Academy 1 (ES0151)
Artificial reef Escambia County, Florida, Gulf side. 3 Fish Haven Towers Funded By County.
What bites on Academy 1
Structure in 44 ft on the Gulf coast usually holds: Red snapper, Gag grouper, Red grouper, Mangrove snapper, Triggerfish, Amberjack. What is actually biting changes with the season, water temperature and tide — the day's plan for this reef has the bite window and what to target that day.
Anchoring on Academy 1
In 44 ft, pay out about 240 ft of rode at 5:1 in calm water, or 336 ft at 7:1 when it's blowing. Drop the anchor up-drift of the structure by about the same distance and fall back onto it. Before you drop, kill the engine for 60 seconds and watch your GPS track — that's your real drift, and it beats any forecast.
Today's fishing report near Academy 1
Pensacola fishing report — today: tides, wind, seas, water temperature and the GO / NO-GO call for inshore and offshore, updated through the day. Also nearby: Orange Beach fishing report (19 mi).
Nearby reefs
| Reef | Distance | Heading | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| RFRA Reef #3 ES0164 | 97 yd | SE | 43 ft |
| Academy 2 ES0152 | 98 yd | S | 47 ft |
| Jeff's Reef ES0179 | 121 yd | ENE | 40 ft |
| Fredrick H Cleveland ES0150 | 122 yd | NNW | 43 ft |
| RFRA Reef #2 ES0163 | 123 yd | NNE | 39 ft |
Before you go
Size limits, bag limits and seasons change — check the current Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) rules for the day you fish. Carry a descending device for reef fish you release.