Scallop season kicks off in Pasco County. Here's what to know

Pasco County’s scalloping season begins

It’s officially scalloping season in Pasco County, and there are some important rules and restrictions scallopers need to know. FOX 13’s Kailey Tracy reports.

NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. - The 2025 recreational bay scallop season starts Thursday in Pasco County and runs through Aug. 18.

This year’s season comes after the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) put last year’s season on hold for more than a month because of toxins in the water from algae blooms.

The 2025 recreational bay scallop season is underway in Pasco County.

Rules for scalloping

What To Know:

Harvesting is only allowed by hand or by using landing or dip nets. Commercial harvesting is prohibited.

The daily bag limit per person is two gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell, or one pint of bay scallop meat. The daily boat limit is 10 gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell, or a half gallon of shucked bay scallop meat.

A diver-down flag needs to be displayed while in the water also. Divers should stay within 300 feet of a correctly displayed divers-down flag, or within 100 feet of a divers-down flag if they’re on a river, inlet or navigational channel.

Courtesy: Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC).

Boaters should always operate their vessels at an 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.

Scallopers need a Florida saltwater fishing license to harvest bay scallops recreationally, unless they’re exempt from needing a license or have a no-cost shoreline fishing license and are wading from the shore to collect scallops. This means that their feet don’t leave the bottom to swim, snorkel or scuba and they don’t use a boat to get to or return from the harvest spot.

A license can be bought on Go Outdoors Florida’s website by clicking here, or by calling toll-free 888-FISH-FLORIDA (888-347-4356). People can also purchase a license through the Fish|Hunt FL app.

Florida scallop season 2025: Here’s what to know

Importance of scallop season

What they're saying:

Adam Thomas, Executive Director of Florida’s Sports Coast, says the economic impact of scalloping is massive in Pasco. In 2023, more than 40,000 people visited the county during scallop season and contributed more than $11 million in economic value, Thomas said.

"Scalloping means an economic boom for Pasco County," Thomas said. "It’s an underwater Easter egg hunt we like to call a generational experience."

"Scalloping gives you that opportunity to get in the water to get immersed with our natural environment, our marine wildlife, and just see what our coastline is truly all about, and it really is a great place to be. You're in about three feet of water, five feet of water and you are just floating around in the bed grass and you are picking up these tiny, little, tasty morsels that you are going to have for dinner that night," he said.

Courtesy: Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC).

Pasco’s zone includes all state waters south of the Hernando-Pasco county line and north of the Anclote Key Lighthouse in northern Pinellas County, including all waters of the Anclote River. Pasco’s scallop season kickoff July 10 comes after Hernando and Citrus Counties’ seasons started July 1.

The FWC has information about bay scallop regulations on its website. For more, click here.