Mayport Shrimp: A Jacksonville Guide to the Village, the Shrimp, and the Rules for Catching Your Own

At the mouth of the St. Johns River, between the Navy base and the water, sits Mayport, one of the oldest fishing villages in Florida and the place many Jacksonville families think of first when they think of fresh shrimp.

Shrimp are such a part of local life that Jacksonville's Triple-A baseball team is named the Jumbo Shrimp. Here's a guide to Mayport, the shrimp you'll find here, how to buy them, and the state's rules if you want to catch your own.

Mayport at a glance

• Where: a small waterfront community on the south bank of the St. Johns River, between Naval Station Mayport and the river
• Getting there: State Road A1A, the only public road in. From the north, A1A crosses the river on the St. Johns River Ferry.
• History: Mayport was incorporated as its own city on June 3, 1909. Today it's part of Jacksonville.
• Landmarks: the old St. Johns River Lighthouse, built in 1858, still stands on the grounds of Naval Station Mayport. It was taken out of service in 1929. The modern St. Johns Light went up in 1954.

Ride the Mayport Ferry

The St. Johns River Ferry, also called the Mayport Ferry, is part of the fun of a trip to Mayport.

• The crossing: about 0.9 miles, between Mayport and Fort George Island, on State Road A1A
• How often: it leaves about every half hour
• Running since: 1874
• The boat: the Jean Ribault, built in 1996, carries up to 40 vehicles and 206 passengers
• Who runs it: the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA), which took over permanently on March 31, 2016
• The alternative: driving around via the Dames Point Bridge on I-295 is about 28 miles

Check jtafla.com for the current schedule and fares before you go. (Watch out: an old website that used to belong to the ferry now leads to an unrelated site, so use JTA's.)

On the Mayport side, the U.S. Merchant Marine Memorial stands on the ferry grounds. It was dedicated on Sept. 14, 1999.

The three kinds of shrimp you'll find here

Florida's three main commercial shrimp all live in local waters. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), here's how to tell them apart:

All three have short lives, usually less than 2 years, which is one reason shrimp populations can bounce back quickly from season to season.

White shrimp prefer lower-salinity water over muddy bottoms near shore. That makes the brackish St. Johns River prime territory for them.

Want to catch your own? Florida's rules

Recreational shrimping is popular in the St. Johns River and the area's creeks, especially with cast nets from docks and boats. Here are the FWC's rules for Northeast Florida:

### License You need a Florida recreational saltwater fishing license, unless you're exempt. Check myfwc.com for who's exempt.

### Season Inside waters of Nassau, Duval, St. Johns, Putnam, Flagler and Clay counties are closed to recreational shrimping from April 1 through May 31. The rest of the year is open.

### How much you can keep

• 5 gallons, heads on, per person per day
• No more than 5 gallons, heads on, per boat, no matter how many people are aboard

So a boat with four people still gets only 5 gallons total, not 20.

### Allowed gear

• Cast net: stretched length of 14 feet or less, measured from the horn at the center to the lead line
• Dip or landing net: an opening of 96 inches or less around the edge
• Push net, pushed or dragged by someone wading
• Beach or haul seine: up to 500 square feet, mesh no larger than 2 inches stretched, not monofilament
• Frame net: up to 16 feet around the opening, used from a boat or structure, never from an operating bridge or causeway, and never towed
• Up to four shrimp traps, each no larger than 36 by 24 by 12 inches, with your name and address attached
• No more than two nets fished from one boat at a time

### Baiting with poles If you bait shrimp for cast-netting, the FWC allows: - Up to five nonmetal poles, each 1 inch or less in diameter - Poles at least 10 yards apart, with the first and last no more than 50 yards apart - No poles within 50 yards of a dock, pier, boat ramp, seawall, jetty or bridge - Daylight only: from a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset - Poles marked with white reflective tape and tended at all times (you must stay within 100 yards)

### Closed creeks in Northeast Florida Some tributaries are closed, including those of the St. Marys, Bells, Jolly, Amelia, Nassau, Back and South Amelia rivers, plus Jackson Creek, Lanceford Creek, Tiger Creek and Tiger Basin, and the North Fork of Alligator Creek. See the FWC's full list before you go.

Buying shrimp: a few tips

• Read the count. Shrimp are sold by how many make a pound. "16/20" means 16 to 20 shrimp per pound. The lower the number, the bigger the shrimp.
• Heads on or off? Heads-on shrimp cost less per pound, but you're paying for weight you'll throw away. They're great for boils and stock.
• Ask where they're from. Local markets can usually tell you whether shrimp are wild-caught from Florida or the Atlantic coast, or imported and farm-raised.
• Smell test. Fresh shrimp should smell like the ocean, not like ammonia.

Where to eat shrimp in Mayport

Mayport's waterfront along Ocean Street has long had seafood spots where you can watch the boats on the river. One of them, Safe Harbor at 4378 Ocean St., had a routine state inspection on Aug. 28, 2026, according to Florida's restaurant inspection records.

Restaurants come and go, so call ahead or check a business's current listing before you make the drive. You can look up any restaurant's latest inspection on our free Jacksonville restaurant inspections lookup.

Mark your calendar: the Shrimp Festival

The Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival in Fernandina Beach is Northeast Florida's biggest celebration of shrimp.

• When: usually the first weekend in May
• Since: 1964, when it started as the Shrimp Boat Festival
• What's there: shrimp and seafood, arts and crafts, antiques, live music, the Miss Shrimp Festival pageant, fireworks and a parade

The festival's website says 2027 details are coming soon. We'll add the dates to our events calendar when they're posted.

Why the Jumbo Shrimp?

When the Jacksonville Suns rebranded after the 2016 season, they became the Jumbo Shrimp. The name nods to shrimping on the St. Johns River, and its built-in contradiction is a wink at Jacksonville itself: Florida's biggest city by population, with a small-town feel.

The team plays at VyStar Ballpark downtown and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins.

A simple Mayport-style shrimp boil

If you bring home a few pounds, here's an easy way to cook them:

1. Bring a big pot of water to a boil with seafood boil seasoning, a halved lemon and a little salt.
2. Add small red potatoes and cook about 15 minutes.
3. Add corn on the cob, broken in halves, and smoked sausage in chunks. Cook about 5 minutes.
4. Add the shrimp last and cook just 2 to 3 minutes, until they turn pink and curl.
5. Drain, spread it all on a newspaper-covered table, and dig in.

The biggest mistake is overcooking the shrimp. Pull them as soon as they turn pink.

Quick answers

When is shrimp season in Jacksonville?
For recreational shrimpers, Northeast Florida's inside waters are open all year except April 1 through May 31.

How many shrimp can I keep in Florida?
5 gallons, heads on, per person per day, and no more than 5 gallons per boat.

Do I need a license to cast-net shrimp?
Yes, a Florida recreational saltwater fishing license, unless you're exempt.

How big can my cast net be?
No more than 14 feet stretched length.

How do I get to Mayport from the north?
Take State Road A1A and ride the St. Johns River Ferry from Fort George Island. Check jtafla.com for times and fares.

Got a favorite Mayport shrimp spot or a family shrimp boil recipe? Tell us at [email protected].