AlabamaFishing Atlas
A 25-foot Reefmaker Super Reef being deployed off Alabama

Alabama Artificial Reef Finder

Permitted reef sites by zone
2,230 public reef records in the ADCNR file, grouped by zone.
Dr. Robert (Bob) Shipp
424
Tatum - Winn North
312
Trolling Corridor
216
Hugh Swingle
159
Don Kelley
144
C.M. Blankenship
128
Coastal Conservation Association of Alabama
120
Alabama Gulf Coast Reef and Restoration Foundation
106
Alabama Charter Fishing Association
100
RV Minton West
92
Alabama Wildlife Federation
89
Dr. Sean Powers
84
Tatum - Winn South
80
RV Minton East
46
Dr. Stephen Szedlmayer
37
Inshore
37
NFWF
30
NA
13
South of Perdido Pass
3
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
3
Circalittoral
3
Source: ADCNR Marine Resources artificial reef coordinates (the same file the finder searches).
Alabama’s Marine Resources Division publishes 2,226 public reef sites, from inshore rubble piles to pyramids 50-plus miles out. Filter them by zone, depth, structure and run from Perdido Pass or Sand Island Light, then download just the numbers you want as a GPX file for your chartplotter or a CSV for a spreadsheet. Free, no sign-up.

Photo: Reefmaker · CC BY-SA 3.0
Alabama coast and every public reef
2,230 state-listed public reefs shown as blue dots. Tap one for its name, depth and GPS.
Reefs: ADCNR Marine Resources Division, Master Alabama Public Reefs list. Towns: OpenStreetMap. Map tiles © OpenFreeMap / OpenStreetMap contributors.
Reef type
Depth (feet)

Loading the ADCNR reef list…

Alabama reef zones at a glance

Counts, depths and distances below are worked out straight from ADCNR’s list. Distance is in nautical miles from the Perdido Pass sea buoy, the reference point ADCNR uses. Navigation aids are left out of this table.

Source: ADCNR Marine Resources Division, Master Alabama Public Reefs v2025. Scroll sideways on a phone.
ZoneSitesDepth (ft)NM from Perdido Pass
Dr. Robert (Bob) Shipp42465–22112.1–41
Tatum - Winn North31294–17028.9–45.9
Trolling Corridor21656–926.6–7.9
Hugh Swingle15960–11126.3–35.4
Don Kelley144120–34732–51.5
C.M. Blankenship12873–11632.5–330
Coastal Conservation Association of Alabama12048–6716.1–22
Alabama Gulf Coast Reef and Restoration Foundation10651–1006.2–12.2
Alabama Charter Fishing Association10044–637.1–10.7
RV Minton West9228–384.7–6.1
Alabama Wildlife Federation8961–6835.9–41.5
Dr. Sean Powers844–6512.8–15.8
Tatum - Winn South80133–23047.6–54.2
RV Minton East4637–451.6–2.4
Dr. Stephen Szedlmayer3746–6010.8–12.6
Inshore374–152.3–38.3
NFWF3053–6130.1–35.1
NA1361–67414.1–66.7
South of Perdido Pass334–361.8–1.9
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation360–6034.9–35.7
Circalittoral312–121.1–4.5

Getting the numbers into your unit

GPX is the standard waypoint format. Garmin, Lowrance, Humminbird and Simrad units, and planning programs like Garmin HomePort, EasyGPS and OpenCPN, all read it. Copy the file to the card or USB stick your unit uses and import it from the waypoint menu. The steps differ by brand and model, so follow your unit’s manual.

ADCNR’s own advice is a good one: load the public reefs into their own waypoint group, kept apart from your personal numbers, so you can replace the reef group later without losing the spots you found yourself. Downloading a filtered set here (one zone, or a depth band) also keeps a small unit from choking on two thousand waypoints.

Coordinates show two ways. Decimal degrees (30.095994, -87.571363) are what the files carry. Degrees and decimal minutes(N30° 05.760′ W87° 34.282′) is how most captains read and key in numbers by hand; we work those out from ADCNR’s decimal values.

Before you fish a public reef

Anglers 16 and older who keep Gulf reef fish in Alabama need a saltwater license (or the free angler registration where it applies) plus the Gulf Reef Fish Endorsement, and red snapper, gray triggerfish and greater amberjack landings are reported through Snapper Check. See what is open today on our Gulf reef fish season board, and check the live Orange Beach buoy and marine forecast before the run.

Sources