Panama City Fishing Report — March 2025
Cobia following rays; Spanish mackerel return to Panama City Beach Pier. Updated every Thursday with current conditions, what’s biting, and where to focus your fishing effort.
What’s Biting in Panama City — March 2025
Check back every Thursday for updated fishing conditions and current bite reports for Panama City. See our Panama City fishing guide for full seasonal information.
Cobia Arriving — Sight Cast Season
March is when the legendary Florida Panhandle cobia migration begins. Boats from St. Andrews Marina and Treasure Island are running the beach at slow trolling speeds, looking for fish working in 10–30 feet of water. Sight-casting with bucktails (1.5–2 oz, chartreuse and white are the standard colors) is the high-percentage approach when you spot a fish. Live eels and pinfish from the chum bag will draw fish to anchored boats. The bite builds through March and peaks in mid-to-late April. The first week of March typically produces some of the biggest fish of the season because the migration leaders are the largest fish.
Spanish Mackerel, Pompano on Beach
Spanish mackerel are arriving with the warming water and starting to blitz on bait pods just off the beach. Gotcha plugs from the pier or trolled silver spoons on a wire leader behind a planer produce constant action. The Russell-Fields Pier (City Pier) and the M.B. Miller Pier are the easy public-access points. Pompano are still running on the beach — sand fleas and FishBites on a pompano rig, surf-cast 30–60 yards out, are the proven baits.
Sheepshead Transitioning, Inshore Warming
Sheepshead fishing is transitioning out of its peak window. The bridges (Hathaway, DuPont) and the Pensacola Beach-area structure are still producing fish, but they’re starting to scatter toward the offshore reefs for spring spawning. Fiddler crabs on a 1/0 jighead remains the standard. Inshore, speckled trout are starting to feed up on the grass flats of St. Andrews Bay as water temps climb past 65°F. Topwater plugs in the first hour of light, then soft plastics. Redfish are on the flats and creek mouths — early-spring patterns.
Conditions, Hotspots, Regulations
Water temps 65–70°F and climbing. Florida saltwater license required. Cobia 33-inch minimum, 1-fish bag (verify current FWC regulations). Spanish mackerel 12-inch minimum, 15-fish bag. Sheepshead 12-inch minimum, 8-fish bag. Spotted seatrout slot 15–19 inches, 5-fish bag. Pompano 11-inch minimum, 6-fish bag. Hotspots: the beach east of St. Andrews Pass for cobia (slow troll), the piers for Spanish, the Hathaway Bridge pilings for late-season sheepshead, St. Andrews Bay grass flats at dawn for trout. Tight lines.
Boat Ramps and Spring Strategy
Public boat ramps at Carl Gray Park (St. Andrews Pass) and Earl Gilbert Park (West Bay) give the easiest inshore access. For cobia chasing, St. Andrews Marina is the working-fleet hub. The Russell-Fields and MB Miller Piers give walk-on beach access for Spanish, pompano, and the occasional cobia from the structure. March weather is unpredictable — fronts can drop water temps 6–8°F overnight and shut down the inshore bite for several days. Pick the post-front warming days. Tight lines.