Fall mullet run fires up snook and tarpon along the Treasure Coast
The annual fall mullet run is driving the inshore bite on Florida's Atlantic side. Snook Nook's October report out of Stuart says snook, tarpon, jacks and sharks have been putting on a show feeding on schools of bait, with anglers who fish early morning and evening staying the most productive after a stretch of full moon and higher king tides made the end of the month tougher. Snook Nook also notes fishing should continue picking back up from here. Water temperature readings are warm: NOAA CO-OPS station 8722670 shows 86.7°F and station 8720218 shows 79.7°F as of the latest observation, a wide spread that tells you the northern station is already cooling while the southern one still holds summer heat. Saltwater Sportsman's fall mullet run piece frames the bigger picture: from September well into November, mullet pour out of rivers, bays and estuaries along the Atlantic Coast in a migration that predators key on. Snook Nook's September report added that trends ran later this year after the cooler winter, with larger mullet showing inshore first and finger mullet slower to arrive.
New to these readings? What water temp, tide, and moon phase mean for fishing →
What's biting
What's next
With a New Moon today, tides will run stronger than average through the next several days, so plan around the moving water. Snook Nook's report suggests the early-morning and evening windows have been the most reliable, and that pattern should hold as bait stays concentrated. Expect the bite to stay centered on wherever mullet are stacking, whether that's the inlet mouths, the beaches or the shoreline edges of the lagoon.
If the trend continues, the beach and inlet action should build through late October as more finger mullet move down the coast. Per Snook Nook's August report, the St. Lucie Inlet and the beach run were producing the better snook fishing earlier this season using live croakers and live threadfins, and when the bite got tough in the inlet, a dead threadfin fished on the bottom was the fallback. Those are summer notes, but the same live-bait approach fits a mullet-driven fall, and matching your offering to the dominant bait is the simple rule.
Watch the water temperature gap between the two stations. As the cooler readings spread south, bait and gamefish tend to shift with them, so a spot that fished slowly last week can turn on quickly. Check state regulations before keeping any snook or redfish, since seasons and slot limits change.
Context
Mid-October is the heart of the mullet migration on Florida's Atlantic coast, and this year looks to be running a bit behind a typical calendar. Snook Nook's September comments pointed to later trends after the cooler winter, with the larger mullet arriving first, so the peak of finger mullet along the beaches may land a little later than the usual window.
This is the stretch when snook move toward the inlets and beaches to feed, tarpon can still be found shadowing the bait, and the overall inshore picture tends to improve as water temperatures ease off their summer highs. Regional anglers generally treat October and November as prime time, and a new moon with its stronger tidal movement tends to concentrate predators at the same pinch points where the bait is funneled.
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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