Florida fishing forecast
Tides, wind and the best bite windows for 53 saltwater spots. From Pensacola to Key West.
Fall is prime time: the mullet run draws snook, tarpon, redfish and bluefish along the beaches and inlets, and big schools of redfish gather on the flats.
Other seasons
- Winter: Cold fronts push snook into rivers, canals and warm-water refuges. Spotted seatrout, sheepshead and redfish bite well in deeper holes on calm, sunny afternoons.
- Spring: Tarpon arrive along the coasts, cobia migrate past the beaches, and snook move back to passes and beaches. One of the best times of the year.
- Summer: Fish early and late to beat the heat. Tarpon, snook on the beaches and in the passes, and mangrove snapper are strong; afternoon storms are common.
General seasonal patterns - always check local reports and the official rules.
Northeast Florida
East Central Florida
Treasure Coast
Southeast Florida
Florida Keys
Southwest Florida
Tampa Bay
Big Bend
Panhandle
About fishing in Florida
Northeast Florida
From the St. Marys River down to Matanzas Inlet, this stretch mixes big tidal rivers, marsh creeks and open Atlantic beaches. Tides here run larger than anywhere else in Florida, so moving water matters a lot.
Common catches: Redfish, spotted seatrout, flounder, sheepshead, black drum, whiting and bluefish.
East Central Florida
Daytona to Cocoa Beach: surf beaches, Ponce Inlet's jetties and the shallow Indian River Lagoon system, including Mosquito Lagoon, famous for sight fishing big redfish in clear, skinny water.
Common catches: Redfish, spotted seatrout, snook, tarpon, pompano, whiting and black drum.
Treasure Coast
Sebastian, Fort Pierce and St. Lucie inlets are some of the best-known snook spots in the state. Fish the inlets on moving water and the beaches when pompano and Spanish mackerel run.
Common catches: Snook, pompano, Spanish mackerel, tarpon, jacks and snapper.
Southeast Florida
Jupiter to Miami: deep water comes close to shore, so piers and inlets see an unusual mix of inshore and pelagic fish. Biscayne Bay adds shallow flats right next to the city.
Common catches: Snook, tarpon, jacks, snapper, Spanish mackerel, bonefish (Biscayne Bay) and sailfish offshore.
Florida Keys
Flats, channels and bridges between the islands. Tides are small but the current through the channels is strong, which is why bridge and channel fishing is so productive here.
Common catches: Bonefish, permit, tarpon, snapper, barracuda and grouper on the reefs.
Southwest Florida
Marco Island up to Venice: mangrove shorelines, passes and Charlotte Harbor. Boca Grande Pass is world famous for tarpon in late spring and early summer.
Common catches: Snook, redfish, spotted seatrout, tarpon, sheepshead and Spanish mackerel.
Tampa Bay
Florida's largest open-water estuary, ringed by piers, bridges, grass flats and beach passes. Long fishing piers make it one of the easiest areas to fish without a boat.
Common catches: Snook, redfish, spotted seatrout, tarpon, Spanish mackerel and sheepshead.
Big Bend
The quiet Nature Coast from Homosassa to St. Marks: shallow grass flats, spring-fed rivers and limestone bottom. Very shallow water means tides decide where you can fish.
Common catches: Spotted seatrout, redfish, sheepshead, cobia and Spanish mackerel.
Panhandle
Apalachicola west to Pensacola: sugar-white surf beaches, long Gulf piers and big bays. Note that the western Panhandle is on Central time.
Common catches: Redfish, spotted seatrout, flounder, pompano, Spanish and king mackerel and cobia in spring.
Always check the official rules before you keep any fish: Florida saltwater fishing license (FWC), Florida saltwater regulations (FWC).
