Florida Fishing Calendar

Florida fishing, month by month

January

Sailfish, King Mackerel, Sheepshead, Black Drum, Wahoo, Barracuda, Largemouth Bass, Spanish Mackerel, Bluefish

February

Sailfish, Cobia, King Mackerel, Sheepshead, Black Drum, Wahoo, Barracuda, Largemouth Bass, Spanish Mackerel, Bluefish

March

Redfish, Speckled Trout, Sailfish, Cobia, King Mackerel, Flounder, Sheepshead, Black Drum, Permit, Amberjack, Bonefish, Barracuda, Largemouth Bass, Spanish Mackerel, Swordfish, Pompano, Bluefish

April

Redfish, Tarpon, Snook, Mahi-Mahi, Speckled Trout, Cobia, King Mackerel, Flounder, Sheepshead, Black Drum, Permit, Amberjack, Marlin, Bonefish, Largemouth Bass, Spanish Mackerel, Swordfish, Tripletail, Pompano

May

Tarpon, Grouper, Snook, Mahi-Mahi, Shark, Speckled Trout, Cobia, Permit, Amberjack, Marlin, Bonefish, Swordfish, Tripletail

June

Tarpon, Grouper, Snook, Snapper, Mahi-Mahi, Shark, Permit, Marlin, Bonefish, Tripletail

July

Tarpon, Grouper, Snook, Snapper, Mahi-Mahi, Shark, Marlin, Bonefish, Tripletail

August

Tarpon, Grouper, Snook, Snapper, Mahi-Mahi, Shark, Amberjack, Bonefish, Tripletail

September

Redfish, Grouper, Snook, Snapper, Shark, Amberjack, Bonefish, Swordfish, Tripletail

October

Redfish, Grouper, Snook, Shark, Speckled Trout, King Mackerel, Amberjack, Bonefish, Spanish Mackerel, Swordfish, Tripletail

November

Redfish, Grouper, Speckled Trout, King Mackerel, Wahoo, Spanish Mackerel, Swordfish, Pompano

December

Redfish, Grouper, Speckled Trout, Sailfish, King Mackerel, Flounder, Wahoo, Barracuda, Spanish Mackerel, Pompano, Bluefish

Before you book

• Redfish: Redfish are catch and release only in the Indian River Lagoon. Elsewhere you may keep 1 fish, 18 to 27 inches, all year.
• Tarpon: Tarpon are catch and release only. Fish over 40 inches must stay in the water unless you hold a tarpon tag.
• Grouper: In Atlantic federal waters, shallow-water grouper is closed January through April.
• Snook: Snook harvest closes Dec to Feb and May to Aug on the Gulf coast (to Sept 30 in the Southwest), and mid Dec to Jan and Jun to Aug on the Atlantic. Catch and release is open all year.
• Snapper: Red snapper seasons are short and set yearly. Mangrove snapper fishes longer.
• Speckled Trout: Seatrout harvest is closed all of February in the Panhandle and November through December in the Indian River Lagoon.
• Flounder: Flounder harvest is closed statewide Oct 15 to Nov 30, during the fall run. Fish caught then must be released.
• Permit: In the Keys and Biscayne Bay Special Permit Zone, permit harvest is closed April 1 to July 31. Catch and release stays open.
• Amberjack: On the Gulf side, recreational greater amberjack is closed in federal waters in June and July.
• Bonefish: Bonefish are catch and release only in Florida.
• Spanish Mackerel: December to February is a South Florida fishery. Spanish mackerel leave North Florida waters in winter and return with the spring run.
• Swordfish: Swordfish must be 47 inches (lower jaw fork length). Charters keep 1 per paying passenger, up to 6, and landed fish must be reported to NOAA within 24 hours.
• Tripletail: Tripletail must be 18 inches, with 2 per person, hook and line only.
• Pompano: Florida pompano must be 11 inches (fork length), with 6 per person.

How this calendar is built

The charter counts are live from the Unreel directory: each one is a Florida charter that lists that fish as a target. A fish only appears here if at least three local charters target it.

The shaded months are general peak windows for Florida, not fishing regulations. For ocean species, the spawning, migration and federal closure notes were checked against NOAA Fisheries species profiles, and for inshore and freshwater species against state wildlife agency guidance and rules. Seasons, closures and limits change every year and can differ by water, so check Florida's current regulations and ask your captain what is running before you book.