Florida fishing reports
804 reports for Florida — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
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.
Keys Mutton Snapper Spawn Peaks as Summer Offshore Window Opens
ALL IN Key West charter reports mutton snappers in full spawn mode and 'chewing like crazy' on reefs and wrecks, with yellowtail snappers described as practically jumping into the boat. A recent Gulf-side run from the same crew produced grouper, snapper, cobia, barracuda, and kingfish — live bait doing the heavy lifting across all species. June and July are historically the peak window for snapper fishing in the Keys, and the current New Moon on June 15 marks a transition point; the approaching lunar cycle often resets feeding activity on deep structure. No NOAA buoy readings were available for this cycle, so exact water temperatures cannot be confirmed. Offshore, mahi-mahi and kingfish are building in warm Gulfstream waters as the summer pelagic season opens. Flats anglers targeting tarpon and permit remain in their prime seasonal window, though no direct captain reports on flats bites were available this cycle.
Tarpon schools surge along Sarasota beaches as New Moon arrives
Capt. Rick Grassett's June 2026 forecast from CB's Saltwater Outfitters notes tarpon schools are building in size and numbers this month, with fish pushing offshore to spawn near new and full moons — making this New Moon weekend a prime timing window. Set up in travel lanes along the beach at first light with live crabs, baitfish, or DOA Baitbusters, giving other anglers several hundred yards of space. Sharks are running strong: Capt. Brandon Naeve at CB's Saltwater Outfitters reports solid action on Bull Sharks, Blacktips, and Lemon Sharks in and around Sarasota Bay, with peak activity from late spring through fall. Inshore, Capt. Chuck Cress found upper-slot Redfish and Trout working an oyster bar in upper Sarasota Bay last week, with multiple 20-to-25-inch reds in the mix. Snook remain a target near Boca Grande, where Capt. Naeve's charter landed a 34-pound boat-record fish in May — fish are now stacking on passes and structure for the summer spawn.
Pre-Spawn Snook Go Trophy-Size as South Atlantic Red Snapper Season Blocked
Snook Nook out of Stuart reports that June is historically the strongest month for trophy snook on the Treasure Coast, with 40-inch-plus fish actively staging ahead of their annual spawn. The snook harvest season has closed for summer, typically June 1 through August 31 in this area per Snook Nook, making catch-and-release the only option right now. The shop urges careful handling of these breeder fish. Offshore, CCA Florida reports that a U.S. District Court issued a preliminary injunction blocking South Atlantic red snapper Exempted Fishing Permit programs for Florida and three neighboring states, shutting down the anticipated Atlantic recreational season before it could open. In deeper water, South Florida Fishing Channel and BlacktipH (YT) have been targeting swordfish and Warsaw grouper offshore, with BlacktipH logging runs to 140 miles out in 600-foot depths. New Moon conditions this weekend favor low-light feeding windows at first light and last light for inshore species near passes and beach fronts.