Tampa Bay Fishing Calendar

What’s biting where, each month of the year.

January-  This month varies often depending on water temperature, which determines where we will be fishing.  Colder water temperature, say under 63 degrees, we will be targeting redfish , black drum, trout and sheepshead in deep water in close proximity to the flats.  When the water temp is warmer, around 63, I generally will be catching fresh white bait and fishing for snook on the flats with redfish and trout mixed in.  The reef fishing is also good this month for grouper, snapper, and hogfish.  The beaches will sometimes have good numbers of tunny and blue fish feeding on glass minnows, great for fly fisherman especially.  Also there are times when we find lots of baby permit and large pompano on the beaches and edges of the flats.

February-  Can be very similar to January in the beginning of the month.  When the water is colder we are fishing that deeper 6 to 9 ft of water.  Again when it warms up to 63 and above we are targeting the shallow water snook with live bait.  As we progress into the month the cold fronts become less frequent and stronger. With sunlight hitting the water for a longer period of time we get more into that shallow water snook, redfish and trout pattern.  It can be some of the best shallow water sight fishing for snook on live bait and fly tackle.  As for offshore, it is about the same as January.

March-  What a great month for shallow water sight fishing Snook and Redfish?  We also get trout mixed in, if we slide out a little deeper we can catch lots of trout.  Because the snook and redfish are so good there is little reason to waste time with trout unless you are looking for more fish to fill the box.  This is a great time if you enjoy watching the fish come up and explode on your live minnow or fly.  My fly fisherman especially like this time of year because 90 percent of the fish you will actually see take the fly.   The offshore fishing is also good with grouper and snapper on the bite.  As the offshore water temperature makes it into the 70’s the kingfish and little tunny can be caught in large numbers, usually toward the end of the month.  Many of these early seasons seem to produce larger fish with many topping 30 and 40 pounds.  Believe it or not tarpon can be quite good this month as well.  They are all Tampa Bay resident fish, most are around bridges this month.  It is possible to have a 10 tarpon day on these fish and they range from 50 to 200 pounds. 

April-  What an awesome time to be on the water, the weather is warm even when you start the day.  Inshore fishing rivals the offshore fishing, both are very good and it’s hard to decide which way to head, inshore or off.  The shallow water snook, redfish and trout are very good.  The offshore fishing is peaking for kingfish, tunny, mackerel, grouper, snapper, goliath grouper, sharks, permit and sometimes even a sailfish is possible.  Many times you can sit in one spot all day with a good chum slick going and catch a smorgasbord of deferent species, many times so fast it’s hard to keep bait in the water.  Tarpon fishing is very good for resident tarpon at this time as well.

May-  My favorite time of year, the start of the tarpon migration.  This is when large pods of tarpon are found off the beach migrating south down the beach.  Sometime these schools can be 500 fish deep. All large fish too, averaging 75 to 130 pounds and trophies are 150 to 200 pounds.  At this time, and over the next three month, is what I consider the best sight fishing in the world.  For that matter some of the best fishing in the world period.  Average day in my boat is 6 to 12 hook ups, some days we will hook over 20. Whether you prefer conventional tackle or fly tackle, whether you like to fish or not this is one of those life experiences everyone should enjoy at least once.  It’s truly an exciting time.  Now because its peek tarpon time that’s what I spend most of my time doing.  Inshore fishing is also very good with lots of nice size snook and redfish to catch out there along with plenty of trout.  The kingfish are still around at the beginning of the month but thinning as the water warms. Lots of Spanish mackerel, tunny, grouper, snapper, sharks, goliath grouper and sometimes permit and they can run up to 40 pounds as well.

June-  Now we are right in the middle of the peek tarpon season, tarpon can be found everywhere.  They are on the beaches, in the passes and all scattered throughout Tampa Bay.  Pressure is higher but there are more tarpon scattered in more areas.  I still have no problem finding nice large schools of tarpon all to myself.  As far as tarpon goes it’s pretty much the same as far as number of fish we hook per day and style of fishing, just a few more fish scattered in more places.  Just like May I spend the majority of my time tarpon fishing, but there are a lot of other good targets at that time as well.  The snook are spawning and it’s a good time to catch a trophy snook, as well as a lot of numbers.  Red fishing is strong.  The trout are literally everywhere.  For offshore and deep areas of the bay, Spanish mackerel, tunny, cobia, jacks are thick.  On the bottom lots of snapper in close, grouper are moving further out but biting well.  Want something bigger than a tarpon, goliath grouper are still ok and of course lots of sharks.  Hammerheads, bulls, back tips and many more.  Some of the hammerheads can go 15 plus ft and 1500 pounds.  June is also a good month for permit, they are in passes and on the beaches. I see them while tarpon fishing and offshore on the reefs.

July-  Tarpon is the same as May and June.  The migration usually ends around the third week, sometimes in runs till the end of the month.  After that we are back to fishing Resident tarpon.  July is a great tarpon month, rivaling May and June and that’s what I spend 95 percent of my time doing.  Snook and redfish are still strong and starting to mix back together more.  Trout are thick with lots of numbers.  Tunny fishing is still good, some cobia around offshore.  Snapper fishing is really good in the back and close offshore.  Grouper are further out with lots of Dorado out there in the same depths as the grouper.  Sharks are thick; hot water equals more hungry sharks.  July is a great month for permit, thick in the passes and offshore. 

August-  Well tarpon migration is over and I need a break from rocking around in my tarpon tower.  Just because the migrating tarpon have left doesn’t mean I am done with tarpon. We still have some great days on the resident tarpon at that time and they are just as big and fight just as hard.  The red fishing is really coming on strong this month.  It’s one of the best months for big bull redfish.  A lot of times we will be on schools of 28 to 35 inch fish and sometimes larger, occasionally up to 40 inches.  On a good day you can catch them till your arms fall off.   There are still plenty of snook available, sometimes mixed in with the reds, which is nice. There are lots of trout and offshore lots of snapper everywhere.  Tunny are still thick too, I like to redfish and tunny combo trips that time of year for my fly fisherman, and they really love it.  Grouper are way out.  Permit can still be found on the offshore reefs.  Like I said before, hot water equals plenty of sharks. Lots of black tips. 

September-  I Like September, especially on the flats, not only because of good fishing but light boat traffic.  September is a great redfish month, much like August, where we target the big bull redfish.  The snook fishing is also more consistent than August and also comes into season September first. Trout fishing is also good.  As for offshore fishing, Spanish mackerel are starting to move back in.  There are lots of little tunny around and lots of snapper.  Grouper are further offshore.  Permit is also sometimes available on offshore reefs.  If you are interested in tarpon they are still available in a few spots in the bay, sometimes late in the month there will be a few off the beach.  Sharks are around and easy to catch in large numbers as well.

October-  One of my favorite months of the year for fishing,  its great inshore and offshore.  Weather is beautiful and boat traffic is light, a great time to be on the water.  Flats fishing are great for snook and redfish.  Much of the time the two are schooled together and action is fast, many times the trout will be mixed in with them as well. Sometimes we find large schools of pompano as well on the shallow grass flats, great fly targets.  The offshore fishing easily rivals the inshore.  The kingfish are moving in, Spanish mackerel are mixed in with them as well as little tunny.  The grouper are moving in closer, lots of snapper with them as well.  Permit can still be found on the reefs.  Plenty of sharks can be caught in the bay and offshore. Tarpon can still be found in a few bay areas and sometimes on the beaches in the bait balls. October reminds me a lot of April, so much good fishing in so many spots that it’s hard to decide which direction to go.

November-  Again much like October, very similar to October fishing.  We are in that mid 75 degree water temperature which is a good water temp for nearly all the species we prefer to fish for.  Snook and red fishing is good along with trout, many times all three can be caught in the same holes along our mangrove shorelines.   Nice pompano can also be found at times along the edge of the grass flats.  The offshore is equally as good, great pelagic fishing for kingfish, mackerel, tunny with sharks mixed in with them.  The bottom is also very good.  The grouper fishing is really starting to heat up and you don’t have to go very far to catch them as they flood into Tampa Bay and the near shore reefs.  Snapper are also still available. Cobia can also be found in the bay on the flats this month. Tarpon are slowing down in the bay but you can still find some occasionally in the bait balls on the beach.   November is really a nice month to be on the water like most of our fall months the humidity is low, the fishing pressure is light and the fishing is good.  I know a lot of outdoorsman might be spending that time of year in the woods hunting, but don’t forget about Florida fishing in November, it’s hard to beat. 

December-  Now I know you have heard me say it before, another great month to be on the water, but come on, we are fishing in Florida out of Tampa Bay. Probably one of the best fisheries in the world for sheer numbers of fish and size.  So what do you expect from a world class fishery?  Ok, now finally December.  Snook fishing is generally good this month for me except for extreme cold conditions, but this time of year when it’s too cold for snook it great for redfish in the deeper holes close to the flats.  We also get a lot of eating size sheepshead and black drum mixed in. Basically it’s inshore if it’s warm, snook and trout.  If it’s cold redfish, sheepshead and black drum, sometimes some pompano as well.  Now for offshore it’s primarily grouper and snapper that make up the bite.  Most of the time they are in close so you can do some inshore and offshore in the same day without wasting lots of time running.  The beach also can sometimes be covered up with blue fish and tunny feeding on glass minnows, which can make for some real fast action.

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