St. Augustine fishing report for the week of September 24, 2026. I love this stretch of the First Coast in late September. The mullet run is pouring through, the flounder are fat and stacking up at the inlets for their fall move, and the Saturday full moon is giving us big water. It is the start of the best part of the year here.
What’s Hitting
This week on the water it is flounder first. The fall run is building and the fish are stacking up around the St. Augustine and Matanzas inlets, along the rocks and the drop-offs. Bull redfish are feeding along the beaches and at the inlet mouths on the outgoing, and slot reds and trout are working the Matanzas River and the Tolomato creeks. Sheepshead and black drum are around the bridges and docks, and tarpon and sharks are following the mullet along the beach.
Where to Find Them
Flounder are stacked along the St. Augustine Inlet jetties, the Vilano Bridge, and the rocks and drop-offs at the Matanzas Inlet. For bull reds, fish the beaches on the outgoing tide from Vilano to Crescent Beach, and the mouths of both inlets. Slot reds and trout are in the creeks and grass edges of the Matanzas and Tolomato rivers, especially on the high tide. The Bridge of Lions and the 206 bridge are holding sheepshead and drum.
Tides & Conditions
With the full moon on Saturday, the tides are big, and the inlets are moving a lot of water. The flounder bite has been best on the last of the outgoing and the first of the incoming. Water temps are in the upper 70s. Northeast wind can stir up the beaches this time of year, so check the forecast before you go.
Tackle & Tactics
For flounder, a live mud minnow or finger mullet on a Carolina rig, dragged slowly along the bottom near structure, is the classic approach. A soft plastic on a jig head, fished slowly, also works. Give the fish a second before you set the hook. For bull reds, fish a chunk of mullet or a whole blue crab on a fish-finder rig with a circle hook.
Local Intel This Week
The Vilano Beach ramp and the Devil’s Elbow ramp provide good access. Shore anglers can fish the St. Augustine Inlet jetty at Anastasia State Park and the Matanzas Inlet from Fort Matanzas National Monument. Fish are concentrating at the inlets and along the jetty rocks. Check current FWC regulations, slot sizes, and seasons before keeping fish, and note that Florida has a seasonal flounder closure in the fall.
This Week’s Tip
When flounder fishing around the jetties, move your bait slowly and keep it in contact with the bottom. Flounder often ambush prey near the edges of the rocks, so work the transition areas carefully.
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