Redfish and snook outlook for Mobile Bay as the fall mullet run builds
Water temperatures around Mobile Bay are comfortable for inshore fishing, with NOAA CO-OPS station 8735180 reading 76.5°F and station 8736897 reading 79.2°F as of the latest observations. That is a warm October baseline, and it keeps inshore predators feeding through the day instead of bunching up in the cooler early hours. Saltwater Sportsman notes that the fall mullet run is under way along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, with fish of all sizes, from fingerlings to 3-pounders, pouring out of rivers, bays and estuaries from September well into November. Mullet moving out of Mobile Bay's rivers and marshes is the main food source for predators right now. Salt Strong (articles) adds a useful point for the whole Southeast. Water levels are high across much of the region, which floods shorelines, grass and creeks and gives fish a lot more territory to roam. That can make redfish harder to pin down, so expect them to spread out instead of sitting on the usual edges. Salt Strong also describes switching from plugs to soft plastic jerk lures when a promising, bait-filled spot produces nothing. Fishing the same water again with a changed presentation turned a slow morning into an inshore slam of redfish and snook for them.
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Expect the mullet run to be the main driver over the next few days. With a New Moon today, tides tend to run stronger around the new and full moon periods, and the dark nights often push predators to feed hard around dawn and dusk. Plan the best windows around first light and the last hour of daylight, when baitfish are most active and predators move in to ambush them.
If the high water Salt Strong describes persists, work the flooded edges, grass and creek mouths where bait is likely to be pushed in. Focus on where mullet are moving rather than on the structure you fished last month. When fish are scattered, covering water with a lure that can be fished at different depths beats sitting on one spot. If a bait-rich area stays quiet, do what Salt Strong suggests: change the lure profile or color, slow the retrieve, and fish the same water a second time before moving.
We don't have a published tide table to quote here, so check a local tide chart before you launch and time your trip around moving water. Falling tides that pull bait out of marshes and creeks tend to set up the best ambush points for redfish.
Context
Mid-October is typically a strong stretch on the northern Gulf coast. Summer heat is fading, baitfish are stacking up and heading out of the estuaries, and inshore predators fatten up ahead of winter. Water in the upper 70s is on the warm side for the season, so the full fall pattern may still be developing, with the real cool-down yet to come. Redfish typically stay active through the fall and into winter, and the mullet migration usually peaks in the weeks ahead.
As always, check current state regulations on size and bag limits before keeping any fish, since seasons and slots can change.
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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