The Stuart Crossroads is into the heart of its summer pattern this week, with tarpon the headline draw. Strong schools are working the inlet mouth on the moving tides, and crabs floated on the outgoing have been the most consistent presentation. First light and the last hour before dark remain the windows worth setting an alarm for.
Snook are around the inlet rocks, bridge shadow lines, and the mouths of the St. Lucie and Indian River in good numbers, but anglers are reminded that the Atlantic snook season is closed as of June 1 — all snook must be released. Heavier fluorocarbon and a quick, careful release are the order of the day. The fish are aggressive and provide excellent sport on flair-hawk jigs and live croakers worked through the current seams.
Tarpon in the 40-to-100-pound class are rolling along the beaches north and south of the inlet and stacking in the deeper holes of the Crossroads. Live mullet, threadfin, and pass crabs are all producing. Anglers fishing the bridges after dark are connecting on the outgoing tide as bait flushes through.
Inside, mangrove snapper have moved onto the bridge fenders and dock pilings and will take live shrimp and small pilchards. Jack crevalle are blitzing bait pods up and down the river and offer reliable action when the tarpon go quiet. A few tripletail are being spotted around channel markers and floating debris.
Offshore, the bottom bite for mangrove and mutton snapper on the reef edges has been steady, with scattered kingfish and bonito over the same structure. The water has been clean and blue close in, which has kept the nearshore action lively.
Looking ahead, the tarpon migration should hold strong through the rest of June. Plan around the tide rather than the clock, fish the moving water, and keep the snook gear ready for catch-and-release fun on the structure.