Mullet run keeps Stuart snook and tarpon fired up
Water off Florida's Atlantic coast is running warm, with NOAA's Lake Worth tide station reading 85.5°F this week, a clear sign the fall mullet run is in full swing. Snook Nook in Stuart reports snook, tarpon, jacks and sharks all keying on the bait schools moving through, though a full moon and higher king tides made the bite trickier late in the month per their October report. Anglers fishing early mornings and evenings have stayed the most consistent, and the shop expects things to pick back up as more mullet push through in the coming weeks.
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What's biting
What's next
Look for the mullet run to keep building into early October as more schools push down the beaches and into the inlets, per Snook Nook's outlook. The next low tide at the Lake Worth station lands around 4:41 PM EDT today, with Mayport's low following around 5:01 PM EDT, worth timing afternoon outgoing water around for fish staged on structure.
The waning gibbous moon is trimming down toward its next phase, which should ease the stronger king tides Snook Nook flagged as a recent complication and open a cleaner bite window heading into the weekend. Early mornings and evenings remain the highest-percentage windows while the moon works through this cycle, and live bait fished around inlet structure should keep producing as bait schools continue moving through.
Context
Late September into October is peak mullet-run season on Florida's Atlantic coast, when snook, tarpon and other predators stack up on migrating baitfish ahead of the seasonal cooldown. This year's run has trended a bit later than usual per Snook Nook, consistent with a cooler prior winter, but the current push through Stuart's inlets and beaches lines up with a typical fall pattern for the region. Check current state regulations before harvesting snook or other species this time of year.
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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