Snook settle into docks and bridges across Sarasota Bay
Water temps in Tampa Bay are holding at 82.6°F per NOAA CO-OPS stations 8726520 and 8726724, still warm enough to keep snook working out of the passes toward inshore structure. Capt. Rick Grassett's October forecast from CB's Saltwater Outfitters (Sarasota) has snook staging around docks and bridges in the ICW and on shallow flats as they begin shifting toward wintertime areas, with live shrimp near structure and pilchards on the flats producing. Capt. Kelly Kurtz, fishing out of the same shop on Siesta Key, reports an active inshore bite in Sarasota Bay for snook and redfish this past week. Capt. Brandon Naeve adds that the fall snook season, which opened September 1, is in full swing south toward Fort Myers.
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What's biting
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With water still near 83°F, the snook pattern Grassett describes should hold through the weekend, with fish continuing to slide from the passes toward the ICW and bridges as temperatures ease into fall. Low tide near dawn — around 7 AM at St. Petersburg and closer to 4:30 AM near Clearwater Beach — lines up with the docks-and-bridges bite anglers are already working, while the overnight high near midnight is worth a pass with live shrimp around lit structure. The waning crescent moon keeps nights darker, which tends to pull bait tighter to structure.
Tarpon, per Grassett's prior forecast, are thinning out of the coastal Gulf and settling into inside waters to rest before their fall migration, so a few stragglers may still show around bridges and deep grass flats on an outgoing tide.
Context
This fits the typical October transition for Tampa Bay and Sarasota: snook have moved past the peak summer pass bite and into their cooler-season holding pattern around docks, bridges, and the ICW, right on schedule with what local shop reports describe. Tarpon are in their normal late-season wind-down for this region, not 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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