PASCO COUNTY, Fla. – Boaters and divers are hitting the water today as the 2026 recreational bay scallop season officially opens in Pasco County. The highly anticipated season runs from July 10 through August 18, covering all state waters south of the Hernando-Pasco County line and north of the Anclote Key Lighthouse in northern Pinellas County, which includes the entire Anclote River.
Strict harvesting limits are in place to manage the scallop population. Individual daily limits are set at two gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell, or one pint of shucked scallop meat. For those on boats, the maximum daily limit is 10 gallons of whole scallops or half a gallon (4 pints) of meat.
Regulations state that vessel limits cannot be used to exceed an individual’s personal bag limit. Additionally, harvesting is strictly limited to manual collection by hand or with landing and dip nets, and all commercial harvesting remains entirely prohibited.
With an influx of people expected on the water, wildlife officials are prioritizing safety and environmental protection. Boaters and divers must maintain 360-degree awareness and strictly follow divers-down flag laws. In open water, divers are required to stay within 300 feet of a correctly displayed flag, while on rivers, inlets, or navigation channels, that distance drops to 100 feet. Boaters must operate at idle speed whenever they travel within these same distances of a divers-down flag.
Boaters are also reminded that damaging seagrass beds is a violation of Florida law. Authorities advise staying within marked navigation channels and avoiding shallow seagrass areas where boat propellers can scar the beds.
These grasses serve as the main food source for endangered manatees and green sea turtles, filter and purify the water, and provide crucial habitat for marine life like the scallops themselves. To protect this environment, harvesters should throw away empty scallop shells in trash receptacles or dump them in larger, deeper bodies of water where they can disperse, rather than discarding them in shallow inshore waters where they harm seagrass and endanger swimmers.
Most people looking to participate will need a valid Florida saltwater fishing license. The only exceptions apply to those who are legally exempt from licensing requirements, or individuals holding a no-cost shoreline license who wade directly from shore without swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, or using a boat to access the site.
Licenses can be bought online at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com, by phone at 888-347-4356, or through the FishHunt FL mobile app.
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