Florida fishing reports
562 reports for Florida — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Snook and Snapper Bites Fire Up on Florida's Atlantic Coast
Snook fishing on Florida's Treasure Coast is rebounding now that dredging work at the St. Lucie Inlet has paused, per Snook Nook's July report — anglers working live croakers and pilchards around the detached jetty and Hole in the Wall are marking solid numbers of fish, even with the statewide snook closed season in effect until it typically reopens September 1. Farther south, Captain Rick Murphy's Florida Insider Fishing Report says the mangrove snapper bite is on, and Sport Fishing Mag notes quality mutton snapper showing up around Biscayne Bay on live-chummed pilchards and block chum. The bigger storyline for Atlantic-side offshore anglers is red snapper access: CCA Florida reports a federal court granted a preliminary injunction blocking the 2026 South Atlantic red snapper Exempted Fishing Permit pilot programs just hours before Florida's state-managed season was set to open, leaving access uncertain. Check current state guidance before targeting snapper species this week.
Mutton snapper spawn keeps Key West bite red hot
Mutton snapper are locked into their full-moon spawn around Key West, with ALL IN Key West reporting the bite "chewing like crazy" and yellowtail snapper "practically jumping in the boat" through May and June. Bud n' Mary's in Islamorada calls this stretch prime time, pointing anglers toward tarpon on the bridges, mahi mahi offshore, and yellowtail along the reef as warm water, calm seas, and abundant bait line up from the shallow flats to the Gulf Stream. ALL IN Key West also flags an early sailfish push riding strong Gulfstream currents close to shore, plus steady live-bait action on kingfish and tuna, with grouper and cobia mixed in on Gulf-side trips. Regulatory noise is building in the background, with CCA Florida tracking the fight over South Atlantic red snapper season access, though that's more an Atlantic-coast story than a flats-and-reef one. Bottom line: captains are calling this one of the more productive early-summer windows in recent memory.
Summer Bite Shifts Early and Late on Okeechobee, St. Johns
No fresh on-the-water reports came in from Lake Okeechobee or the St. Johns River in today's intel sweep, so this update leans on the seasonal pattern typical for late July in central Florida rather than a specific catch report. With water temperatures well into summer ranges, largemouth bass are following the classic heat pattern: early and late top-water and moving baits around grass edges, sliding to deeper structure once the sun gets high, a pattern echoed in Field & Stream's midsummer bass primer and Tactical Bassin's recent summer-heat videos on shade and grouped deep fish. Black crappie (speckled perch) are typically in their slow summer lull well past the spring spawn, holding on deep brush and channels. Bream should still offer action around shallow cover, though the waxing crescent moon means bedding activity is lighter than around a full moon. Catfish generally stay active in warm water, especially after dark.
Sarasota Bay seatrout bite turns aggressive as summer peaks
Spotted seatrout are in an aggressive summer bite across Sarasota Bay, with CB's Saltwater Outfitters' Capt. Brandon Naeve reporting steady action on inshore grass flats, mangrove shorelines, and local passes as warm bay water pushes fish into predictable ambush zones. Redfish are mixing in too — Capt. Chuck Cress with CB's landed a red around an oyster bar in upper Sarasota Bay this past week, with mullet and bait activity marking the spot. Shark activity (Bull, Blacktip, and other migratory sharks) is ramping up in the bay and nearshore Gulf as the season's peak approaches, per Naeve. Along the beaches, Capt. Rick Grassett's July forecast still has tarpon on the table: spin anglers drifting live baits under floats in travel lanes, fly anglers working bar edges, with fish described as more aggressive than earlier in the season even as numbers start to thin toward month's end. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle, so plan around these reported bite windows rather than hard numbers.
Panhandle anglers lean on summer patterns amid a quiet report cycle
Florida's push toward state-level red snapper management made headlines this week: Gov. DeSantis and FWC requested a federal exemption for a 39-day Atlantic-coast season, per Anglers Journal, a reminder that snapper rules are shifting statewide, though that particular move covers the Atlantic side, not the Gulf waters off Destin and Pensacola. Direct buoy, gauge, and Panhandle-specific catch reports are thin this cycle, so this update leans on typical mid-July patterns for the Gulf Panhandle: red snapper and king mackerel holding over nearshore structure and wrecks, Spanish mackerel schooling along the beaches, and redfish working grass flats and pass mouths on early tides. Gulf water temps typically sit in the low-to-mid 80s this time of year. Check current state and federal snapper season dates before planning an offshore trip, since windows shift year to year and vary by federal versus state waters.
Tarpon Push and Trophy Permit Headline the Gulf Coast Bite
Tarpon are running hard along Florida's Gulf Coast, with Naples Offshore Fishing Charters reporting the migration in full swing and anglers jumping quality fish through the morning before switching gears to sight-fish big Permit in the afternoons. Mangrove snapper are firing too, with Captain Rick Murphy's Florida Insider Fishing Report flatly calling the state's snapper bite "ON" in a recent episode. Inshore, Salt Strong notes that summer heat is pushing many anglers off the water by mid-morning, but a second, often-overlooked feeding window tends to open in the afternoon as bait activity ramps back up, a pattern worth planning drifts around for seatrout on calmer days. No live buoy or gauge data came through for this update, so treat water temps and tide timing as typical for a Gulf Coast July and confirm conditions locally before running offshore.
Treasure Coast snook stack up as red snapper season hits a legal snag
Snook are packing back into structure around the detached jetty and Hole in the Wall at Stuart's St. Lucie Inlet now that the area dredging project has paused, per Snook Nook's July report — side-scan is marking large schools, with live croakers and pilchards drawing the bites. Remember snook harvest closes statewide on the Atlantic coast June 1 through August 31, so it's catch-and-release only through this window; check current FWC regs before keeping any fish. Bigger news for offshore anglers: CCA Florida reports a federal court just granted a preliminary injunction blocking the 2026 South Atlantic red snapper Exempted Fishing Permit pilot programs for Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, landing just hours before Florida's Atlantic red snapper season was set to open — confirm current season status before running out. Down south, Sport Fishing Mag notes mutton snapper still working in Biscayne Bay on live chum and pilchards for those looking for an alternate target.
Yellowtail and Mutton Snapper Keep the Keys Bite Red-Hot
Captain reports out of Key West describe the summer snapper run as some of the best in years: ALL IN Key West says June and early July have produced huge yellowtail snapper and "tons and tons" of mutton snapper, with fish actively feeding in large numbers and plenty of open July availability on the books. Bud n' Mary's Islamorada echoes the timing in its Early Summer Fishing Report, calling this window prime time for tarpon on the bridges, mahi offshore, and yellowtail on the reef amid warm water, calm seas, and abundant bait. Sport Fishing Mag notes Biscayne Bay mutton snapper are keying on live chumming with pilchards and small-mesh block chum bags. Gulf-side trips out of Key West have also turned up grouper, cobia, and kingfish mixed in with the snapper. With no fresh buoy or gauge readings in hand for this run, anglers should lean on these on-the-water reports and check local conditions before running offshore.
Summer Heat Settles In for Okeechobee and St. Johns Bass
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came in for Lake Okeechobee or the St. Johns River this cycle, and this week's angler-intel feeds carried no direct catch reports from either water. Absent local intel, we're leaning on well-established mid-July patterns: Florida largemouth bass typically slide onto deeper structure and shaded cover once surface temps climb, working dawn and dusk windows hardest. Field & Stream's current breakdown on jig styles is a useful frame for that shift, noting football jigs excel at deep bottom-dragging in the 10-plus-foot range typical of summer bass, while swim jigs stay effective punching through shallow vegetation early and late. Bluegill and shellcracker should still be catchable around matted vegetation and canal mouths, a typical July pattern for both waters. Black crappie fishing is likely running its usual summer slow, with fish holding deep and less willing during peak heat. Treat this as seasonal expectation, not a confirmed bite, until fresher local reports arrive.
Sarasota Bay seatrout bite peaks as tarpon linger into July
Spotted seatrout are "aggressively biting" in Sarasota Bay right now, according to Capt. Brandon Naeve of CB's Saltwater Outfitters, who's finding the peak summer trout bite firing on inshore grass flats, mangrove shorelines, and the local passes. Redfish are mixing in too — Capt. Chuck Cress (CB's) worked a Sarasota Bay oyster bar this past week with mullet stacked and bait busting, boating a red on the same trip. Tarpon remain a solid target per Capt. Rick Grassett's July forecast (CB's): spin anglers are doing best drifting live bait under floats in travel lanes, while fly anglers stake out bar edges, and July fish are running more aggressive than earlier in the season, though numbers should start thinning as the month wears on. Shark activity (Bull, Blacktip, Lemon) is also active in the bay and nearshore Gulf, typical for this late-spring-through-fall window per Capt. Naeve. No fresh buoy or gauge data came through for this update, so plan around bite windows and moving water rather than a specific temp reading.
Panhandle summer bite leans on snapper season and afternoon trout push
Florida's red snapper conversation is making news statewide, per Anglers Journal, as the state pushes to manage its own Atlantic season, a good reminder for Destin and Pensacola boats to double-check current Gulf federal dates before running offshore. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for the Panhandle this cycle, and local shop or captain chatter was thin, so this update leans on typical mid-July patterns. Reef and wreck species remain the mainstay, with snapper the headline draw and king and Spanish mackerel usually working bait schools along the beaches and passes. Inshore, the well-known summer play is fishing the edges of the day, and Salt Strong's recent notes on a second, afternoon feeding window are worth applying to seatrout in the bays once the morning bite fades. Expect calm-water conditions to reward a quieter approach and lighter line.
Tarpon and Permit Keep Naples Anglers Busy as Gulf Warms
Gulf water temps are holding warm at 86°F per NOAA buoy 42036, with light 8-13 mph winds and seas running around 2.6 feet, comfortable working conditions on the reefs and passes. Naples Offshore Fishing Charters reports the tarpon migration is still producing fish, with mornings spent jumping and hooking quality tarpon before switching over to sight fishing large permit in the afternoons, a classic summer double-header along this stretch of coast. The same charter notes steady kingfish action on plugs and flies, with cobia and amberjack mixed in around structure. Expect the bite to reward precision over volume right now, sight-casting and clean presentations are outfishing blind chumming. This pattern lines up with typical mid-July conditions on the Gulf side, when bait and predator activity concentrate tight to passes and nearshore structure as water holds in the mid-to-upper 80s.