Florida fishing reports
267 reports for Florida — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Tarpon Peak Arrives in Tampa Bay as Mote Boosts SW Florida Snook
Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota is releasing approximately 22,000 juvenile snook into Southwest Florida estuarine habitats this summer, per Coastal Angler Magazine — a timely population boost as the Gulf-side snook harvest season closes June 1 through late August. While snook remain catch-and-release only, June is the peak month for giant tarpon in both Tampa Bay and Sarasota, with silver kings staging near pass entrances, bridge structure, and grass flat edges. Captain Rick Murphy (FL Insider) has been posting tarpon-handling tips recently, a reliable signal that fish are active and accessible. Salt Strong's Florida Gulf Coast weekend game plan (June 12–14) highlights wake-style mullet imitations producing for the redfish, snook (C&R), and trout mix on grass flat margins. New Moon tides this week will drive strong tidal exchanges through the region's passes — prime windows for tarpon ambushing bait in current seams and redfish working the mangrove edges. Spotted seatrout round out the flat bite.
Gulf Rigs Primed for Amberjack as Panhandle Enters June Offshore Season
Mid-June on the Florida Panhandle signals one of the Gulf's most productive offshore windows. Salt Strong included the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend among their June 12–14 regional weekend game plans, reflecting active fishing momentum across the area. Offshore, amberjack are the headline target on rigs and wrecks — Sport Fishing Mag spotlights Gulf amberjack hammering topwater plugs worked quickly over deep-water structure as a signature summer technique, with chumming pulling fish up from depth for explosive surface strikes. Red snapper season typically runs through summer on the northern Gulf, making offshore trips doubly productive. Inshore, speckled trout and redfish are following warm-season patterns on grass flats and bay edges. No NOAA buoy readings were available at time of writing, so verify current water temperatures locally before heading out. This week's New Moon produces stronger tidal movement, which tends to sharpen feeding windows on current breaks inshore and offshore structure alike.
Summer Bass Patterns Take Hold on Okeechobee and St. Johns
With no NOAA buoy or USGS gauge data available for this window, conditions on Lake Okeechobee and the St. Johns River are best read through seasonal context. Mid-June marks Florida's full transition into summer patterns: post-spawn largemouth bass are settling into hydrilla edges, submerged timber, and deeper structure as daytime heat builds. The new moon this week can compress feeding into short, intense windows at dawn and dusk. Plan to be on the water before sunup. Tactical Bassin's early-summer bass coverage highlights crankbaits and swing-head jigs as a productive one-two punch for largemouth staging just off weedlines, setups that translate directly to Okeechobee's sprawling hydrilla flats and the St. Johns' tannin-stained backwaters. Black crappie (speck) fishing typically quiets heading into the hottest months, while bluegill remain reachable around shallow structure. Florida's rainy season is in full swing; afternoon thunderstorms are a near-daily reality, so prioritize early-morning outings.
Keys Snappers on Fire as Mahi Season Hits Full Stride
ALL IN Key West reports mutton snappers 'chewing like crazy' following the recent full moon, with yellowtail snapper so active they're 'practically jumping in the boat' on reef and wreck drifts. Gulf-side trips are stacking up groupers, cobia, barracuda, and kingfish alongside the snapper action. Offshore in Marathon, anglers are connecting with mahi-mahi on trolling runs, per Coastal Angler Magazine — a recent trip put even a 4-year-old on his first dolphin while trolling offshore. Mangrove snapper are also biting well around nearshore structure in the Marathon area. ALL IN Key West flags May through July as peak season for this full-menu bite, with live bait the clear edge for kings, tuna, and sailfish working the reef line. Today's new moon on June 15 brings strong tidal movement — prime conditions for daytime snapper and reef fishing before lunar pressure builds again toward the next full moon.
Tarpon Schools Building as June Push Peaks Across Tampa Bay
Capt. Rick Grassett's June 2026 monthly forecast at CB's Saltwater Outfitters confirms peak tarpon time around Tampa Bay and Sarasota: schools are growing in size and numbers, with fish pushing offshore to spawn near new and full moons, timing that aligns squarely with today's New Moon. Grassett recommends beach travel lanes at first light, presenting live crabs, live baitfish, or DOA Baitbusters on tackle heavy enough to land fish quickly, and giving neighboring anglers several hundred yards of space as fish may move both north and south. Inshore, Capt. Chuck Cress (CB's Saltwater Outfitters) worked Sarasota Bay oyster bars this past week and landed upper-slot Redfish and Trout, with solid bait throughout. Capt. Brandon Naeve's Sarasota reports add Bull Sharks, Blacktip Sharks, and Lemon Sharks to the mix, active in the bay and nearshore Gulf waters from late spring through fall. Salt Strong's Florida Gulf Coast game plan also notes Snook stacking in surf troughs at dawn, making the beach a productive secondary session alongside the tarpon run.
Trophy Snook Peak Pre-Spawn as Red Snapper Season Faces Injunction
Trophy snook are stacking up at inlet passes and river mouths along the Treasure Coast, with Snook Nook's June 2026 report out of Stuart calling this the best window of the year to target 40-plus-inch fish as they prepare for their annual spawn. The Atlantic coast snook harvest season closed June 1, making this strictly catch-and-release fishing, but the bite itself is as strong as it gets. Per Snook Nook, quality fish are holding throughout the Indian and St. Lucie Rivers. Offshore, the regulatory picture is unsettled: CCA Florida reports that a federal district court issued a preliminary injunction blocking Florida's South Atlantic red snapper Exempted Fishing Permit season just hours before it was set to open. Verify current status with FWC before targeting snapper offshore. Coastal Angler Magazine reports mahi-mahi action off the Florida coast and a flounder landed at Port Canaveral, rounding out a solid early-summer variety bite.
Tarpon Migration Peaks and Permit Bite Heats Up on the Florida Gulf Coast
Naples Offshore Fishing Charters reports the tarpon migration is fully underway along Florida's Gulf Coast, with boats intercepting quality fish as they push through the region. Morning sessions have been dedicated to jumping and grabbing tarpon, while afternoons shift to sight fishing large permit on the flats — a combination producing exceptional days on the water. Offshore, king mackerel have been steady with plugs and flies, and cobia along with amberjacks are rounding out the mix, per the same charter operation. Gulf amberjack in particular are hammering topwater lures worked aggressively over deep-water wrecks, according to Sport Fishing Mag. Inshore, Salt Strong highlights redfish, snook, and trout as active targets on surface lures like the Wake Mullet near structure and in the surf. No buoy water temperature data was available for this update; conditions appear typical for mid-June with warm, active Gulf waters and peak migratory species fully in play.
Mutton and Yellowtail Snappers Firing Hard as Florida Keys Summer Offshore Heats Up
Mutton snappers are 'chewing like crazy' off Key West right now, per ALL IN Key West, with yellowtail snapper described as practically jumping into the boat. The same crew puts May through July in the same 'lights out' category across the full offshore menu — grouper, cobia, barracuda, and kingfish all showed on a recent Gulf-side run, with live bait doing the heavy lifting for kings, tuna, and sailfish near the reef edge. Over in Marathon, Coastal Angler Magazine documented a mahi caught while trolling offshore and a keeper mangrove snapper in inshore waters, confirming the bite is broad across the Keys chain. With today's new moon setting up favorable low-light tidal movement and stronger current pulses through passes and reef structure in the coming days, the window for active structure fishing and offshore trolling looks productive heading into the week.
Tarpon Schools Peak for New Moon Along Sarasota's Beaches
Capt. Rick Grassett's June 2026 forecast from CB's Saltwater Outfitters calls for the strongest tarpon fishing of the year along Sarasota's beaches, with schools building in size as fish stage offshore to spawn around lunar cycles. Today's new moon puts anglers in that prime window right now. Grassett advises setting up in travel lanes along the beach at first light and casting live crabs, baitfish, or DOA Baitbusters, with heavy enough tackle to land fish quickly and ample courtesy space between boats. Inshore, CB's Saltwater Outfitters captains are posting solid action across multiple species. Capt. Chuck Cress reported catching and releasing upper-slot redfish, 20 to 25 inches, along Sarasota Bay oyster bars, with trout and bluefish also in the mix. On the shark front, Capt. Brandon Naeve reports Bull Sharks, Blacktips, and Lemon Sharks active throughout Sarasota Bay and the nearshore Gulf off Siesta Key, a pattern that typically peaks from late spring through fall.
Trophy Snook Running as South Atlantic Red Snapper Season Hits Legal Snag
Snook Nook's June 2026 report out of Stuart puts the Treasure Coast in prime trophy snook territory right now. The snook season closed June 1 — typically through late August, check state regs before harvesting — but that closure lines up with some of the best catch-and-release fishing of the year: large breeder fish are staging near inlets, bridges, and the Indian and St. Lucie Rivers ahead of the annual spawn, with 40-inch-plus fish a realistic target through the month. Handle these breeders carefully and release them quickly. Offshore, the season hit a significant legal obstacle: CCA Florida reports a U.S. District Court issued a preliminary injunction blocking the South Atlantic red snapper EFP pilot programs just hours before Florida's Atlantic season was set to open. Atlantic-side red snapper is effectively unavailable pending further legal proceedings. Mahi trolling along color lines and weed edges, plus kingfish nearshore as noted by Coastal Angler Magazine, round out the offshore options for June.
Tarpon Migration Peaks on FL Gulf Coast with Permit and Kings in the Mix
Naples Offshore Fishing Charters reports the tarpon migration is fully underway along the Gulf Coast, with captains intercepting fish as they push through the Naples area and landing quality fish on morning runs. Afternoons pivot to sight fishing large permit, with steady action on free-tailing fish in clear water. Kingfish round out the daily program, responding well to plugs and flies. The same charters are also mixing in cobia, amberjacks, mangrove snapper, and mutton snapper on offshore structure, calling it one of the most varied late-spring offshore spreads in recent memory. Inshore, Salt Strong's mid-June Florida Gulf Coast game plan flags snook, redfish, and trout staying active in the marsh and surf as summer water temps climb. Sport Fishing Mag highlights amberjack lighting up topwater lures over Gulf wrecks when chummed to the surface. With the new moon now underway, strong tidal movement and dark nights set up prime pre-dawn tarpon shots on the passes and flats through the week.
Gulf rigs drawing Panhandle boats offshore as summer season peaks
A Pensacola Fishing Forum angler reported June 13 that their crew ran 60 to 70 miles SSW out of Pensacola, loaded up on live bait at daylight, and returned with what they described as a "nice box of fish" under great conditions — specific species were not disclosed in the post. That offshore run pattern is consistent with the peak mid-June Panhandle calendar, when the Gulf's deepwater rigs and ledges take center stage and the federal recreational red snapper season, which typically opens in early summer, draws significant boat traffic south. The new moon (June 15) pulls current through coastal passes and can concentrate baitfish around offshore structure. No buoy data is currently available for the Destin-Pensacola corridor, so verify sea state before committing to long offshore runs. Inshore, summer patterns are settling in across the Panhandle's bay systems, with redfish and speckled trout the standard targets around grass flats, dock lights, and back-bay structure.