It’s a fishing day

Cape Canaveral Beach fishing conditions · Florida

Now until Monday 4 amCommon snook

The bite peaks at 79. Water is 78°, close to the 78° common snook like best, and a solunar period lands on the window.

Rip Current Statement until Monday 2 am
Log a trip here
Right now: 79 for common snook, worth the trip · inside the best windowTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Common snook, hour by hour

Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.

  1. 794 pm
  2. 79
  3. 75
  4. 757 pm
  5. 75
  6. 75
  7. 7510 pm
  8. 79
  9. 79Sun
  10. 751 am
  11. 75
  12. 75
  13. 754 am
  14. 75
  15. 79
  16. 757 am
  17. 75
  18. 75
  19. 7510 am
  20. 79
  21. 79
  22. 751 pm
  23. 75
  24. 75
  25. 754 pm
  26. 79
  27. 75
  28. 757 pm
  29. 75
  30. 75
  31. 7510 pm
  32. 79
  33. 79Mon
  34. 791 am
  35. 75
  36. 75
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now · best window

Water
78°F

Common snook range 68–88°

Wind
10 mph

From the north

Light
Daylight

Sunset 5:33 pm

Sky
Sunny

No rain expected

Air
78°F

NWS hourly forecast

Moon
5% lit

Waning crescent

What’s biting

Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are Florida regulations for these waters.

Common Snook

Common snook

Centropomus undecimalis

79Worth the tripNow until Monday 4 am

Water

78°
58°68–88° · ideal 78°98°

Why

Right in common snook's ideal range. Common snook prefers outgoing tide. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 2–20 ft down.

Keep

28" minimum · 32" maximum · 1 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Atlantic: 28–32" slot, 1/day, snook permit required. Harvest open Feb 1–May 31 and Sep 1–Dec 14; catch-and-release the rest of the year.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Florida

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Mar–Nov. More on common snook

Tarpon

Tarpon

Megalops atlanticus

59MarginalNow until Monday 4 am

Water

78°
64°74–90° · ideal 80°100°

Why

Right in tarpon's ideal range. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Tarpon prefers incoming tide. Holds 3–30 ft down.

Keep

no harvest

Catch and release only today. Catch-and-release only. Tarpon over 40" must stay in the water unless you hold a tarpon tag (one per person a year), bought before fishing, in pursuit of a Florida state or world record.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Florida

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Sep. More on tarpon

Red Drum

Red drum

Sciaenops ocellatus

59MarginalNow until Monday 4 am

Water

78°
55°65–85° · ideal 75°95°

Why

Right in red drum's ideal range. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Red drum prefers incoming tide. Holds 3–20 ft down.

Keep

no harvest

Catch and release only today. Catch-and-release only in FWC's Indian River Lagoon Region (Lytle Avenue in New Smyrna Beach south to the Martin–Palm Beach county line).

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Indian River Lagoon Region

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Year-round, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on red drum

Sheepshead

Sheepshead

Archosargus probatocephalus

47Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

78°
50°60–82° · ideal 72°92°

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside sheepshead's active range. Sheepshead prefers slack tide. Holds 5–40 ft down.

Keep

12" minimum · 8 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. 12" minimum, 8 per person a day; vessel limit 50 per trip in March and April.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Florida

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Year-round, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on sheepshead

Bluefish

Bluefish

Pomatomus saltatrix

47Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

78°
50°60–80° · ideal 70°90°

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside bluefish's active range. Bluefish prefers incoming tide. Holds 5–50 ft down.

Keep

12" minimum · 3 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. 12" fork-length minimum, 3 per person a day in Atlantic state waters.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Florida

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Year-round, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on bluefish

Southern Flounder

Southern flounder

Paralichthys lethostigma

–Not scoredOut of season

Out of seasonOut of season here today. Check the agency before fishing.

Water

78°
48°58–82° · ideal 70°92°

Why

Southern flounder prefers outgoing tide. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside southern flounder's active range. Holds 1–20 ft down.

Keep

14" minimum · 5 a day

Out of season here today. Check the agency before fishing. Florida flounder: 14" minimum, 5 per person a day. Closed Oct 15–Nov 30.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Florida

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Mar–Nov. More on southern flounder

Spotted Seatrout

Spotted seatrout

Cynoscion nebulosus

–Not scoredOut of season

Out of seasonOut of season here today. Check the agency before fishing.

Water

78°
50°60–85° · ideal 72°95°

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside spotted seatrout's active range. Spotted seatrout prefers incoming tide. Holds 3–15 ft down.

Keep

15" minimum · 19" maximum · 2 a day

Out of season here today. Check the agency before fishing. Indian River Lagoon Region: 15–19" slot; no fish over 19" may be kept. 2 per person a day. Closed Nov 1–Dec 31.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Indian River Lagoon Region

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Year-round, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on spotted seatrout

The water

  • Water temperature78°F
  • Seas2.6 ft at the nearest buoy
  • Barometer29.87 inHg

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunset today5:33 pm
  • Sunrise tomorrow6:39 am
  • MoonWaning crescent, 5% lit
  • Minor solunarToday 4:00 pm–5:00 pm
  • Major solunarTonight 10:10 pm–12:10 am
  • Minor solunarTomorrow 5:40 am–6:40 am

Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works

Fishing report

No current report covers these waters.

We only show reports an agency has published, with their date. Florida FWC has the state’s fishing pages.

Licenses and rules: state fishery agencies · fish-consumption advisory

About this spot

Surf beach south of the Port Canaveral jetties. FWC's Brevard County calendar has snook in winter, early spring and late fall, tarpon in winter, early spring and fall, black drum and southern flounder (closed Oct 15–Nov 30) from winter into spring, seatrout from winter into early summer, and sheepshead year-round; bluefish reach this coast in winter. This is FWC's Indian River Lagoon Region, so redfish are catch-and-release only.

Nearby

Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.

Cocoa Beach6 mi · FloridaBest now until Monday 4 am
100Go
Mosquito Lagoon (Titusville)28 mi · FloridaBest now until 8 pm
72Worth the trip
Sebastian Inlet39 mi · FloridaBest now until 8 pmRip Current Statement
67Marginal
Sebastian Inlet State Park39 mi · FloridaBest now until 8 pmRip Current Statement
67Marginal

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Cape Canaveral Beach?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Cape Canaveral Beach you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website

What fish are commonly targeted at Cape Canaveral Beach?

Cape Canaveral Beach is listed on this site for 7 commonly-targeted species: Common Snook, Tarpon, Red Drum, Spotted Seatrout, and 3 more. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.

When is the best time to fish at Cape Canaveral Beach?

It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Cape Canaveral Beach against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.

What kind of access does Cape Canaveral Beach have?

Cape Canaveral Beach has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Cape Canaveral Beach?

state agency regulations apply at Cape Canaveral Beach. Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.

Is Cape Canaveral Beach tidal water?

Yes. Cape Canaveral Beach sits on tidal water with a NOAA tide station nearby. Today's high/low timing is in the tide chart on this page.