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Sheepshead
Species Information
| Scientific Name: | Archosargus probatocephalus |
| Common Names: | sheepshead, sheephead, sheeps head, sheep head |
| Environment: | Inshore, Nearshore, Surf |
| Ideal Temp: | 60-65°F (15-18°C) |
About Sheepshead
The sheepshead, Archosargus probatocephalus, is a marine fish that grows to 30 in (760 mm), but commonly reaches 10 to 20 in. It is deep and compressed in body shape, with 5 to 6 dark bars on the side of the body over a gray background. It has sharp dorsal spines. Its diet consists of oysters, clams, and other bivalves, and barnacles, fiddler crabs, and other crustaceans. It has a hard mouth, with several rows of stubby teeth, which help crush the shells of prey.
Sheepshead are found in waters ranging from Nova Scotia to the Gulf of Mexico, and southward to Brazil. Populations of sheepshead occurring in South America and in parts of the Gulf of Mexico are regarded as two separate subspecies. Sheepshead are year-round residents from about South Carolina through the Gulf of Mexico, and most abundant to the north between
April through November. They are found in coastal waters, bays and estuaries, and are tolerant of low salinity brackish waters as well. Sheepshead are most frequently encountered near some type of structure like pilings, jetties, oyster reefs, artificial reefs and coastal live bottom.
Sheepshead Fishing
| World Record: | 9.63 kg (21 lb 4 oz) New Orleans, Louisiana, USA |
| # Fish Caught: | 889710 documented in database. |
| Earliest Record: | 1/1/1830 12:00:00 AM and located at 27.83076, -97.06170. |
| Latest Record: | 4/1/2025 3:49:00 PM and located at 30.66968, -81.46259. |
| Common Techniques: | Bottom Fishing |
| Popular Lure Types: | Bottom Rig |
| Fishing Spots: | 1716 Sheepshead fishing spots. |
Latest Sheepshead Fishing Reports and Spots
Tuesday May 20 2025 Fishing Report What a stellar weekend we had to get us prepped and ready to go for Memorial Day! The fish sure are biting an (
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Caught some nice sheepshead, lots of Bluefish, Speckled Trout, and Houndfish. Can confirm Bluefish and gar eat live or dead American halfbeak. (
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Started Hot - 5/22/2025 4:19:00 PM
We had a nice breezy morning today just enough to keep it from getting hot. I had met David Wanda and Charlie Morton up at Old Town Bait and Ta (
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5/6/30 - 5/7/2025 1:26:46 PM
Body: Lots of bluefish hitting the docks on Tuesday along with sheepshead and drum. A few grey trout in the mix and we had reports of a couple (
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5/7 - 5/8/2025 3:51:41 PM
Body: Great catches of bluefish sheepshead and red drum for inshore boats! A few spanish mackerel in the mix and reports of undersized cobia r (
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5/8 - 5/8/2025 5:44:12 PM
Body: Great fishing on Thursday! Lots of sheepshead and bluefish both still on the larger side making for abundant take-home catches some Span (
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5/9-5/13 - 9/5/2013 4:33:00 PM
Body: Some great fishing over the weekend but the early part of this week has slowed down due to weather. Nice catches of dolphin blackfin tun (
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...a combined report from Friday May 1st and today May 5th with the 60th Annual Shrimp Fest squeezed in between! Friday I fished with Chris Py (
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Sheepshead - 5/7/2025 3:26:43 PM
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Sheepshead - 5/7/2025 7:31:16 AM
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