Florida fishing reports
805 reports for Florida — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
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.
Tarpon schools build along Sarasota beaches as June spawn run heats up
Capt. Rick Grassett of CB's Saltwater Outfitters (Sarasota) forecasts tarpon fishing as strong for June, with schools increasing in size as fish stage for their offshore spawn. Grassett recommends positioning in beach travel lanes at first light using live crabs, live baitfish, or DOA Baitbusters, and advises giving neighboring anglers several hundred yards of space — fish may move both north and south along the beach. Capt. Chuck Cress reports solid upper-slot redfish in Sarasota Bay this week, with multiple 20-to-25-inch fish landed alongside trout on oyster bar structure. Shark action is also in full swing: Capt. Brandon Naeve has been putting clients on bull sharks, blacktips, and lemon sharks out of Siesta Key, a pattern that CB's Saltwater Outfitters notes peaks from late spring through fall. With the Last Quarter moon in play this week, tarpon are between the spawn-surge windows Grassett specifically flags around new and full moons — those peak transitions are worth calendaring.
Post-spawn largemouth poised for early summer feed on Okeechobee and St. Johns
The St. Johns River at Astor logged 204 cfs on June 8 (USGS gauge 02232000), a low-flow reading consistent with early summer conditions that push fish onto defined grass edges and deeper channel bends. Direct on-water charter or shop reports for Okeechobee and the St. Johns are sparse in this cycle's intel feeds, so this report leans on seasonal patterns and technique coverage from recent bass resources. Tactical Bassin's June content calls the post-spawn window "more than early summer bass can resist," pointing to wobble-head jigs and shaky-head worms on offshore structure as the reliable one-two punch this time of year. Okeechobee largemouth are working through their post-spawn transition, with dawn topwater and crankbaits along hydrilla edges productive before midday heat pushes fish down. Bluegill remain active on shallow flats. Black crappie are likely retreating to deeper brush as water temperatures climb toward summer peaks.
Tarpon Migration Peaks Along FL Gulf Coast with Permit Running Strong
Naples Offshore Fishing Charters reports the tarpon migration is "fully underway" along Southwest Florida's Gulf Coast, with captains intercepting fish as they push through and jumping quality tarpon consistently. Afternoons shift to permit, where the charter notes steady sight-fishing on large fish — the tarpon-then-permit two-species day has become a reliable late-spring routine. Kingfish are delivering steady action on plugs and flies, while cobia, amberjacks, and a rotating mix of offshore species are rounding out an unusually dynamic offshore picture. Sport Fishing Mag notes that Gulf oil rigs remain the backbone of offshore fishing across the northern Gulf, with structure-oriented bottomfish coming into their own as summer arrives. No NOAA buoy data was available for this report cycle, so real-time water temperatures are unconfirmed — check local forecasts before launching. The Last Quarter moon this week favors low-light feeding windows at dawn and dusk, timing that aligns well with the active tarpon bite.
Trophy Snook Pack Treasure Coast Inlets Ahead of Summer Spawn
Per Snook Nook out of Stuart, trophy-sized snook are staging along the Treasure Coast for their annual spawn, and June is historically the best month to hook a fish over 40 inches. Snook season closed on June 1st and stays shut until September 1st, so all encounters are strictly catch-and-release through the summer. The Indian and St. Lucie Rivers are holding quality fish. Offshore, the South Atlantic red snapper season anglers had anticipated was blocked by a federal court's preliminary injunction issued just hours before Florida's EFP pilot program was set to open, per CCA Florida. A serious setback for Atlantic coast bottom-fishermen who had planned around the newly approved 39-day season. Inshore variety remains strong: Coastal Angler Magazine reports a bonefish landed by kayak in Biscayne Bay and six jack crevalle, the largest at 24 inches, at Vilano Beach. No buoy readings are currently available; check local forecasts before heading out.
Panhandle Rigs Prime for Red Snapper and Amberjack as June Opens
Sport Fishing Mag identifies northern Gulf oil and gas platforms — spanning from Mobile Bay to the Texas Coast — as 'the continent's most diverse and abundant fishing opportunity,' and for Destin and Pensacola anglers, early June is when that promise is most accessible. Red snapper, amberjack, and king mackerel anchor the offshore rig roster this month, with the federal recreational red snapper season typically opening in June and drawing substantial charter and private-boat activity to the rig fields. No real-time buoy readings are available for this reporting cycle. Inshore, speckled trout, redfish, and flounder remain reliable targets on grass flats, passes, and nearshore structure, providing a productive option when afternoon Gulf squalls or building seas close the offshore window. Plan departures for early morning — the Panhandle's summer storm pattern tends to build by midday and can limit the afternoon bite considerably.