St. Pete Beach fishing conditions · Florida

Now until Monday 4 amTarpon

The bite peaks at 100. Water is 78°, close to the 80° tarpon like best, and a solunar period lands on the window.

Right now: 100 for tarpon, go · inside the best windowTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Tarpon, 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.

1004 pm
100
100
1007 pm
96
96
9610 pm
100
100Sun
961 am
96
96
964 am
96
100
967 am
96
96
9610 am
100
100
961 pm
96
96
964 pm
100
96
967 pm
96
96
9610 pm
96
100Mon
1001 am
96
96

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

Water: 78°F
Wind: 14 mph
Light: Daylight
Sky: Sunny
Air: 78°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.

Tarpon

Megalops atlanticus

100GoNow until Monday 4 am

Water

78°

64°74–90° · ideal 80°100°

Why

Right in tarpon's ideal range. Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Tarpon prefers incoming tide. 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

Red drum

Sciaenops ocellatus

100GoNow until Monday 4 am

Water

78°

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: Feb–Dec, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on red drum

Spotted seatrout

Cynoscion nebulosus

100GoNow until 8 pm

Water

78°

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. Tampa Bay south through Everglades National Park: 15–19" slot; one fish over 19" per vessel, or per person from shore, counts in the bag. 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. More on spotted seatrout

Bluefish

Pomatomus saltatrix

100GoNow until 8 pm

Water

78°

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: Year-round, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on bluefish

Common snook

Centropomus undecimalis

94GoNow until 8 pm

Water

78°

58°68–88° · ideal 78°98°

Why

Right in common snook'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 2–20 ft down.

Keep

28" minimum · 33" maximum · 1 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Panhandle to Sarasota Bay: 28–33" slot, 1/day, snook permit required. Harvest open Mar 1–Apr 30 and Sep 1–Nov 30; 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. Likes an outgoing tide. More on common snook

Sheepshead

Archosargus probatocephalus

82Worth the tripNow until 8 pm

Water

78°

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: Year-round, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. Likes slack water. More on sheepshead

The water

Water temperature78°F
Barometer29.89 inHg, falling

Sun, moon & solunar

Sunset today5:43 pm
Sunrise tomorrow6:46 am
MoonWaning crescent, 5% lit
Minor solunarToday 4:10 pm–5:10 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

Gulf beach on Long Key running south to Pass-a-Grille and the mouth of Tampa Bay. Snook in the surf trough in summer, tarpon off the beach, red drum, speckled trout and sheepshead around the pass, bluefish, and flounder (closed Oct 15–Nov 30), which on this coast are Gulf flounder rather than southern flounder.

WaterSouthwest Florida Gulf Coast
AccessPier, shore and ramp
RulesFlorida
WherePinellas County · 27.7253, -82.7407

Nearby

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

Tampa Bay12 mi · FloridaBest now until tomorrow 12 pm

100Go

Clearwater Beach19 mi · FloridaBest now until Monday 4 am

100Go

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at St. Pete Beach?

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

What fish are commonly targeted at St. Pete Beach?

St. Pete Beach is listed on this site for 6 commonly-targeted species: Common Snook, Tarpon, Red Drum, Spotted Seatrout, 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 St. Pete 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 St. Pete 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 St. Pete Beach have?

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

Which state's fishing regulations apply at St. Pete Beach?

state agency regulations apply at St. Pete 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 St. Pete Beach tidal water?

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