It’s a fishing day

New Smyrna Beach fishing conditions · Florida

Now until 8 pmCommon snook

The bite peaks at 92.

Log a trip here
Right now: 92 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. 924 pm
  2. 92
  3. 88
  4. 887 pm
  5. 78
  6. 78
  7. 7810 pm
  8. 82
  9. 72Sun
  10. 681 am
  11. 78
  12. 78
  13. 784 am
  14. 78
  15. 82
  16. 787 am
  17. 78
  18. 78
  19. 7810 am
  20. 82
  21. 82
  22. 781 pm
  23. 78
  24. 78
  25. 784 pm
  26. 82
  27. 78
  28. 787 pm
  29. 78
  30. 78
  31. 6810 pm
  32. 72
  33. 72Mon
  34. 721 am
  35. 68
  36. 68
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now · best window

Water
No reading

Common snook range 68–88°

Wind
10 mph

From the north

Light
Daylight

Sunset 5:34 pm

Sky
Sunny

No rain expected

Air
76°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

92GoNow until 8 pm

Water

No water reading here right now. Common snook bite in 68–88° water, best near 78°.

Why

Common snook 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 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

Red Drum

Red drum

Sciaenops ocellatus

72Worth the tripNow until 8 pm

Water

No water reading here right now. Red drum bite in 65–85° water, best near 75°.

Why

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. 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: Feb–Dec, from a water-temperature gauge 14 mi away, 2023–2025. More on red drum

Sheepshead

Sheepshead

Archosargus probatocephalus

72Worth the tripNow until 8 pm

Water

No water reading here right now. Sheepshead bite in 60–82° water, best near 72°.

Why

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. 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 a water-temperature gauge 14 mi away, 2023–2025. More on sheepshead

Bluefish

Bluefish

Pomatomus saltatrix

72Worth the tripNow until 8 pm

Water

No water reading here right now. Bluefish bite in 60–80° water, best near 70°.

Why

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. 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 a water-temperature gauge 14 mi away, 2023–2025. More on bluefish

Tarpon

Tarpon

Megalops atlanticus

37Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

No water reading here right now. Tarpon bite in 74–90° water, best near 80°.

Why

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Tarpon is here Apr–Sep. 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

Southern Flounder

Southern flounder

Paralichthys lethostigma

–Not scoredOut of season

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

Water

No water reading here right now. Southern flounder bite in 58–82° water, best near 70°.

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

No water reading here right now. Spotted seatrout bite in 60–85° water, best near 72°.

Why

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. 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: Feb–Dec, from a water-temperature gauge 14 mi away, 2023–2025. More on spotted seatrout

The water

  • Water temperatureNo reading
  • Barometer29.92 inHg, falling

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunset today5:34 pm
  • Sunrise tomorrow6:41 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

Surf beach running south from Ponce de Leon Inlet, where FWC's Northeast and Indian River Lagoon management regions meet. Volusia County's FWC calendar has tarpon in early spring and from fall into early winter, seatrout from winter into early summer, southern flounder (closed Oct 15–Nov 30) from winter into spring, and sheepshead year-round; bluefish reach this coast in winter. Redfish are catch-and-release only from the region line south.

Nearby

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

Daytona Beach14 mi · FloridaBest now until 8 pmRip Current Statement
85Go
Mosquito Lagoon (Titusville)20 mi · FloridaBest now until 8 pm
72Worth the trip

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at New Smyrna Beach?

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

What fish are commonly targeted at New Smyrna Beach?

New Smyrna 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 New Smyrna 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 New Smyrna 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 New Smyrna Beach have?

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

Which state's fishing regulations apply at New Smyrna Beach?

state agency regulations apply at New Smyrna 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 New Smyrna Beach tidal water?

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