Panama City Beach fishing conditions · Florida

Now until 7 pmRed drum

The bite peaks at 94. Water is 75°, close to the 75° red drum like best, and a solunar period lands on the window.

Right now: 94 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.

943 pm
94
94
946 pm
80
80
809 pm
80
80
80Sun
80
80
803 am
80
80
806 am
80
80
809 am
80
80
8012 pm
80
80
803 pm
80
80
806 pm
80
80
809 pm
80
80
80Mon
80
80

Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Water: 75°F
Wind: 10 mph
Light: Daylight
Sky: Partly Sunny
Air: 72°F
Barometer: Falling
Moon: 5% lit

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

Sciaenops ocellatus

94GoNow until 7 pm

Water

75°

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. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. 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: Feb–Nov, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. Likes an incoming tide. More on red drum

Spotted seatrout

Cynoscion nebulosus

94GoNow until 7 pm

Water

75°

50°60–85° · ideal 72°95°

Why

Right in spotted seatrout's ideal range. Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. 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: Feb–Nov, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. Likes an incoming tide. More on spotted seatrout

Sheepshead

Archosargus probatocephalus

94GoNow until 7 pm

Water

75°

50°60–82° · ideal 72°92°

Why

Right in sheepshead's ideal range. Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. 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

Bluefish

Pomatomus saltatrix

82Worth the tripNow until 7 pm

Water

75°

50°60–80° · ideal 70°90°

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 bluefish's active range. 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–Dec, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. Likes an incoming tide. More on bluefish

Tarpon

Megalops atlanticus

82Worth the tripNow until 7 pm

Water

75°

64°74–90° · ideal 80°100°

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 tarpon's active range. 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

Paralichthys lethostigma

–Not scoredOut of season

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

Water

75°

48°58–82° · ideal 70°92°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Southern flounder prefers outgoing tide. 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 temperature75°F
Barometer29.98 inHg, falling

Sun, moon & solunar

Sunset today4:51 pm
Sunrise tomorrow6:03 am
MoonWaning crescent, 5% lit
Minor solunarToday 3:20 pm–4:20 pm
Major solunarTonight 9:40 pm–11:40 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

Long Gulf beach with the county fishing piers and St. Andrews Pass at its east end. Red drum, speckled trout and bluefish, sheepshead around the piers and jetties, tarpon passing in summer, and southern flounder (Florida closes flounder Oct 15–Nov 30).

WaterEmerald Coast
AccessPier, shore and ramp
RulesFlorida
WhereBay County · 30.2098, -85.8557

Nearby

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

Mexico Beach32 mi · FloridaBest now until tomorrow 12 pm

100Go

Destin Beach38 mi · FloridaBest now until 7 pm

76Worth the trip

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Panama City Beach?

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

What fish are commonly targeted at Panama City Beach?

Panama City 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 Panama City 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 Panama City 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 Panama City Beach have?

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

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Panama City Beach?

state agency regulations apply at Panama City 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 Panama City Beach tidal water?

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