Florida fishing reports
582 reports for Florida — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Mutton Snapper Spawn Drives Hot Bite Across the Keys
ALL IN Key West reports mutton snappers "chewing like crazy" during the full-moon spawn window, with yellowtail snappers nearly jumping in the boat alongside them. Now in waning crescent phase, the post-spawn bite on both species typically holds strong through mid-June. A recent Gulf-side trip from the same charter loaded up on groupers, snappers, cobia, barracudas, and kingfish, suggesting broad offshore action across the water column. The summer season is fully underway: ALL IN Key West notes May through July as "absolutely lights out" for everything from snappers and groupers to mahi-mahi and sharks. Deep wrecks in 220 feet have been productive for large mutton snappers and oversized white margate on cut bait. With no buoy or gauge data available at press time, exact water temperatures are unavailable; anglers should check with local marinas before heading out. Conditions across the reef and offshore should remain favorable heading into the weekend.
Tarpon schools building and sharks running as Sarasota enters peak summer
Capt. Rick Grassett's June 2026 forecast, via CB's Saltwater Outfitters (Sarasota), leads with one clear message: tarpon fishing should be "strong this month" as schools increase in size and numbers and fish prepare to spawn offshore near new and full moons. With the current waning crescent phase, beach travel lanes at first light remain productive, and the incoming new moon will push another wave of spawning activity. Inshore, Capt. Chuck Cress reports solid upper-slot redfish at oyster bars in upper Sarasota Bay, with 20- to 25-inch fish alongside trout and the occasional bluefish. Capt. Brandon Naeve is putting clients on sharks out of Siesta Key — bull sharks, blacktips, and lemon sharks are all showing in Sarasota Bay and nearshore Gulf waters, with late spring through fall being the prime window for these species. Trophy snook are in pre-spawn mode; check current Gulf-side regulations before keeping any fish.
Gulf Rigs Fire for Amberjack as Early Summer Offshore Pattern Sets Up
No NOAA buoy readings are available for this cycle, leaving water temperatures unconfirmed — check local marinas before heading out. Sport Fishing Mag spotlights Gulf amberjack hammering topwater stickbaits over deep-water wrecks and rigs, a pattern well-suited to the structure-rich grounds between Destin and Pensacola. The same outlet's Northern Gulf rig guide notes that platforms spanning this coastal stretch concentrate AJs, snappers, and deep-structure species, with summer typically bringing the most consistent access. Salt Strong flagged the Florida Panhandle as one of their tracked regional game-plan zones for the June 5–7 window, though specific conditions from that member report are not available here. No dedicated charter or shop reports specific to Destin or Pensacola came through this cycle. For the latest firsthand intel, tap local marinas before departure — conditions can shift quickly once afternoon sea breezes and convective storms build across the Panhandle.
Gulf Coast Tarpon Season Peaks as Permit and Kings Run Strong
Naples Offshore Fishing Charters reports the tarpon migration is fully underway along the Gulf Coast, with captains intercepting quality fish as the migration pushes through the Naples area. Mornings are devoted to tarpon, and afternoons shift to sight-fishing permit — a combination the charter calls the pinnacle of the season. Offshore, kingfish have been responding steadily to plugs and flies, while cobia and amberjacks are also showing, making for what the same charter describes as a very dynamic fishery. Inshore, Coastal Angler Magazine logged a 23-inch trout out of Naples on a micro jig, confirming the grass flats are holding quality fish. Salt Strong notes that as water temperatures climb in early summer, redfish, snook, trout, and flounder become more predictable around structure, and targeted adjustments to rigging placement can significantly improve catch rates. The waning crescent moon brings reduced lunar pull this week, but tidal movements through coastal passes still create productive feeding windows at dawn and dusk.
Treasure Coast Snook Build for Spawn; Red Snapper Season on Hold
Per Snook Nook in Stuart, June 1 marked the start of Florida's Atlantic Coast snook closure (season reopens September 1), but the timing coincides with one of the best trophy catch-and-release windows of the year on the Treasure Coast. Snook Nook reports that 40-inch-plus breeder fish are concentrating at inlets, passes, and river mouths ahead of their annual spawn, giving anglers a genuine shot at a bucket-list fish — keep these fish wet and handle them with care. Offshore, South Atlantic red snapper fishing took an unexpected hit when a U.S. District Court issued a preliminary injunction blocking the state-led EFP pilot programs just hours before Florida's Atlantic season was set to open, per CCA Florida. Confirm current regulations with FWC before targeting snapper. Inshore, Salt Strong notes that summer structure patterns are dialing in for redfish, trout, and flounder, with fish holding tight to shaded docks, deep grass edges, and bridge pilings as June water temperatures climb across the region.
Mutton Snapper Spawn Still Hot off Key West as Summer Bite Builds
Mutton snapper are firing around Key West in the post-spawn window, per ALL IN Key West — the charter logged fish "chewing like crazy" through the May full moon cycle, with yellowtail snapper "practically jumping in the boat" alongside them. A recent Gulf-side run by the same captain produced grouper, snapper, cobia, barracuda, and kingfish in a single outing. With the Last Quarter moon now in play, spawn-related aggregations may be easing from their peak, but June remains one of the most productive months in the Keys across nearly every species. ALL IN Key West describes May through July as "lights out for everything from snappers to groupers, sharks, Mahi Mahi and so many more." No NOAA buoy readings were available at report time, so surface temperatures and current conditions are unconfirmed — check local conditions before departure. On the regulatory side, CCA Florida is tracking a federal court injunction that briefly blocked South Atlantic red snapper EFP pilot programs; verify current season rules before targeting snapper offshore.
Tarpon Schools Building Along Sarasota's Gulf Beaches in June
Capt. Rick Grassett's June 2026 forecast from CB's Saltwater Outfitters puts Tarpon at the top of the Sarasota wish list — schools are building in size along the beaches, with fish moving offshore to spawn near new and full moons. Grassett recommends first-light setups in beach travel lanes, presenting live crabs, baitfish, or DOA Baitbusters to fish moving in both directions. Inshore, Capt. Chuck Cress (CB's Saltwater Outfitters) worked a bait-loaded oyster bar in upper Sarasota Bay last week and put clients on multiple upper-slot Redfish alongside Trout. Shark fishing is at a seasonal high: Capt. Brandon Naeve reports Bull Sharks, Blacktips, and Lemon Sharks active throughout Sarasota Bay and nearshore Gulf waters, with that activity expected to hold through fall. No buoy data was available for this report, so water temperature is unconfirmed. Gulf-side Snook are typically under a summer closure through August — verify current state regulations before targeting them.
Largemouth Shifting to Summer Haunts on Okeechobee and the St. Johns
Largemouth bass on Lake Okeechobee and the St. Johns River are in the thick of their post-spawn transition, with fish pushing from shallow spawning grounds toward deeper offshore structure as Florida's summer heat arrives. USGS gauge 02232000 logged 108 cfs on the St. Johns as of early June 9 — modest flow conditions that favor slower presentations around submerged vegetation and channel edges. Direct on-the-water reports for these specific waters were limited in this week's intel feeds, but Tactical Bassin (blog) documents that June bass across comparable freshwater systems are keying on isolated offshore structure, with a wobble head jig paired with a shaky head worm proving a reliable two-bait combination. Crankbaits covering the shallow-to-deep range also deserve a look as fish cycle through mid-column positions throughout the day. Bluegill and shellcracker, whose spawning activity typically extends into early summer in Florida, may still offer sight-fishing opportunities on shallow sandy beds near vegetation edges. Crappie are expected to be hunkered deep.
Tarpon Migration Peaks on the FL Gulf Coast as Permit and Kings Stay Hot
Naples Offshore Fishing Charters reports the tarpon migration is "fully underway" along Southwest Florida, with captains intercepting moving schools and consistently jumping quality fish through the morning hours. After the tarpon bite, afternoons shift to the permit flats — Naples Offshore Fishing Charters describes sight-fishing large permit as steady and productive, making a tarpon-permit double a realistic goal on a single outing. Offshore, the same captains note kingfish responding well to plugs and flies, with cobia and amberjacks rounding out the variety for anyone willing to run further out. No buoy temperature data is currently available for this report, but early June Gulf conditions typically settle nearshore water squarely within the prime tarpon migration corridor running from Boca Grande Pass south through Naples and the Ten Thousand Islands. The Last Quarter moon this week produces moderate tidal movement — enough to push baitfish and crabs through productive structure on the flood, without the extremes of a spring tide.
Trophy Snook in Pre-Spawn Mode Along the FL Atlantic Coast
Snook Nook's June 2026 report out of Stuart puts trophy snook center stage along the Treasure Coast. The harvest season closed June 1 — typically through September 1 — but Snook Nook notes this as one of the best times of year to land a 40-inch-plus fish, as snook stage for their annual spawn. All fish must be released; handle breeder fish carefully and briefly in the water. Elsewhere on the Atlantic coast, Coastal Angler Magazine photo submissions document bonefish landed from a kayak in roughly two feet of water in Biscayne Bay, and a 24-inch jack crevalle — the largest of six fish — reported at Vilano Beach near St. Augustine. Offshore, the 12th Annual Skippers Dolphin Tournament wrapped at Key Largo (May 29–31, per Coastal Angler Magazine), a signal that mahi-mahi have been within range along South Florida's offshore edge. No NOAA buoy readings are available this cycle; water temperature is unconfirmed.
Summer Pattern Arrives in the Panhandle — Reef Fish Take Center Stage
Salt Strong's Florida Panhandle game plan for the June 5–7 window flagged this stretch of coast as actively worth planning around heading into the week. The picture that emerges is a familiar early-summer tension: Pensacola Fishing Forum discussion — unverified by charter or shop reports — describes offshore conditions as rough lately, with some boats pivoting inshore and mangrove snapper trips producing solid results closer to home. Offshore, Sport Fishing Mag's recent feature on Northern Gulf rig tactics underlines that oil and gas platforms remain the cornerstone of Gulf bottomfishing, with amberjack and reef species as the primary draws. Early June is when the Panhandle's red snapper season typically opens — verify current Florida FWC and federal season dates before making the run — and the summer king mackerel run should be building along the shelf edge. Inshore, speckled trout and flounder remain reliable on grass flat edges, with the Last Quarter moon producing manageable tidal movement worth timing.
Mutton Snapper Spawn Fires Keys Reefs as Summer Offshore Action Builds
The mutton snapper spawn bite is running hot in the Florida Keys, with ALL IN Key West charters reporting muttons 'chewing like crazy' through the May full moon window, a run that historically carries into mid-June. Yellowtail snappers are stacking thick on the reef, described as 'practically jumping in the boat' by the same source. A recent Gulf-side trip out of Key West turned up groupers, snappers, cobia, barracudas, and kingfish, with the captain calling the Gulf of America 'full of life.' Mahi-Mahi, sharks, and sailfish round out the summer menu according to ALL IN Key West. No NOAA buoy readings were available for this update, so specific water temps and sea states cannot be confirmed; check local forecasts before departing. The Last Quarter moon this week brings more modest tidal swings compared to the spawn-peak full moon, but snapper fishing should remain productive through mid-month.