For grouper out of Pensacola, I’d start with deep structure south/southeast of Pensacola Pass — not the close-in chicken coops. The most dependable public coordinate to build a trip around is:

Best starting waypoint

USS Oriskany Artificial Reef
30°02.550′ N, 87°00.374′ W
Decimal: 30.0425, -87.0062
Roughly 22–24 nautical miles SE of Pensacola Pass

Why this one: it’s big, well-known structure in deeper water, and while it gets pressure, the surrounding hard bottom/relief around the wreck can hold gag, scamp, red grouper, snapper, amberjack, and triggerfish depending on season and depth.

How I’d fish it for grouper

• Don’t sit directly on the wreck if it’s crowded — work the edges, rubble, and nearby breaks.
• Use your sounder to look for low relief off the main wreck, not just the tallest metal.
• Grouper often sit tighter to bottom than the snapper/AJ marks.
• Good baits: live pinfish, cigar minnows, cut bonita, squid strips, or a heavy jig if current allows.
• Bring enough lead — Pensacola current can make light rigs useless offshore.

Best official source for more reef coordinates

Escambia County keeps the public artificial reef list updated and has GPX/KML downloads you can load into your GPS. Their 2026 reef page says the list includes over 150 newer coordinates and provides downloadable files: Escambia County Artificial Reefs.

One important caution: Escambia County also notes some older reef coordinates may have shifted, buried, or degraded over time, so treat any waypoint as a starting point and use your bottom machine to verify structure.

Also check current FWC grouper season, size, and bag limits before you run — they change by species and Gulf zone.

👉 Are you running out of Pensacola Pass, and what size boat/range do you have — 10 miles, 25 miles, or 40+ miles offshore?