The grounds · 180 ft · banks, ledges and wrecks
Red Grouper
Epinephelus morio. Prime water reaches Tampa in Gulf of Mexico right now (77°F on the bottom). Fish it 49–181 ft down — that is where 85–77°F water sits off Tampa.
LaneThe grounds · 30 fa (180 ft)
Depth it holds49–295 ft
Prime water66–82°F (workable 66–86°F)
Holds in the column49–295 ft down (on the bottom)
Judged onseabed temperature (RTOFS at depth)
Structurerequires
The water column off Tampa
The strip is the water itself, coloured by temperature from the surface down to the 181 ft surveyed bottom at that spot — one band per RTOFS model level. The outlined stretch is where Red Grouper's temperature band (66–86°F) and the depth it holds actually overlap. That thickness is the number that matters: it is how much water you can work, not just whether the spot is warm enough somewhere. One model cycle, not a weekly archive — this holds still while the surface map scrubs.
How it's fished
Squid or pinfish on flat hard-bottom with potholes and ledges.
Region by region — right now
| Region | Season | Prime water | Temp | Fish it at | Months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gulf of Mexico | in season | reaches Tampa | 77°F | 49–181 ft | J F M A M J J A S O N D |
| Florida Keys | in season | reaches Islamorada | 83°F | 49–176 ft | J F M A M J J A S O N D |
"Fish it at" is where this species' temperature band and its holding depth overlap in the water column, from the RTOFS profile (13 levels, 0–300 m) — the depth to actually put a bait, not just the place. "Prime water" is the furthest sampled station on the 30-fathom lane whose seabed temperature sits inside this species' band. It is water, not a sighting report.
Charted grounds on the 30-fathom lane