Sarasota fishing report for the week of September 10, 2026. Snook season is open on the Gulf coast and the fish have cooperated, feeding on the bait schools that line the beaches from Longboat Key to Casey Key. Inside the bay, the redfish are grouping up for fall and the trout have settled on the deeper grass. It has been a productive week for anyone willing to get out before the heat and the afternoon storms.
What’s Hitting
This week on the water, snook are the story. The beach fish are still there in numbers along Lido, Siesta, and Casey Key, and the passes — Big Pass, New Pass, and Venice Inlet — have fish stacked on the outgoing tide. Redfish are forming schools on the flats in Sarasota Bay around the bars off Stephens Point and along the mangroves of Palma Sola. Trout are on the deeper grass in Little Sarasota Bay and Roberts Bay in 5 to 7 feet. Mangrove snapper are on the docks and bridge pilings, and there are still a few tarpon rolling off the beaches at dawn.
Offshore, the nearshore reefs in 30 to 60 feet have Spanish mackerel and the first kingfish of the fall, with gag grouper holding on the ledges out deeper.
Where to Find Them
Walk the beaches at first light for snook cruising the trough within a few feet of the sand. The north end of Siesta Key and the Casey Key beaches near Venice have been most consistent. In the passes, fish the rocks and the seawalls on the outgoing tide. For redfish, the bars and grass flats on the east side of Sarasota Bay on a rising tide are producing, along with the Palma Sola Bay shorelines. Trout are best on the deeper grass edges at dawn before the sun gets high.
Tides & Conditions
A new moon this weekend brings strong tides, and the extra water movement through the passes has been good for the snook. Winds have been light out of the east in the mornings with a sea breeze building by midday, followed by storms most afternoons. Gulf water is in the mid-80s and clear along the beaches. Seas nearshore have been 1 to 2 feet most mornings.
Tackle & Tactics
For beach snook, a white 4-inch paddle tail on a 1/8-ounce jig head or a small white fly on a 7-weight is all you need — these fish are in shallow water and spook easily. In the passes, live pilchards or a pinfish on a 3/0 circle hook with 30 to 40-pound leader. Redfish are taking gold spoons and cut bait on the flats. For trout, a popping cork with a soft plastic shrimp or a live shrimp on the deep grass. Nearshore, troll spoons for the Spanish and kings.
Local Intel This Week
Public ramps: Ken Thompson Park on City Island puts you minutes from Big Pass and New Pass. Centennial Park in downtown Sarasota covers the middle of the bay, and the ramp at Nokomis Beach is the closest to Venice Inlet and the south end. Fish are concentrating along the beach trough at first light and in the passes on outgoing water. Snook season is open on the Gulf coast, but check current FWC regulations and slot limits before keeping fish, and note that the Sarasota area has its own management history for snook.
This Week’s Tip
Beach snook are looking at your feet, not your lure. Stay back from the water’s edge, walk slowly, and cast parallel to the beach so your lure works along the trough where the fish travel. Most anglers wade in and push the fish out before they ever make a cast.
More Sarasota Resources
All Sarasota fishing reports · Seasonal fishing calendars · Submit your own report
Planning a trip to Sarasota?
This report tells you what happened. ReelAI tells you what to do about it — a briefing for your date, your target species and how you're fishing, built from our reports plus live NOAA and USGS data.
Powered by ReelAI — fishing.digital's intelligence layer. Answers are generated from fishing.digital reports and public NOAA, NWS and USGS data, and may be incomplete or out of date. Regulations and marine safety information are summaries only; always confirm with the responsible authority before you fish.