This Tiny Florida Gulf Town Comes Alive Every Scalloping Season

Florida is so much more than the high-rises of Miami or the sprawling theme parks of Orlando. In some corners, it remains wild, sparsely developed, and still intimately connected to the natural world. One of the best examples of this is tucked away on the Gulf Coast in the region called the Big Bend. That's the town of Steinhatchee, a fisherman's paradise known as one of the best spots in Florida to grab fresh scallops right out of the water.

Steinhatchee (pronounced STEEN-hatch-ee), located where the river that shares its name meets the Gulf, is home to fewer than 1,000 residents on a permanent basis. However, the population swells at certain times of year, particularly the summer scallop season, which typically runs from June 15 through Labor Day. Scallopers snorkel in shallow areas and hand-pick the shellfish in the Gulf. Participants (all of whom must have a saltwater fishing license from the state) are allowed to take 2 gallons of scallops in the shell per person or 10 gallons per vessel. These limits, along with scallop sorters that help ensure you only harvest large enough scallops, help keep the fishery sustainable even amid heavy annual scalloping.

Experienced scallopers can shuck their catch immediately and toss it into whichever tasty scallop recipe they're craving. Local marinas offer cleaning spaces and may even offer to clean them for you.

As you might expect, the pristine, fertile waters of this part of the Gulf support plenty of other sea life beyond scallops, too. It's a top spot in the region for launching boats targeting local populations of redfish, sheepshead, and trout. There's also a handful of beloved, high-quality local seafood restaurants serving (what else?) the area's freshest catches, alongside iconic Florida favorites.

Those looking to try their hand at scalloping, fishing, or simply exploring this lesser-known corner of the Sunshine State should plan ahead. There are only a handful of smaller, local hotels in Steinhatchee itself, and it's a fairly long drive to any cities of notable size. This isolation is part of the appeal to some, who can enjoy the tranquil waters of the Gulf without the crowds of Panama City Beach or Clearwater Beach. Don't expect wide sandy beaches, either; the Big Bend lacks the natural conditions that create them, resulting in a marshier coastline instead.

Unfortunately, Steinhatchee has also faced the brunt of one of the area's biggest downsides, which goes hand-in-hand with its coastal location: hurricanes. The town experienced a tough stretch in the early 2020s that included devastating hurricanes in back-to-back years. Although Hurricane Helene may be best known for the river flooding and other damage affecting North Carolina and the Southeast, it actually made landfall not far from Steinhatchee. Still, this resilient area of the Gulf and the things that live in it have kept generations of Floridians and tourists coming back.