Updated: Thursday, September 24, 2026 · Next update: Thursday, October 1, 2026
This St. Augustine fishing report covers late September, the start of the best part of the year on this stretch of the First Coast. The mullet run pours through, flounder are fat and stacking up at the inlets for their fall move, and the Saturday full moon brings big water. Flounder are the lead target at the St. Augustine and Matanzas inlets, with bull reds on the beaches. Plan around the big full-moon tides and the change of tide at the inlets.
What’s Hitting
Flounder come first. The fall run builds and fish stack around the St. Augustine and Matanzas inlets, along the rocks and the drop-offs. Bull redfish feed along the beaches and at the inlet mouths on the outgoing, and slot reds and trout work the Matanzas River and the Tolomato creeks.
Sheepshead and black drum hang around the bridges and docks, and tarpon and sharks follow the mullet along the beach.
Where to Find Them
Flounder stack along the St. Augustine Inlet jetties, the Vilano Bridge, and the rocks and drop-offs at the Matanzas Inlet. They lie flat at the base of structure and along ledges where current sweeps bait past them, so the edge of the rock or drop is where they wait.
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 carry sheepshead and drum.
Tides & Conditions
With the full moon on Saturday, the tides are big and the inlets move a lot of water. Target flounder on the last of the outgoing and the first of the incoming, when slower current makes it easier to keep baits on the bottom. Water temperatures sit in the upper 70s. Northeast wind can stir up the beaches this time of year, so check the forecast before you go.
Tackle & Tactics
- 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.
- The hookset: give the fish a second before you set the hook, since flounder often grab a bait crosswise before turning it.
- Bull reds: a chunk of mullet or a whole blue crab on a fish-finder rig with a circle hook.
Local Intel This Week
Launch at the Vilano Beach ramp for the St. Augustine Inlet and the Vilano Bridge, or at the Devil’s Elbow ramp for the Matanzas River and the Matanzas Inlet. Shore anglers can fish the St. Augustine Inlet jetty at Anastasia State Park and the Matanzas Inlet from Fort Matanzas National Monument; time both for the last of the outgoing. Fish concentrate at the inlets and along the jetty rocks. Florida has a seasonal flounder closure in the fall, so confirm the dates before you keep one. Check current FWC and federal regulations and seasons before keeping fish.
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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