Where to Fish for Sheepshead Today — US

Structure-oriented crustacean eater with famously human-like teeth. VA piers, jetties, and the rocks and pilings of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel are the classic targets. Fiddler crabs, sand fleas, or small pieces of shrimp on a knocker rig right against the structure. Expect to lose tackle.

Preferred conditions

Water temp: 60–82°F (ideal 72°F)
Tide: slack
Moon: either
Depth: 5–40 ft
Active months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct

Best sheepshead conditions today

Sort Open harvest only

Cape Charles Town Pier

Northampton Co., VA

Cape Henlopen State Park

Chincoteague NWR — Fishing Access

Accomack Co., VA

Ocean City Inlet — North Jetty

Worcester Co., MD

Indian River Inlet

Kiptopeke State Park

Northampton Co., VA

Destin Beach

Okaloosa Co., FL

Pass Christian Beach

Harrison Co., MS

North Myrtle Beach

Myrtle Beach

Pawleys Island

Georgetown Co., SC

Surfside Beach (SC)

Pensacola Beach

Escambia Co., FL

Navarre Beach

Santa Rosa Co., FL

St. George Island

Franklin Co., FL

Mustang Island State Park

Port Aransas Beach

South Padre Island Beach

Cameron Co., TX

Padre Island National Seashore

Kleberg Co., TX

Boca Chica Beach

Cameron Co., TX

Gulf Shores Public Beach

Baldwin Co., AL

Orange Beach

Baldwin Co., AL

Dauphin Island Public Beach

Biloxi Beach

Harrison Co., MS

Gulfport Beach

Harrison Co., MS

Lake Pontchartrain (Fontainebleau)

St. Tammany Co., LA

Bay St. Louis Beach

Hancock Co., MS

Mobile Bay

Naples Beach

Collier Co., FL

Marco Island Beach

Collier Co., FL

Cocodrie / Dularge (Terrebonne)

Terrebonne Co., LA

St. Simons Island Beach

Garden City Beach

St. Augustine Beach

St. Johns Co., FL

New Smyrna Beach

Volusia Co., FL

Deerfield Beach

Broward Co., FL

Pompano Beach

Broward Co., FL

Haulover Beach Park

Miami-Dade Co., FL

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park

Miami-Dade Co., FL

Cocoa Beach

Brevard Co., FL

Daytona Beach

Volusia Co., FL

Lake Worth Beach

Palm Beach Co., FL

Panama City Beach

Mexico Beach

Clearwater Beach

Pinellas Co., FL

St. Pete Beach

Pinellas Co., FL

Sanibel Island Beach

Fort Myers Beach (Lynn Hall Memorial Park)

East Beach (Galveston)

Galveston Co., TX

Galveston Seawall

Galveston Co., TX

Crystal Beach (Bolivar Peninsula)

Galveston Co., TX

Surfside Beach (TX)

Brazoria Co., TX

Pirates Beach

Galveston Co., TX

Sea Rim State Park

Jefferson Co., TX

Matagorda Beach

Matagorda Co., TX

Grand Isle State Park

Jefferson Co., LA

Venice (Plaquemines)

Plaquemines Co., LA

Cape Canaveral Beach

Brevard Co., FL

Folly Beach

Charleston Co., SC

Hilton Head Island

Beaufort Co., SC

Jacksonville Beach

Sebastian Inlet State Park

Brevard Co., FL

Charleston Harbor

Charleston Co., SC

Tybee Island Beach

Chatham Co., GA

Regulations by jurisdiction

Virginia (tidal — VMRC)

Stale: last verified 140 days ago.

tidal bay

Creel: 4

Virginia tidal waters: no minimum size (removed in a prior VMRC cycle). 4 fish per day. Open year-round; in practice the fishery is May through October. VMRC regulation 4VAC20-1110.

Source · verified 2026-04-22

Stale: last verified 140 days ago.

atlantic

Creel: 4

Virginia Atlantic coast and ocean piers: no minimum size, 4 per day. Seasonal fishery in practice — warm-water months only.

Source · verified 2026-04-22

SC

Stale: last verified 103 days ago.

atlantic

Min size: 14"
Creel: 10

14" minimum, 10/person/day (max 30 per boat).

Source · verified 2026-05-29

FL

Stale: last verified 103 days ago.

atlantic

Min size: 12"
Creel: 8

12" minimum, 8/person/day (50-per-vessel limit in March–April).

Source · verified 2026-05-29

Stale: last verified 103 days ago.

gulf

Min size: 12"
Creel: 8

12" minimum, 8/person/day (50-per-vessel limit in March–April).

Source · verified 2026-05-29

TX

Stale: last verified 103 days ago.

gulf

Min size: 15"
Creel: 15

15" minimum, 15/person/day.

Source · verified 2026-05-29

AL

Stale: last verified 103 days ago.

gulf

Min size: 12"
Creel: 8

12" minimum, 8/person/day.

Source · verified 2026-05-29

MS

Stale: last verified 103 days ago.

gulf

Min size: 14"
Creel: 15

14" minimum, 15/person/day.

Source · verified 2026-05-29

GA

Stale: last verified 103 days ago.

atlantic

Min size: 10"
Creel: 15

10" fork-length minimum, 15/person/day.

Source · verified 2026-05-29

Maryland (tidal)

Stale: last verified 12 days ago.

atlantic

Min size: 12"
Creel: 4

Maryland Atlantic coast (Ocean City / Assateague): 12" minimum, 4/day, year-round. (An 18–26" slot is only an unadopted proposal — current law is 12"/4.)

Source · verified 2026-08-28

Delaware (tidal)

Stale: last verified 12 days ago.

atlantic

Creel: no daily limit

Delaware sets no species-specific sheepshead size or possession limit — legally harvested year-round.

Source · verified 2026-08-28

LA

Stale: last verified 12 days ago.

gulf

Creel: no daily limit

Louisiana sets no recreational size or bag limit for sheepshead; open year-round in state waters.

Source · verified 2026-08-28