Snook and tarpon feast as fall mullet run floods FL's Atlantic beaches
The fall mullet run is in full swing along Florida's Atlantic Coast, with Snook Nook in Stuart reporting snook, tarpon, jacks and sharks working bait schools inshore this month. Water stays summer-warm: NOAA CO-OPS station 8722670 reads 85.8°F and station 8720218 reads 79.9°F, keeping the predator bite tied to bait movement rather than a seasonal cooldown. Snook Nook notes the recent full moon and higher king tides made the bite tougher for a stretch, but early-morning and evening sessions around the bait near the St. Lucie Inlet have stayed productive using live croakers, pilchards and threadfins. Saltwater Sportsman's look at the Atlantic Coast mullet run backs the timing, with millions of mullet pushing out of the rivers and estuaries from September into November and pulling gamefish tight to the beaches and inlets behind them.
New to these readings? What water temp, tide, and moon phase mean for fishing →
What's biting
What's next
Expect the bite to keep building as more mullet stack along the beaches and inlets over the next several days, per Snook Nook's read on the pattern. The waning crescent moon should ease the tidal push that complicated fishing around the recent full moon, making dawn and dusk sessions more consistent for snook and tarpon working the bait.
Station 8722670 shows a high tide near 6:52 AM ET and a low near 1:02 PM ET; station 8720218 shows a high near 7:32 AM ET and a low near 1:21 PM ET, both favoring an early start on the moving water. Fall mullet runs typically intensify through mid-October, so anglers working live bait on the morning tide near inlet structure should see the most consistent action this weekend and into next week.
Context
Mid-October sits squarely in the Atlantic Coast's fall mullet run, which typically builds from September and holds into November as baitfish migrate south along the beaches and estuaries. Predator activity tracking bait rather than cooling water is normal for this stage of the season, and water temperatures in the high 70s to mid 80s are typical for early October ahead of a sharper cool-down later in the fall.
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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