distâncias de praias/pontões variam; os santuários federais (Gray's Reef, FL Keys, Flower Garden Banks) proíbem a pesca submarina. Confirma sempre com a agência estadual e as regras locais antes de ir.

O que NÃO posso arpoar na Florida?

O snook, red drum, spotted seatrout, tarpão, permit, pompano, tripletail, todos os tubarões e billfish, o mero-golias e de Nassau, e as famílias ornamentais (peixe-anjo, papagaio, cirurgião…). Nem lagosta nem caranguejo de pedra. A FWC regula por exclusão: o que não estiver proibido e tiver tamanho/época, pode.

Posso arpoar nos Florida Keys?

Em parte. É PROIBIDO nos Upper Keys por lei (da linha Miami-Dade/Monroe para sul até Long Key), em John Pennekamp e nas SPA/reservas do santuário (boias amarelas). PODES nos Middle e Lower Keys fora dessas zonas — Marathon, Big Pine, Key West dão água cristalina. Key Largo e Islamorada ficam quase todos dentro de zona fechada.

Porque no Texas quase não posso arpoar nada bom?

Porque no Texas o arpão toma SÓ peixe «nongame». Os game fish — red drum, spotted seatrout, snook, corvina — são só cana. Ficam legais o sheepshead e o flounder (nongame), e tudo o que caces ao largo em águas federais sob as regras do Conselho do Golfo. Para o resto, passa para a Luisiana ou o Alabama.

Onde consigo coordenadas de recifes?

São públicas. A Florida (FWC) publica ~4.500 recifes em KML/GIS; o Alabama oferece a zona Shipp e os seus 400+ sites em .gpx/.kml/.xls; o Texas tem um mapa interativo consultável; o Mississippi e a Luisiana publicam os seus programas. Carrega-as no plotter e cruza com a nossa camada no-take antes de mergulhar.