Daytona Beach fishing conditions · Florida

Now until 8 pmCommon snook

The bite peaks at 85. Water is 79°, 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: 85 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. 854 pm
  2. 85
  3. 81
  4. 817 pm
  5. 71
  6. 71
  7. 7110 pm
  8. 75
  9. 75Sun
  10. 711 am
  11. 71
  12. 71
  13. 714 am
  14. 71
  15. 75
  16. 717 am
  17. 71
  18. 71
  19. 7110 am
  20. 75
  21. 75
  22. 711 pm
  23. 71
  24. 71
  25. 714 pm
  26. 75
  27. 71
  28. 717 pm
  29. 71
  30. 71
  31. 7110 pm
  32. 75
  33. 65Mon
  34. 651 am
  35. 61
  36. 61
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now · best window

Water
79°F

Common snook range 68–88°

Wind
10 mph

From the north

Light
Daylight

Sunset 5:34 pm

Sky
Sunny

No rain expected

Air
75°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

85GoNow until 8 pm

Water

79°
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

65MarginalNow until 8 pm

Water

79°
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

53Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

79°
55°65–85° · ideal 75°95°

Why

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside red drum's active range. Holds 3–20 ft down.

Keep

18" minimum · 27" maximum · 1 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. 18–27" slot, 1 per person a day; vessel limit 4 in the Northeast Region and 2 in the Southeast Region. Harvest is prohibited in federal waters.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Florida

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Feb–Dec, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. Likes an incoming tide. More on red drum

Spotted Seatrout

Spotted seatrout

Cynoscion nebulosus

53Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

79°
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 · 3 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Northeast Region: 15–19" slot; no fish over 19" may be kept. 3 per person a day, open year-round.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Florida

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Feb–Dec, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. Likes an incoming tide. More on spotted seatrout

Sheepshead

Sheepshead

Archosargus probatocephalus

53Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

79°
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

53Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

79°
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

79°
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

The water

  • Water temperature79°F
  • Barometer29.91 inHg, falling

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunset today5:34 pm
  • Sunrise tomorrow6:42 am
  • MoonWaning crescent, 5% lit
  • Minor solunarToday 4:00 pm–5:00 pm
  • Major solunarTonight 10:20 pm–12:20 am
  • Minor solunarTomorrow 5:50 am–6:50 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

Hard-packed surf beach with the Main Street and Sunglow piers. FWC's Volusia County calendar has red drum in late spring, early summer and fall, black drum and seatrout from winter into early summer, flounder from winter into spring, tarpon in early spring and again from fall into early winter, and sheepshead year-round; bluefish reach this coast in winter. A few snook too: FWC manages Northeast Florida as its own snook region, where the fish are expanding but still scarce.

Nearby

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

New Smyrna Beach14 mi · FloridaBest now until 8 pm
92Go
Mosquito Lagoon (Titusville)33 mi · FloridaBest now until 8 pm
72Worth the trip

Questions people ask

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

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

What fish are commonly targeted at Daytona Beach?

Daytona Beach is listed on this site for 7 commonly-targeted species: Red Drum, Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, Sheepshead, 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 Daytona 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 Daytona 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 Daytona Beach have?

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

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Daytona Beach?

state agency regulations apply at Daytona 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 Daytona Beach tidal water?

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