Snook and tarpon chasing the fall mullet run inshore
Water is reading 86°F at NOAA CO-OPS station 8722670, and Snook Nook (FL) reports that the fall mullet run has put snook, tarpon, jacks and sharks onto bait schools around Stuart over the past few weeks. Their October report says the full moon and higher king tides made the end of September harder, but anglers fishing early morning and evening stayed productive.
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What's biting
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Snook Nook says fishing should continue picking back up as the mullet run carries on, so the early and late windows are still the ones to plan around.
Timing is set by the tide. NOAA CO-OPS shows the next high at 3:35 PM ET for station 8722670 and 4:07 PM ET for station 8720218, with no low in the feed, so the afternoon top of the tide is the window to watch. These are predicted tide times, not a report of what the fish are doing on them.
Context
Early October on Florida's Atlantic coast is typically still a warm-water pattern, and mid-80s water is normal for the season, so this is a fall transition rather than a cold-front bite. The fall mullet run is the seasonal engine inshore, and snook and tarpon following it is the usual pattern for this stretch. Snook Nook's August report noted many snook in the 40-inch-plus range around the St. Lucie Inlet, which suggests larger fish are in the system. Snook are typically under seasonal harvest rules, so check state regs before keeping any fish.
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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