Fall mullet run reaches Alabama waters as Gulf temps start their slide
Our Mobile Bay-area stations logged water temperatures of 76.8°F and 75.7°F this afternoon, still solidly warm but easing toward the seasonal cool-down anglers watch for through the back half of fall. The timing lines up with the Gulf's annual mullet run, which Saltwater Sportsman notes typically begins in September and keeps rolling into November as millions of baitfish pour out of bays and estuaries along the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coast — exactly the kind of bait movement that pulls predators tight to beaches, passes and jetties this time of year. Tonight's new moon brings a stronger-than-average tidal exchange, which should help concentrate that baitfish push through the narrower cuts and channels anglers lean on along Mobile Bay and the nearby Gulf.
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What's next
Look for water temps to keep easing lower over the next several days as fall weather settles in along the central Gulf Coast; the roughly one-degree spread between our two readings is normal day-to-day variation, not a sign of a sharp break. The new moon's bigger tidal swings should hold through the week before relaxing toward the next quarter, so the next few days are a good window for anglers who plan trips around stronger moving water. If the mullet run follows its usual Gulf-wide track, baitfish volume moving through Mobile Bay's passes and nearshore surf should keep building into late October and November, which is typically when the run is thickest and easiest to spot via working birds and bait pods along the beach.
Context
Early October has Mobile Bay and the surrounding Gulf sitting squarely in the fall transition: water still carrying summer warmth while the seasonal cool-down that reshapes where bait and predators stage begins to take hold. A multi-month mullet run starting in September and running into November, as described broadly for Gulf and Atlantic coastal waters, is standard timing for this stretch of the calendar rather than an early or late event. Nothing in this week's readings suggests the region is ahead of or behind its usual fall schedule.
Synthesized from real-time NOAA buoy data, USGS stream gauges, and current reports across regional fishing blogs, captain updates, and angler forums. Check local regulations before keeping fish. Never trust a single source for a trip decision.
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