Fall mullet run fuels snook, tarpon bite on FL's Atlantic coast
Water along Florida's Atlantic coast is still running warm for early October, with NOAA CO-OPS stations reading 84.6°F and 82.8°F this morning. That warmth lines up with what Snook Nook in Stuart is reporting this month: the annual fall mullet run has inshore waters alive with bait schools, and snook, tarpon and a mix of other predators, including redfish, are feeding hard on them. The shop notes the full moon and higher king tides made the back half of last month tougher fishing, but anglers working early morning and evening hours kept finding fish consistently.
New to these readings? What water temp, tide, and moon phase mean for fishing →
What's biting
What's next
Snook Nook expects the bite to keep building as more mullet push down the beaches and into the inlets, a pattern that typically holds through October as the run peaks. With tide swings still elevated around the recent full moon, plan trips around the low-light windows at dawn and dusk, where the shop says fish have stayed most consistent. As mullet schools thicken, look for snook, tarpon and redfish working the edges of bait pods along grass flats and mangrove shorelines to stay active into the back half of the week and through the coming weekend.
Context
Early October sits right in the heart of the fall mullet run on Florida's Atlantic coast, the seasonal event that reliably concentrates inshore gamefish around migrating baitfish each year. Water in the low-to-mid 80s is typical for this point in the season, ahead of the real cool-down that usually arrives later in the month, so current readings track close to a normal schedule rather than running early or late.
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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