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Gulf Coast Scalloping
Mashes Sands beach at the mouth of Ochlockonee Bay, a storm offshore

Greetings from

Panacea & Ochlockonee Bay

Season over

The Short Answer

Panacea and Ochlockonee Bay sit on the west side of Apalachee Bay, and Panacea is one of Wakulla County's three popular scalloping launch points. The county runs Gulf-access ramps at Rock Landing, Levy Bay, Bottoms Road and Mashes Sands, all on one $5 daily permit. Just to the southwest, small ramps at Alligator Point open onto Alligator Harbor, a state preserve with bay scallops among its wildlife.

1Charter
9Public Ramps
0Rentals
45mFrom Tallahassee

Franklin-NW Taylor zone · Wakulla County

Scallop Charters in Panacea & Ochlockonee Bay

All Charters

Where to Launch

  • Boat Ramp

    Alligator Point Public Boat Ramp

    • 2 trailer spots
    • 1 lane
    • Open 24 hours

    Room for only about 2 trailers, so have a backup ramp in mind.

  • Boat Ramp

    Bottoms Road Boat Ramp

    • $5 Wakulla County daily permit
    • 4 trailer spots
    • 1 lane

    Single lane with no dock.

    Website ↗

  • Boat Ramp

    Leonard's Landing Primitive Boat Ramp (St. Teresa Wayside Park)

    • 6 trailer spots
    • 1 lane
    • Open 24 hours

    A primitive public ramp into the Alligator Harbor Aquatic Preserve, home to bay scallops.

  • Boat Ramp

    Levy Bay Boat Ramp

    • $5 Wakulla County daily permit
    • 4 trailer spots
    • 2 lanes

    A county ramp with Gulf access but no restroom.

    Website ↗

  • Boat Ramp

    Mashes Sands Park Boat Ramp

    • $5 Wakulla County daily permit
    • 12 trailer spots
    • 3 lanes

    Launches into Ochlockonee Bay with access to the Gulf.

    Website ↗

  • Boat Ramp

    Ochlockonee Bay Public Boat Ramp

    • Free launch
    • 8 trailer spots
    • 1 lane

    Find it on the south side of the US 98 bridge, with a staging dock.

  • Boat Ramp

    ROHO (Brothers Three) Boat Ramp

    • $5 Wakulla County daily permit
    • 4 trailer spots
    • 1 lane

    Small single-lane ramp on Ochlockonee Bay off Surf Road; get the county permit before you launch.

  • Boat Ramp

    Rock Landing Boat Ramp and Pier

    • $5 Wakulla County daily permit
    • 13 trailer spots
    • 2 lanes

    A county ramp with Gulf access; the commercial boat slips are for commercial fishermen.

    Website ↗

  • Boat Ramp

    Sun & Sands Boulevard Primitive Boat Ramp

    • 4 trailer spots
    • 1 lane
    • Open 24 hours

    A primitive public ramp into the Alligator Harbor Aquatic Preserve.

  • Marina

    Lee Spears & Son Pay Ramp (Spring Creek)

    • $5, drop box
    • 15 trailer spots
    • 1 lane

    Privately owned pay ramp at Spring Creek on Oyster Bay, between Panacea and Shell Point.

Tides This Week

Tides · Dickerson Bay

High at 3:54 PM

  • Low 9:30 AM
  • Low 9:14 PM

Check the tide before you leave the ramp. A falling tide can strand a boat on a shallow grass flat.

  1. Today · Mon Oct 26

    • High 2:34 AM4.1 ft
    • Low 9:30 AM-0.4 ft
    • High 3:54 PM3.8 ft
    • Low 9:14 PM1.5 ft

  2. Tue Oct 27

    • High 3:02 AM4.2 ft
    • Low 10:15 AM-0.5 ft
    • High 4:43 PM3.6 ft
    • Low 9:48 PM1.7 ft

  3. Wed Oct 28

    • High 3:34 AM4.2 ft
    • Low 11:04 AM-0.5 ft
    • High 5:35 PM3.4 ft
    • Low 10:24 PM1.9 ft

  4. Thu Oct 29

    • High 4:09 AM4.2 ft
    • Low 11:56 AM-0.4 ft
    • High 6:32 PM3.2 ft
    • Low 11:04 PM2.0 ft

  5. Fri Oct 30

    • High 4:51 AM4.0 ft
    • Low 12:55 PM-0.2 ft
    • High 7:35 PM3.0 ft
    • Low 11:54 PM2.2 ft

  6. Sat Oct 31

    • High 5:40 AM3.8 ft
    • Low 2:02 PM0.1 ft
    • High 8:48 PM2.9 ft

  7. Sun Nov 1

    • Low 1:07 AM2.2 ft
    • High 5:50 AM3.4 ft
    • Low 2:15 PM0.3 ft
    • High 9:04 PM2.9 ft
Show 30 Days
Predicted high and low tides, Mon Nov 2 to Tue Nov 24
DateHigh TidesLow Tides
Mon Nov 27:38 AM 3.1 ft10:07 PM 3.0 ft1:52 AM 2.1 ft3:27 PM 0.5 ft
Tue Nov 39:40 AM 3.1 ft10:55 PM 3.2 ft3:35 AM 1.8 ft4:30 PM 0.7 ft
Wed Nov 411:08 AM 3.2 ft11:33 PM 3.4 ft4:50 AM 1.2 ft5:21 PM 0.8 ft
Thu Nov 512:08 PM 3.4 ft5:45 AM 0.7 ft6:02 PM 1.0 ft
Fri Nov 612:04 AM 3.6 ft12:57 PM 3.5 ft6:30 AM 0.2 ft6:37 PM 1.3 ft
Sat Nov 712:32 AM 3.7 ft1:39 PM 3.6 ft7:10 AM -0.2 ft7:06 PM 1.5 ft
Sun Nov 812:58 AM 3.7 ft2:18 PM 3.5 ft7:49 AM -0.4 ft7:34 PM 1.6 ft
Mon Nov 91:21 AM 3.8 ft2:56 PM 3.4 ft8:28 AM -0.5 ft8:00 PM 1.7 ft
Tue Nov 101:45 AM 3.8 ft3:34 PM 3.3 ft9:07 AM -0.5 ft8:27 PM 1.8 ft
Wed Nov 112:09 AM 3.7 ft4:12 PM 3.1 ft9:46 AM -0.3 ft8:58 PM 1.8 ft
Thu Nov 122:36 AM 3.7 ft4:52 PM 3.0 ft10:26 AM -0.2 ft9:33 PM 1.8 ft
Fri Nov 133:08 AM 3.6 ft5:35 PM 2.9 ft11:06 AM 0.0 ft10:13 PM 1.8 ft
Sat Nov 143:44 AM 3.5 ft6:21 PM 2.8 ft11:49 AM 0.3 ft11:02 PM 1.8 ft
Sun Nov 154:28 AM 3.3 ft7:12 PM 2.8 ft12:35 PM 0.5 ft
Mon Nov 165:23 AM 3.0 ft8:08 PM 2.8 ft12:05 AM 1.8 ft1:28 PM 0.6 ft
Tue Nov 176:43 AM 2.7 ft9:03 PM 2.9 ft1:28 AM 1.8 ft2:26 PM 0.8 ft
Wed Nov 188:29 AM 2.6 ft9:53 PM 3.0 ft2:56 AM 1.5 ft3:23 PM 0.9 ft
Thu Nov 1910:06 AM 2.7 ft10:34 PM 3.2 ft4:09 AM 1.1 ft4:16 PM 1.0 ft
Fri Nov 2011:20 AM 2.9 ft11:10 PM 3.4 ft5:07 AM 0.6 ft5:02 PM 1.1 ft
Sat Nov 2112:20 PM 3.1 ft11:44 PM 3.6 ft5:58 AM 0.1 ft5:45 PM 1.3 ft
Sun Nov 221:12 PM 3.2 ft6:45 AM -0.3 ft6:25 PM 1.4 ft
Mon Nov 2312:18 AM 3.7 ft2:03 PM 3.3 ft7:32 AM -0.7 ft7:04 PM 1.6 ft
Tue Nov 2412:54 AM 3.9 ft2:54 PM 3.3 ft8:21 AM -0.9 ft7:44 PM 1.7 ft

Predicted tides from NOAA station Panacea, Dickerson Bay. Wind can push the water higher or lower than predicted. NOAA Station Page ↗

Local Know-How

  1. One Wakulla County permit covers all the county ramps here and at Shell Point: $5 a day, paid at the ramp, or $40 a year. The annual permit is $25 for seniors, military, veterans, people with disabilities and commercial fishermen, and you can buy it at Crum's Mini Mall in Panacea.
  2. Mashes Sands has the biggest ramp in this area, with three lanes and access to Ochlockonee Bay and the Gulf. The pier there has been closed since Hurricane Michael and is being rebuilt.
  3. Alligator Harbor is a state aquatic preserve with seagrass beds and bay scallops, and it is a key feeding ground for endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtles. Raise the motor over grass, since seagrass damage can bring a fine of up to $1,000.
  4. The Alligator Point ramps are small, primitive Franklin County sites with only 2 to 6 trailer spaces each, so they fill fast. Some other ramps nearby are private or restricted, so check the signs before you launch.

Getting Them Cleaned

  • No paid scallop cleaning service was found in Panacea or Ochlockonee Bay. Plan to clean your own catch.
  • Ask at bait shops and marinas near your launch whether anyone is cleaning scallops for hire that season.

Other Towns in This Zone

Franklin-NW Taylor

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