Species
Tarpon
Megalops atlanticus · family Megalopidae
Live · updated
The Silver King — a 100-plus-pound migratory gamefish prized for spectacular leaping fights. A near-pure catch-and-release fishery in Florida; famous runs include Boca Grande Pass and the Keys bridges. Feeds hard around moving tides and the new and full moons.
Preferred conditions
- Water temp
- 74–90°F (ideal 80°F)
- Tide
- incoming
- Moon
- full
- Depth
- 3–30 ft
- Active months
- Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Best tarpon conditions today
Pensacola Beach
Navarre Beach
Destin Beach
Panama City Beach
Mexico Beach
St. George Island
Clearwater Beach
St. Pete Beach
Sanibel Island Beach
Fort Myers Beach (Lynn Hall Memorial Park)
Naples Beach
Marco Island Beach
St. Augustine Beach
New Smyrna Beach
Cocoa Beach
Lake Worth Beach
Pompano Beach
Haulover Beach Park
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
Daytona Beach
Cape Canaveral Beach
Sebastian Inlet State Park
Jacksonville Beach
Deerfield Beach
No locations match that filter.
Regulations by jurisdiction
FL
Stale: last verified 103 days ago.
atlantic
- Creel
- no harvest (catch & release)
Catch-and-release only. A $50 tarpon tag is required only to possess a fish for an IGFA record attempt; tarpon over 40" may not be removed from the water.
Source · verified 2026-05-29
Stale: last verified 103 days ago.
gulf
- Creel
- no harvest (catch & release)
Catch-and-release only. A $50 tarpon tag is required only for an IGFA record attempt; tarpon over 40" may not be removed from the water.
Source · verified 2026-05-29