Florida fishing reports
798 reports for Florida — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Snook Season Reopens on the Treasure Coast as Mullet Run Builds
Snook season reopens today along Florida's Treasure Coast, and Snook Nook in Stuart reports the pre-closure bite carried real momentum — steady numbers through August with many fish pushing 40 inches, best around the St. Lucie Inlet on live croakers and threadfins, with a dead threadfin on bottom as the go-to when the inlet bite slows. The shop's September report flags the early stages of the mullet run, with schools of larger mullet showing inshore and a few pods working down the beaches, though the run itself is trending later than usual after a cooler winter. Separately, Atlantic red snapper season is in limbo — CCA Florida reports a federal court injunction blocked the 2026 South Atlantic red snapper Exempted Fishing Permit pilot programs just hours before Florida's season was set to open, so harvest plans there remain unsettled. Check current state regs before targeting snapper.
Largemouth patterns shift as Florida's summer heat begins to fade
Wired 2 Fish's early-September lures roundup captures where Southeastern freshwater fishing sits right now: "the sweltering summer heat finally starts to break," with water temps beginning to ease and baitfish starting to migrate — the exact cue Okeechobee and St. Johns largemouth watch for heading into fall. No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came back for this freshwater stretch today, so treat water-temp and flow figures as unavailable rather than assumed. Tactical Bassin's September bass report backs the same seasonal read, noting bass are "transitioning to Fall patterns and actively feeding on baitfish" and rewarding anglers who cover water quickly with topwater, crankbaits, and swimbaits around schooling fish. Panfish and catfish don't have direct reports in today's feed, so expect typical early-fall holding behavior rather than a confirmed bite change. We're keeping species status conservative until on-the-water Okeechobee/St. Johns reports come in directly.
Panhandle Bite Holds Steady as Late Summer Gives Way to Fall
No fresh buoy or gauge readings and no Panhandle-specific shop or captain reports came through this pull, so this report leans on typical early-September patterns for Destin and Pensacola waters. Gulf temperatures are usually still summer-warm heading into the first week of September, and the pattern that normally holds is Spanish mackerel and jacks working glass minnows around nearshore reefs, piers, and pass mouths, with king mackerel showing on the same structure a bit farther out. Redfish typically start grouping along marsh edges and bay flats as days shorten, and speckled trout fishing usually picks up on early-morning grass flats before the sun climbs. Flounder tend to hold off their fall push toward the passes until later in the month. Treat all of this as seasonal expectation rather than a confirmed bite, and always check current state regulations on size and bag limits before keeping anything.
Snook Season Reopens as Trout Bite Stays Hot in Sarasota Bay
Florida's snook season reopens today, September 1, and Capt. Joshua Taylor writes in Coastal Angler Magazine that Tampa Bay anglers should treat it as one of the most anticipated dates of the year. Sarasota Bay is carrying its summer momentum into the transition: Capt. Brandon Naeve of CB's Saltwater Outfitters reports the "peak summer bite" on spotted seatrout continuing on inshore grass flats, mangrove shorelines, and local passes, highlighted by a 27-inch trout released this past week. Redfish are shifting too — Capt. Sergio Atanes, also in Coastal Angler Magazine, calls September a "change-up month" as reds move into cooler water and anglers pivot off mackerel and trout patterns. Capt. Chuck Cress of CB's worked reds on a popping cork with live shrimp on a rising morning tide, releasing a few juvenile snook on the same trip. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle, so lean on these bite reports and check local conditions before launching.
Naples permit bite holds as tarpon push winds down
Naples Offshore Fishing Charters' most recent dispatches describe steady sight-fishing for big permit paired with tarpon action as migrating fish pushed through the area — mornings on tarpon, afternoons switching to permit. That pairing is a classic warm-season pattern for Florida's Gulf Coast and typically carries into late summer before tapering as fall approaches. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this update, so this report leans on recent charter intel and seasonal norms rather than live water data. The same operation's winter reports flagged strong king mackerel action on chum lines and artificials, with cobia, amberjack, mangrove snapper, and mutton snapper mixed in on the same trips — species that should still be working structure, passes, and nearshore wrecks while Gulf water stays warm. Note that CCA Florida's ongoing red snapper permitting coverage concerns South Atlantic (east coast) season management, not Gulf-side rules, so check current state regs directly before targeting reef species.
Keys snapper bite stays red hot heading into a favorite September stretch
Yellowtail and mutton snapper remain the headline bite in the Lower Keys, with ALL IN Key West reporting "tons and tons" of mutton snapper still chewing around the recent full-moon spawn and yellowtails "practically jumping in the boat." Bud n' Mary's Islamorada crew calls early summer through early July prime time for the flats-to-reef mix — tarpon on the bridges, mahi offshore, yellowtail on the reef — and that momentum appears to be carrying into late season. Coastal Angler Magazine's Capt. Joel Brandenburg flags tripletail as one of the most exciting and underrated targets working the Keys right now, while Capt. Greg Poland and Capt. Bruce Andersen both single out September as a favorite month to fish here despite the heat. Florida Sea Grant notes permit spawning aggregations can gather over a thousand fish at a time in Keys waters this season. On the regulatory side, CCA Florida is still tracking South Atlantic red snapper season uncertainty — check current state rules before targeting that species. No live buoy or gauge readings were available for this update.
Treasure Coast snook fishing peaks as season reopens Sept. 1
Snook fishing has been excellent along Florida's Treasure Coast heading into the reopener, with Snook Nook in Stuart reporting steady numbers of quality fish, including many in the 40-inch-plus range, concentrated around the St. Lucie Inlet on live croakers and threadfins. Statewide snook season closed June 1 and reopens September 1, timing that lines up with what Snook Nook calls some of the best snook fishing of the year as breeder-sized fish stage near the inlet and jetties. Offshore, red snapper access remains unsettled: 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 Atlantic season was set to open, and Anglers Journal notes the state is now pursuing a fall alternative. Sailfish action has also been strong, with a Snook Nook-led crew taking first in the small-boat division of the 2026 One More Bite Sailfish Challenge, going 7-for-9 on bites.
Late-summer heat keeps Okeechobee and St. Johns bass running deep
Flow on the St. Johns system held at 774 cfs as of early Tuesday (USGS gauge 02232000), a steady late-August read with no temperature reading available from the gauge or nearby buoys this cycle. With no fresh shop or charter reports out of Lake Okeechobee or the St. Johns specifically this week, we're leaning on seasonal pattern and general technique intel: late-summer largemouth typically slide off the shallow grass edges into deeper cover or push up briefly at first light, a shift Tactical Bassin's late-summer guidance flags as the number-one mistake anglers miss when they keep fishing yesterday's shallow spots. Field & Stream's rundown on Carolina-rig tactics is a solid match for this water-column change, working it slowly along clean-bottom points and ledges past the ten-foot mark. Panfish and catfish should stay a dependable bite through the heat. Check state regs before harvesting.
Panhandle anglers eye the fall turn as summer patterns hold
A Pensacola-area angler posted to the Pensacola Fishing Forum this week describing a dawn session where he 'thought I could detect a hint of fall in the air,' working a Yo-Zuri 3D Inshore Topknock Pencil topwater plug before the Panhandle's late-summer heat reasserted itself — the clearest local signal available this cycle. No NOAA buoy or USGS gauge readings came through for Destin/Pensacola waters, and no shop or charter reports filed for the region this week, so this update leans on typical late-August Panhandle patterns rather than confirmed local numbers. Redfish and speckled trout generally hold tight to grass flats, passes, and structure through this transition window, Spanish and king mackerel activity is typically still strong on nearshore bait pods, and Florida's Gulf recreational red snapper season is largely wound down by this point in the year. Expect a sharper picture once more local intel comes in.
Sarasota Bay seatrout stay hot as summer pattern holds
Spotted seatrout remain the story on Sarasota Bay's grass flats, with Capt. Brandon Naeve of CB's Saltwater Outfitters reporting aggressive summer-pattern trout — including a 27-inch release — working the inshore grass flats, mangrove shorelines, and local passes, best around sunrise and sunset feeding windows. Redfish are cooperating too: Capt. Chuck Cress, also with CB's, found reds eating a popping cork tipped with live shrimp on a rising morning tide, with a few small snook mixed in along the way. Looking toward tarpon, Capt. Rick Grassett's August outlook still has fish showing along the coastal Gulf early in the month on flies, DOA Baitbusters, and DOA Shrimp, with juveniles pushing into bridges and deep grass flats as the beach bite thins and schools of ladyfish draw them to the surface. Offshore, Sport Fishing Mag notes west-coast Florida anglers trolling structure for gag grouper during the region's short fall season. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through this cycle — check local conditions before you launch.
Yellowtail and mutton snapper keep Keys anglers busy as summer winds down
ALL IN Key West's captains called it plainly this season: yellowtail and mutton snapper have been thick, with muttons spawning heavy around the full moon and yellowtails "practically jumping in the boat" on the reef. Bud n' Mary's Islamorada team backed that up in their early-summer report, adding tarpon on the bridges and mahi pushing offshore in the Gulf Stream as the warm-water, high-bait pattern set in. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this cycle, so plan around typical late-August Keys surface temps and check a local forecast before running offshore. Permit are around too — Florida Sea Grant notes Keys spawning aggregations can run into the hundreds of fish this time of year, a solid sign for sight-fishing on the flats. Overall the pattern reads consistent with a strong, still-active late-summer Keys season heading toward the fall transition.
Treasure Coast snook stay hot as Atlantic snapper season hangs in limbo
Snook Nook's August report calls Treasure Coast snook fishing "excellent," with steady numbers of fish and plenty in the 40-inch-plus range holding around the St. Lucie Inlet on live croakers and threadfins; a dead threadfin worked on bottom still produces when the inlet bite slows. Sailfish are active too — Team Snook Nook won the small-boat division of the 2026 One More Bite Sailfish Challenge, going 7-for-9 on bites, per Snook Nook. Kingfish are showing on the Atlantic side as well, with Coastal Angler Magazine reporting a 45-inch king boated off the Jupiter coast on pole gear rather than a trolling spread. All of this comes as Florida's Atlantic red snapper season sits in limbo: CCA Florida reports a federal court injunction blocked the 2026 South Atlantic red snapper exempted-fishing pilot just hours before the season opened, and Saltwater Sportsman notes the states are now pushing for a stopgap October 1-31 season.