Tampa Bay fishing report for the week of September 17, 2026. Mid-September on the west coast is a transition week, and this one has all the right signs. The redfish are ganging up, snook are still in the passes, and the first cooler mornings have brought the trout back onto the flats where they belong.
What’s Hitting
This week the redfish are the story. Schools of 50 to 200 fish are forming on the flats of upper Tampa Bay, around Weedon Island, and along the mangrove shorelines of the Pinellas side. Snook are feeding at Pass-a-Grille, John’s Pass, and along the beaches on the outgoing tide, with plenty of fish still on the beach in the surf line. Speckled trout have moved back onto the deeper grass in 3 to 6 feet after a slow August. Mangrove snapper are still on the Skyway pilings and the bay structure, and Spanish mackerel are chasing glass minnows around the bridges and the shipping channel.
Where to Find Them
Redfish are on the shallow flats and oyster bars on the higher stages of the tide, and they slide off into the potholes and channel edges as the water falls. Look for pushes of water and mullet schools in the Cockroach Bay, Weedon Island, and Fort De Soto areas. Snook are at the passes and on the beaches at first light, and on the mangrove points inside on the moving tide. Trout are on the grass flats off Pinellas Point and in the Fort De Soto flats early, then in 5 to 8 feet as the sun gets up.
Tides & Conditions
Moderate tides this week between the moons, with a decent morning outgoing that has been the best snook window. Bay water is still in the mid-80s but dropping at night, which is what has the trout moving. Mornings have been calm, with the afternoon sea breeze and scattered storms on schedule. Water clarity is good on the flats except after heavy rain.
Tackle & Tactics
For the redfish schools, a gold spoon or a soft-plastic paddle tail on a light jig head cast to the edge of the school on 20-pound fluorocarbon leader is the way to avoid blowing them out. Live pilchards or a cut pinfish work when they get finicky. Snook at the passes want live pilchards, pinfish, or a white paddle tail on 30-pound leader. For trout, a popping cork with a shrimp or a soft plastic over the grass is hard to beat. A 7-foot medium spinning rod with 15-pound braid covers the flats.
Local Intel This Week
Fort De Soto Park has a large public ramp with quick access to the south bay passes, and the Williams Park ramp in Riverview and Cockroach Bay ramp serve the upper bay flats. The Maximo Park ramp in St. Petersburg is the closest to the Skyway. Fish are concentrating on the flats around mullet schools on the high tide and at the passes on the outgoing. Check current FWC regulations, slot sizes, and seasons before keeping snook, redfish, or trout.
This Week’s Tip
A schooling redfish pod spooks off engine noise more than anything. Stake out or drift down on them with the trolling motor off, and cast to the outside edge, not the middle. Pull one fish off the side and the school keeps feeding.
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