It’s a fishing day

Mexico Beach fishing conditions · Florida

Now until tomorrow 12 pmRed drum

The bite peaks at 100. Water is 76°, close to the 75° red drum like best, and a solunar period lands on the window.

Log a trip here
Right now: 100 for red drum, go · inside the best windowTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Red drum, 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. 1003 pm
  2. 100
  3. 100
  4. 1006 pm
  5. 96
  6. 96
  7. 969 pm
  8. 100
  9. 100
  10. 96Sun
  11. 96
  12. 96
  13. 963 am
  14. 96
  15. 96
  16. 1006 am
  17. 96
  18. 96
  19. 969 am
  20. 100
  21. 100
  22. 8612 pm
  23. 86
  24. 86
  25. 963 pm
  26. 100
  27. 96
  28. 966 pm
  29. 96
  30. 96
  31. 969 pm
  32. 96
  33. 100
  34. 100Mon
  35. 96
  36. 96
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now · best window

Water
76°F

Red drum range 65–85°

Wind
5 mph

From the north-northwest

Light
Daylight

Sunset 4:50 pm

Sky
Mostly Sunny

No rain expected

Air
73°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.

Red Drum

Red drum

Sciaenops ocellatus

100GoNow until tomorrow 12 pm

Water

76°
55°65–85° · ideal 75°95°

Why

Right in red drum's ideal range. Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Red drum prefers incoming tide. 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 Panhandle and Big Bend regions and 2 from Tampa Bay south. Harvest is prohibited in federal waters.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Florida

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

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

Spotted Seatrout

Spotted seatrout

Cynoscion nebulosus

100GoNow until 7 pm

Water

76°
50°60–85° · ideal 72°95°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Spotted seatrout prefers incoming tide. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 3–15 ft down.

Keep

15" minimum · 19" maximum · 3 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Panhandle Region: 15–19" slot; one fish over 19" per vessel, or per person from shore, counts in the bag. 3 per person a day. Closed in February.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Panhandle Region

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

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

Bluefish

Bluefish

Pomatomus saltatrix

100GoNow until 7 pm

Water

76°
50°60–80° · ideal 70°90°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Bluefish prefers incoming tide. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 5–50 ft down.

Keep

12" minimum · 10 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. 12" fork-length minimum, 10 per person a day in Gulf waters, including Monroe County.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Florida

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

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

Tarpon

Tarpon

Megalops atlanticus

100GoNow until 7 pm

Water

76°
64°74–90° · ideal 80°100°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Tarpon prefers incoming tide. 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. More on tarpon

Sheepshead

Sheepshead

Archosargus probatocephalus

82Worth the tripNow until 7 pm

Water

76°
50°60–82° · ideal 72°92°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. 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: Feb–Dec, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. Likes slack water. More on sheepshead

Southern Flounder

Southern flounder

Paralichthys lethostigma

–Not scoredOut of season

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

Water

76°
48°58–82° · ideal 70°92°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. 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. Likes an outgoing tide. More on southern flounder

The water

  • Water temperature76°F
  • Barometer29.96 inHg, falling

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunset today4:50 pm
  • Sunrise tomorrow6:00 am
  • MoonWaning crescent, 5% lit
  • Minor solunarToday 3:20 pm–4:20 pm
  • Major solunarTonight 9:30 pm–11:30 pm
  • Minor solunarTomorrow 5:10 am–6:10 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

A small-town Gulf beach between Panama City and Port St. Joe. Red drum, speckled trout and bluefish in the surf, sheepshead, tarpon passing in summer, and southern flounder (Florida closes flounder Oct 15–Nov 30).

Nearby

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

Panama City Beach32 mi · FloridaBest now until 7 pm
94Go

Questions people ask

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

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

What fish are commonly targeted at Mexico Beach?

Mexico Beach is listed on this site for 6 commonly-targeted species: Red Drum, Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, Sheepshead, and 2 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 Mexico 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 Mexico 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 Mexico Beach have?

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

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Mexico Beach?

state agency regulations apply at Mexico 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 Mexico Beach tidal water?

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