Bay scallop season opens July 1 in Franklin – NW Taylor County region and Levy, Citrus and Hernando counties 

The 2026 recreational bay scallop season from Franklin County through northwestern Taylor County (including Carrabelle, Lanark and St. Marks) as well as portions of Levy County and all of Citrus and Hernando counties (including Cedar Key, Crystal River and Homosassa) opens July 1 and will remain open through Sept. 24.

The daily bag limit in these areas is two gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell or one pint of bay scallop meat per person, with a maximum of 10 gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell or 1/2 gallon (four pints) shucked bay scallop meat per vessel per day. Throughout the season, vessel limits do not allow an individual to exceed their personal bag limit.

Harvest of bay scallops is permitted only by hand or by using a landing or dip net. Commercial harvest is prohibited.

A few things to remember that will make diving for scallops safe for divers and boaters alike:

• Practice safe boating and diving habits by maintaining 360-degree awareness and adhering to all divers-down flag regulations.  

• When scalloping in open water, divers should stay within 300 feet of a correctly displayed divers-down flag or within 100 feet of a divers-down flag if on a river, inlet or navigation channel.

• Always operate your boat at idle speed when traveling within 300 feet of a divers-down flag in open water or within 100 feet of a divers-down flag on a river, inlet or navigational channel.

Visit MyFWC.com/Boating click on “Boating Regulations,” and select “Divers-down Warning Devices” for additional information.

It is a violation of Florida law to damage seagrass beds in some areas within state waters. Boaters should stay within the marked navigation channels whenever possible and avoid traveling through seagrass beds in shallow water, which can cause propeller scars. Seagrasses are the principal food for endangered marine animals such as manatees and green sea turtles, act as natural filters to help purify the water, and serve as important habitat for a wide variety of marine life, like the bay scallop.

Discarding scallop shells in inshore waters can also damage seagrass habitat and create hazards for swimmers. Scallop shells may be discarded in a trash receptacle or in larger bodies of water where they are more likely to disperse.

Recreational harvesters need a Florida saltwater fishing license to harvest bay scallops unless they are exempt from needing a license or have a no-cost shoreline fishing license and are wading from shore to collect scallops (i.e., feet do not leave the bottom to swim, snorkel, or SCUBA, and harvesters do not use a vessel to reach or return from the harvest location). 

To purchase a Saltwater Fishing License, visit GoOutdoorsFlorida.com, call toll-free 888-FISH-FLORIDA (888-347-4356), or purchase through the FishHunt FL app on Apple and Android devices.

For more information on bay scallop regulations, visit MyFWC.com/Marine and click on “Bay Scallops” under the “Crabs, Lobster and other Shellfish” tab.