Florida fishing reports
391 reports for Florida — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Seatrout bite turns aggressive on Sarasota Bay flats
Spotted seatrout are aggressively biting in Sarasota Bay this week, with Capt. Brandon Naeve of CB's Saltwater Outfitters reporting the peak summer bite is fully on across inshore grass flats, mangrove shorelines, and local passes. Redfish are cooperating too — Capt. Chuck Cress worked an oyster bar in upper Sarasota Bay and found steady action with mullet and bait stacked up, landing reds along with an incidental bluefish. Tarpon remain a solid target as well: Capt. Rick Grassett's July forecast notes fish are still around and more aggressive than earlier in the season, with spin anglers drifting live bait under floats in travel lanes and fly anglers staking out bar edges. Shark activity — bull, blacktip, and the occasional migratory species — continues to run through Sarasota Bay and nearshore Gulf waters per Naeve's reports. No live buoy or gauge readings were available for this cycle, so plan around water clarity and bait presence on the day.
Red snapper season peaks for Destin-Pensacola anglers
Mid-July has Destin and Pensacola anglers deep into peak red snapper season, with offshore Gulf structure holding strong bites through the summer heat. Florida Sea Grant's scalloping guidance is also active right now, a reminder that Panhandle bay-scallop season (Steinhatchee north through the Big Bend into Gulf County waters) is in full swing for anyone splitting time between hook-and-line trips and snorkel outings. We didn't pull direct on-the-water reports for Destin or Pensacola specifically this cycle - the available shop and captain intel skewed toward South Florida's Atlantic side (Pompano Beach kingfish and wahoo, Biscayne Bay mutton snapper), which isn't a stand-in for Gulf-side Panhandle conditions. Expect the typical July pattern here: red snapper and king mackerel working nearshore wrecks and reefs, mahi mahi showing up on longer offshore runs, and redfish and speckled trout holding in the bay systems during cooler tide swings. Check current state season dates before planning a trip.
Tarpon and permit carry over as Gulf Coast scallop season kicks in
Naples Offshore Fishing Charters has been running a two-species game plan through the recent stretch, working the tarpon migration each morning before switching to sight-fishing permit in the afternoon, with kingfish, cobia, and amberjack mixed in as bonus catches. That late-spring pattern is the freshest charter intel available for the Gulf Coast and it typically bleeds into the early summer as the tarpon push continues and permit settle onto structure. Kingfish have been eating plugs and flies steadily per the same reports, a good sign for anglers working nearshore structure or drifting bait pods this week. Separately, Florida Sea Grant's scalloping tools are live right now, a nod to the Gulf Coast's signature July activity, bay scallop season, with the usual reminder to harvest sustainably. No buoy or gauge readings came through for this cycle, so lean on a typical mid-July Gulf water-temperature range and check the marine forecast before running offshore.
St. Lucie Inlet Snook Rebound as Red Snapper Season Hangs in Limbo
Snook Nook's July fishing report out of Stuart flags a turnaround at the St. Lucie Inlet: after dredging work slowed the summer snook bite, numbers built back up around the detached jetty and Hole in the Wall as soon as the project paused, with live baits like croakers and pilchards drawing the most strikes. Remember snook season stays closed on Florida's Atlantic coast through August, so it's catch, photo, and release territory until the September 1 reopener. Down south, Sport Fishing Mag flags mutton snapper as worth targeting around Biscayne Bay right now, with anchored live chumming on pilchards the go-to approach in the shallow finger channels. The bigger story for FL Atlantic anglers this week is regulatory, not biological: CCA Florida reports a federal court injunction has blocked the 2026 South Atlantic red snapper exempted fishing permit pilot programs just as the season was set to open, so check current status before planning a snapper trip.
Yellowtail and mutton snapper bite stays red-hot in the Keys
ALL IN Key West reports the summer snapper bite has been "as good as I've seen" in 16 years of guiding, with anglers boating huge yellowtails and tons of mutton snappers plus steady action on grouper, cobia, and kingfish through May and June. Bud n' Mary's in Islamorada echoes the pattern, calling June and early July "prime time" thanks to warm water, calm seas, and abundant bait supporting tarpon around the bridges, mahi mahi offshore, and yellowtail on the reef. Sport Fishing Mag notes nearby Biscayne Bay mutton snapper respond best to live chumming with pilchards and small-mesh chum bags, a technique that lines up with what Keys captains are running now. Live bait trips have also produced king mackerel, tuna, and sailfish per ALL IN Key West, though that mix typically thins as summer heat builds. On the regulatory side, CCA Florida is tracking a court injunction affecting South Atlantic red snapper pilot programs worth checking before targeting that species.
Okeechobee and St. Johns bass slide into shade-and-structure mode
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for Lake Okeechobee or the St. Johns River this cycle, and none of today's angler intel named these waters directly, so this update leans on general seasonal patterns plus national technique reporting relevant to Florida's warmwater largemouth fishery. Tactical Bassin's latest summer coverage highlights jig-and-minnow "strolling" and slow-rolled jigs as go-to approaches once the heat sets bass tight to shade, cover, and deeper break lines through the middle of the day. Field & Stream's midsummer big-bass piece echoes the same theme: committing to heavier cover and staying patient through slow stretches out-produces chasing scattered bites. On Okeechobee and the St. Johns, expect largemouth to feed hardest in the low-light hours, with panfish and catfish staying more consistently active through the heat. Check state regs before harvesting, and verify local conditions before you launch.
Sarasota Bay seatrout bite stays red-hot as summer tarpon fade
Spotted Seatrout are "aggressively biting" across Sarasota Bay right now, according to Capt. Brandon Naeve of CB's Saltwater Outfitters, who reports the peak summer bite is on, with inshore grass flats, mangrove shorelines, and local passes producing the best action in the bay's warm water. Tarpon remain a viable target too. Capt. Rick Grassett's July forecast notes fish are thinning out as the season progresses but are typically more aggressive than earlier in the summer, with spin anglers doing best drifting live baits under floats in travel lanes and fly anglers staking out bar edges. Shark activity, per Capt. Naeve, is in its seasonal peak (late spring through fall), with Blacktips, Bull Sharks, and occasional Lemon Sharks showing in the bay and nearshore Gulf. Capt. Chuck Cress also pulled a redfish off an upper-bay oyster bar this past week, with mullet and bait stacked up in the same area. No fresh buoy or gauge readings were available for this cycle.
Panhandle anglers eye red snapper and kingfish as summer heat settles in
No fresh buoy readings or shop/charter reports came in out of Destin or Pensacola this cycle, and a new moon sits overhead, so this update leans on the Panhandle's well-established July pattern until local intel refreshes. Gulf water temperatures typically run at their warmest of the year by mid-July, pushing red snapper onto 60-150 foot bottom structure and putting king mackerel on the troll around nearshore reefs and wrecks. Inshore, redfish and speckled trout tend to bite best in the low-light hours before afternoon heat shuts the bite down, a seasonal expectation rather than a confirmed local report this week. Elsewhere in the state, Field & Stream flagged a push toward state-level red snapper management on Florida's Atlantic coast, a reminder that snapper regs are actively in motion this summer, though that specific proposal targets the Atlantic zone, not the Gulf season Panhandle anglers fish. Check current federal Gulf snapper dates before planning a bottom trip.
Seatrout and snook dial in as Gulf Coast summer pattern holds
Calm, hot weather has settled over Florida's Gulf Coast flats, and that's turning seatrout into the most consistent bite of the moment — Salt Strong's latest case study calls topwater drifts over grass flats "the easiest way to catch seatrout" even on a weak tide. The same crew's Homosassa report has redfish and snook mixed in on Smart Fishing Spots drift patterns, with snook pushing onto structure as anglers dial in quieter presentations to avoid spooking fish in the glassy conditions. Earlier in the season, Naples Offshore Fishing Charters had tarpon migrating through and snook keying on live pilchards along the inshore edges as water warmed — a pattern that typically holds through summer on this coast. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle, so treat sky and water-temp expectations as seasonal norms until a local check confirms them on the water.
Treasure Coast snook bite surges as summer inlet action heats up
Live bait is doing the work on Florida's Treasure Coast this month. Snook Nook reports the St. Lucie Inlet snook bite has rebounded now that a dredging project has paused, reopening the detached jetty and Hole in the Wall to good numbers of fish keyed on croakers and pilchards — catch-and-release only, since Atlantic-coast snook season typically stays closed to harvest June through August. The same Stuart-based crew banked a small-boat division win in the One More Bite Sailfish Challenge, going 7-for-9 on bites over the weekend, a good sign for offshore trolling this summer. Down in Biscayne Bay, Sport Fishing Mag notes mutton snapper turning up in the finger channels for anglers live-chumming pilchards on the right current. Farther north near St. Augustine, an angler working the Vilano Intracoastal logged a personal-best 21-inch flounder on candy mullet, per Coastal Angler Magazine. Meanwhile CCA Florida flags a federal court injunction disrupting this year's South Atlantic red snapper season right before it opened, so check current regs before targeting that species.
Mutton and Yellowtail Snappers Keep the Keys Bite Red Hot
"The fishing have been as good as I've seen in my 16 years here in Key West," reports ALL IN Key West, describing non-stop action on huge yellowtail and mutton snapper through the reef and backcountry. Bud n' Mary's confirms the timing, calling June and early July "one of the most productive periods" in the Keys fishery, with tarpon stacked on the bridges, mahi working the Gulf Stream edges, and yellowtail thick on the reef. Sport Fishing Mag adds detail on the snapper bite, noting quality mutton snapper respond well to live chumming with pilchards and block chum in a mesh bag. ALL IN Key West also flagged a strong Gulf side day mixing grouper, cobia, and kingfish, plus solid live-bait results on king mackerel and sailfish. With no fresh buoy or gauge readings in hand today, plan around the reef and Gulf Stream edges where bait has been thick and current has been moving fish.
Okeechobee and St. Johns bass settle into a dawn-and-dark summer pattern
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for the Lake Okeechobee/St. Johns corridor this cycle, and this week's angler-intel feeds carried no direct bite reports for either fishery specifically — so this update leans on typical mid-July Florida patterns rather than fresh readings. With a new moon overhead and water firmly in summer-heat mode, largemouth bass on both fisheries are typically pushing tight to matted vegetation and deeper grass edges during the heat of the day, with the best windows at first light and after dark. Bluegill and shellcracker activity tends to build around moon phases this time of year, making the coming days a reasonable bet for bedding fish in the shallows. Black crappie generally go quiet and deep-structure oriented once summer heat sets in. Treat all of the above as seasonal expectation, not confirmed intel, until region-specific reports come through.
Fishing in Florida
Florida is the fishing trip everyone else plans all year, available every day. Lake Okeechobee and a thousand smaller lakes make it the trophy largemouth capital of the country. The flats from the Keys to Mosquito Lagoon hold tarpon, bonefish, permit, redfish, and snook, and the offshore game runs from sailfish to grouper. There is no closed season on the state as a whole; something is always eating.
When to fish Florida
Trophy largemouth spawn through late winter and spring, the best window for a double-digit fish. Migratory tarpon begin staging along the coasts and the Keys as the water warms.
The tarpon migration peaks early in the season, snook feed around the passes and beaches, and redfish work the flats. Freshwater bass go early-and-late around the heat, and afternoon storms set the schedule.
The fall mullet run pulls snook, tarpon, and jacks into feeding frenzies along the beaches, while oversized redfish school in the lagoons. Offshore, the fall bite builds for kingfish and sailfish.
Cool fronts stack sailfish along the Atlantic side and push trout and redfish onto shallow, sun-warmed flats where sight fishing shines. Bass fishing stays strong through the mild winter.
Waters to know
Wayfinder builds a plan for your exact water and day from live buoys, gauges, tides, and recent reports. Free, about 30 seconds.
Common questions
Do I need a license to fish in Florida?
Most anglers need a Florida license, with separate freshwater and saltwater licenses sold online through the FWC. Several exemptions exist for residents and shore-based anglers, so check the current FWC rules for your situation.
What fish can I catch in Florida?
Largemouth bass, crappie, and bluegill in freshwater. Inshore salt offers tarpon, snook, redfish, seatrout, bonefish, and permit, while offshore adds grouper, snapper, kingfish, sailfish, mahi, and tuna.
When is the best time to fish Florida?
Every month fishes for something. Winter and spring are prime for trophy bass and sailfish, late spring and summer for the tarpon migration, and fall for the mullet run. Build the trip around the species you want.
Where can I check current Florida fishing conditions?
This page carries our current Florida fishing reports, built daily from NOAA buoys, USGS gauges, tides, and local sources. For a plan built around your exact water and day, try the free Wayfinder trip planner.
Seasons and limits change: verify current regulations with FWC before keeping fish.
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