It’s a fishing day

Cocoa Beach fishing conditions · Florida

Now until Monday 4 amCommon snook

The bite peaks at 100. Water is 78°, close to the 78° common snook like best, and a solunar period lands on the window.

Log a trip here
Right now: 100 for common snook, go · 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. 1004 pm
  2. 100
  3. 100
  4. 1007 pm
  5. 100
  6. 100
  7. 10010 pm
  8. 100
  9. 100Sun
  10. 1001 am
  11. 100
  12. 100
  13. 1004 am
  14. 100
  15. 100
  16. 1007 am
  17. 100
  18. 100
  19. 10010 am
  20. 100
  21. 100
  22. 1001 pm
  23. 100
  24. 100
  25. 1004 pm
  26. 100
  27. 100
  28. 1007 pm
  29. 100
  30. 100
  31. 10010 pm
  32. 100
  33. 100Mon
  34. 1001 am
  35. 100
  36. 100
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now · best window

Water
78°F

Common snook range 68–88°

Wind
15 mph

From the north

Light
Daylight

Sunset 5:33 pm

Sky
Sunny

No rain expected

Air
77°F

NWS hourly forecast

Barometer
Falling

Measured, last 3 hours

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

100GoNow 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. Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. 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

94GoNow until 8 pm

Water

78°
64°74–90° · ideal 80°100°

Why

Right in tarpon's ideal range. Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. 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. Likes an incoming tide. More on tarpon

Red Drum

Red drum

Sciaenops ocellatus

94GoNow until 8 pm

Water

78°
55°65–85° · ideal 75°95°

Why

Right in red drum's ideal range. Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. 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. Likes an incoming tide. More on red drum

Sheepshead

Sheepshead

Archosargus probatocephalus

82Worth the tripNow until 8 pm

Water

78°
50°60–82° · ideal 72°92°

Why

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside sheepshead's active range. 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. Likes slack water. More on sheepshead

Bluefish

Bluefish

Pomatomus saltatrix

82Worth the tripNow until 8 pm

Water

78°
50°60–80° · ideal 70°90°

Why

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside bluefish's active range. 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. Likes an incoming tide. 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. Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. 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

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside spotted seatrout's active range. 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. Likes an incoming tide. More on spotted seatrout

The water

  • Water temperature78°F
  • Seas2.6 ft at the nearest buoy
  • Barometer29.91 inHg, falling

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

Space Coast surf beach around the Cocoa Beach Pier. 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.

Cape Canaveral Beach6 mi · FloridaBest now until Monday 4 amRip Current Statement
79Worth the trip
Mosquito Lagoon (Titusville)33 mi · FloridaBest now until 8 pm
72Worth the trip
Sebastian Inlet33 mi · FloridaBest now until 8 pmRip Current Statement
67Marginal
Sebastian Inlet State Park34 mi · FloridaBest now until 8 pmRip Current Statement
67Marginal

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Cocoa Beach?

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

What fish are commonly targeted at Cocoa Beach?

Cocoa 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 Cocoa 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 Cocoa 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 Cocoa Beach have?

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

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Cocoa Beach?

state agency regulations apply at Cocoa 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 Cocoa Beach tidal water?

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