Tampa Bay fishing conditions · Florida

Now until tomorrow 12 pmTarpon

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
92
861 pm
86
86
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: 10 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 tomorrow 12 pm

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 tomorrow 12 pm

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

Black drum

Pogonias cromis

100GoNow until 8 pm

Water

78°

45°55–85° · ideal 72°95°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Black drum prefers incoming tide. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 2–40 ft down.

Keep

14" minimum · 24" maximum · 5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Florida: 14–24" slot, 5 per harvester a day; one fish over 24" may count in the bag.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Florida

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Sep–May. More on black drum

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 today5:42 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

Tampa Bay and its shoreline parks and piers, out to the Skyway Fishing Pier at the mouth. FWC lists redfish and seatrout year-round, black drum and sheepshead from fall to spring, and snook and tarpon from spring through summer, over oyster bars, seagrass flats and mangroves.

Snook have closed seasons and need a snook permit; tarpon are catch-and-release only.

WaterGulf of Mexico
AccessPier, shore and ramp
RulesFlorida
WhereHillsborough County · 27.7600, -82.5500

Nearby

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

St. Pete Beach12 mi · FloridaBest now until Monday 4 am

100Go

Clearwater Beach23 mi · FloridaBest now until Monday 4 am

100Go

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Tampa Bay?

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

What fish are commonly targeted at Tampa Bay?

Tampa Bay 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 Tampa Bay?

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 Tampa Bay 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 Tampa Bay have?

Tampa Bay has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp. Snook have closed seasons and need a snook permit; tarpon are catch-and-release only.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Tampa Bay?

state agency regulations apply at Tampa Bay. 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 Tampa Bay tidal water?

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