What Seafood Is in Season at the Jacksonville Beaches?

Short answer: Seafood at the Jacksonville Beaches runs on a calendar. Shallow-water grouper is closed in South Atlantic federal waters from January through April. Shrimp is available all year, with white shrimp peaking in fall. Mahi, flounder and tripletail come and go with the water temperature.

Ask what’s good on the First Coast and the honest answer is “depends on the month.” Fish don’t read menus. They follow warm water, spawning cycles and bait, and the rules follow the fish.

Seasonal seafood is fish and shellfish eaten when the species is plentiful nearby and legally open to harvest.

What does “in season” mean for seafood in Florida?

“In season” means two things line up: the fish are nearby in good numbers, and the law lets boats keep them. Nature sets the first. Fishery managers set the second.

Grouper shows the rules at work. NOAA Fisheries says South Atlantic commercial and recreational gag seasons are closed from January through April, which protects shallow-water grouper while they reproduce (Source: NOAA Fisheries 2026). For the seafood Jacksonville Beaches cooks buy, that closure shapes the whole winter menu.

Shrimp shows nature at work. White shrimp usually live less than two years, so NOAA calls them an “annual crop” whose numbers swing with conditions (Source: NOAA Fisheries 2026).

What fish is in season in Florida, season by season?

Here is the typical pattern for Northeast Florida and the nearby South Atlantic coast. Treat it as a guide, not a guarantee: managers adjust rules, and weather moves fish.

Two takeaways stand out. Shrimp never really leaves; it just changes species. And winter is the one stretch when local grouper is off the table.

When is grouper season in Northeast Florida?

Local shallow-water grouper is a May through December fish. NOAA Fisheries lists the South Atlantic gag season as closed from January through April (Source: NOAA Fisheries 2026). Red grouper (Source: NOAA Fisheries 2026) and black grouper (Source: NOAA Fisheries 2026) carry the same January through April closure.

The closure lines up with spawning. Gag spawn from mid-January to early May in the South Atlantic. A female can release between 60,000 and 1.7 million eggs each time she spawns. Red grouper spawn close to 26 times a year, in shallow water, from February through June.

Once the closure lifts, local grouper is worth the wait. Craving grouper? Our Grouper Tacos come grilled, blackened or fried, and you can always call to ask what came in. A firm fillet also makes a great sandwich, and our fish sandwich guide covers how to order one.

When is mahi season off Jacksonville?

Mahi (also called dolphin or dolphinfish) is likeliest in spring and summer off the First Coast, but it can turn up in any month. A NOAA Fishery Bulletin study of nearly four decades of western Atlantic longline records found abundance was greatest in spring and summer in the northern parts of the range. In the southern areas, abundance was similar across seasons (Source: NOAA Fishery Bulletin 2024).

In recent years, the same study found abundance held stable from Cape Hatteras to Georgia’s southern border, even as it fell elsewhere. That stretch ends just north of the Jacksonville Beaches.

Mahi live fast. The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council says dolphin average about a five-year life span, and those in the Florida Current spawn from November through July (Source: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council 2022).

For mahi, try the Key West Style Mahi Tacos, stuffed with our grilled mahi mahi. Or pair a grilled fillet from the fresh catch with our Mango Wasabi Slaw, a sweet heat house slaw.

When is shrimp season in Florida?

Shrimp is in season in Florida all year, but the best species changes. NOAA Fisheries lists white shrimp as year-round with a fall peak (Source: NOAA Fisheries 2026). Brown shrimp peak in summer (Source: NOAA Fisheries 2026), and pink shrimp peak in winter (Source: NOAA Fisheries 2026).

Florida owns the pink shrimp story: over 75 percent of the U.S. pink shrimp harvest comes from the state’s west coast.

The rhythm runs up and down the Southeast coast. South Carolina’s wildlife agency describes three peaks: roe white shrimp in spring, brown shrimp in summer and a second white shrimp crop in fall and winter. Its shrimp biologist on how the crop handles a cold snap:

“Although we did have a cold snap in late January, white shrimp numbers across South Carolina’s estuaries have generally been near the long-term average this winter and spring.”

Jeff Brunson, biologist, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (Source: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources 2025)

For diners, shrimp is the safe order any month. Try the Grilled Shrimp, original or blackened, the Buffalo Shrimp, or the shrimp version of our Terrific Tacos.

When are flounder and tripletail in season in Florida?

Both follow warm water. Flounder are easiest to find inshore from spring into fall, and tripletail mostly from spring to early fall.

Adult southern flounder leave estuaries for the ocean in fall, then return to coastal and estuarine waters as they warm in spring. In a North Carolina Sea Grant study of 100 tagged fish, most left the estuaries for the ocean (Source: North Carolina Sea Grant 2021). When flounder is on the fresh catch board, its mild, delicate fillets take well to frying or grilling.

Tripletail run on a thermostat. A study in Georgia’s Ossabaw Sound, just up the coast, detected them in the estuary from March through November at sustained water temperatures above 21°C (about 70°F). Most tagged fish left in early October (Source: Marine and Coastal Fisheries 2013).

What seafood is good year-round at the Jacksonville Beaches?

Shrimp and tuna are the steadiest seafood Jacksonville Beaches diners can count on. NOAA Fisheries lists Atlantic yellowfin tuna as available year-round (Source: NOAA Fisheries 2026).

The same NOAA page lists “ahi” as another name for yellowfin and describes a mild, meaty flavor with firm, moist flakes. Our Seared Ahi Tuna, on the fresh catch menu, comes seared over a sushi rice cake with wakame seaweed salad, teriyaki glaze and wasabi cream.

Raw oysters are their own topic, and our oyster guide covers them.

How do you find in-season seafood at the Jacksonville Beaches?

Ask what came in, then order the species at its peak.

• Read the fresh catch first. It’s the seasonal part of any seafood menu.
• Ask where it was caught. Mahi is a good test. About one-third of the U.S. commercial mahi harvest comes from the Atlantic, and most of the rest comes from Hawaii (Source: NOAA Fisheries 2026).
• Know how rare commercial Atlantic mahi is. In one recent year, NOAA counted about 8.2 million pounds of Atlantic and Gulf mahi kept by recreational anglers, against roughly 75,000 pounds landed commercially. That’s more than 100 pounds to anglers for every pound sold off the boat (Source: NOAA Fisheries 2026).
• Match the cooking to the fish. Firm grouper and mahi stand up to blackening. Delicate fillets shine fried.

Curious what “wild-caught, never frozen” really means on a menu? We covered it in our wild-caught guide. For a wider look at eating out here, see our Atlantic Beach seafood guide.

How does Two Dudes Seafood keep its menu seasonal?

We let the boats set the menu. Our fish is wild-caught and never frozen, and the fresh catch changes with what the boats bring in.

Pick a fish from the fresh catch and have it grilled, blackened, fried or jalapeno crusted. The Fresh Catch Platter brings one selection and one side. The Goofy Foot and The Hugangus bring two or three selections with two sides. Round it out with Hush Puppies, golden and made to order.

We’re family-owned and have been in Atlantic Beach since 2006, three blocks from the ocean. Find us at Two Dudes Seafood, 73 Sailfish Drive East, Atlantic Beach, FL 32233, or call (904) 246-2000 to ask what came in. We serve dinner only: Monday 5 to 9 PM, closed Tuesday, and Wednesday to Sunday 5 to 9 PM. No reservations, just walk in, and flip flops are welcome.

Browse the full menu, read our story, or order online for pickup.

Frequently asked questions

What fish is in season in Florida right now?

What fish is in season in Florida depends on the month, but the pattern is steady. In fall, white shrimp peak and southern flounder start heading offshore. Winter is the peak for pink shrimp, while shallow-water grouper in South Atlantic federal waters stays closed from January through April. Spring and summer are the likeliest months for mahi, especially in northern waters. Spring also brings tripletail back into warming estuaries, and summer favors brown shrimp and flounder inshore. Federal and state rules can change, so the simplest move at any seafood restaurant is to ask which fish came in that day.

Can you get local grouper in winter in Jacksonville?

Local grouper is hard to find in Jacksonville from January through April. NOAA Fisheries lists gag, red and black grouper as closed to both commercial and recreational harvest in South Atlantic federal waters during those months, which protects them while they spawn (Source: NOAA Fisheries 2026). Grouper on a menu in that window may come from a region with different rules, so it’s fair to ask where it was caught. Winter is still pink shrimp season. Once the closure lifts in May, local grouper is back, and it’s worth the wait.

Where can I find fresh seafood near me at the Jacksonville Beaches?

For fresh seafood near Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach or Jacksonville Beach, look for a restaurant with a fresh catch selection that changes often. A changing catch is a sign the kitchen buys by season. Two Dudes Seafood is a family-owned restaurant on Sailfish Drive East in Atlantic Beach, three blocks from the ocean. Its fish is wild-caught and never frozen, and the catch changes with what the boats bring in. The restaurant serves dinner only, takes walk-ins with no reservations and keeps things casual. You can call ahead to ask what came in or order online for pickup.

Why does the fresh catch at seafood restaurants change so often?

The fresh catch changes because the ocean changes. Fish follow water temperature, spawning cycles and bait, so the species close to shore shift through the year. Tripletail, for example, leave Georgia estuaries once the water cools in fall, and southern flounder head offshore for winter. Fishery managers also close seasons to protect spawning fish, such as the January through April grouper closure in the South Atlantic. Rough weather can keep boats at the dock, too. A kitchen that buys fresh, never frozen fish works with what lands, so a changing catch means the fish was picked for that night.

Eat with the calendar and you’ll eat well: grouper once it reopens in May, mahi in spring and summer, shrimp all year, and flounder and tripletail while the water is warm. Come see what’s on the fresh catch tonight.

Then plan a perfect evening in Atlantic Beach, see the five seafood dinners worth ordering, browse more on our blog, or head back to the home page.