Pensacola Fishing Report — November 2025
Excellent fall fishing through November.
Inshore & Nearshore Fishing
Flounder late season excellent through mid-November. Seatrout building in the deeper channels. Redfish still active.
Offshore Fishing
Nearshore gag grouper excellent as water cools.
Top Techniques This Month
November grouper: Water temps dropping into the 60s bring grouper onto the nearshore ledges — accessible day trips.
Fishing Outlook
Very good through mid-month.
Regulations
Seatrout: 15″ minimum. Verify current regulations at state fishing regulations.
Plan Your Trip
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Flounder — The November Peak
November is the peak of the flounder migration in Pensacola, and the fishing this month is as good as it gets in Northwest Florida. The pass at Fort Pickens, the channels feeding into Pensacola Bay, and the rock piles around Big Sabine Point are all stacked. Live bull minnows or finger mullet on a 3/8 oz jighead bounced slow along the bottom — the bigger fish hold tight to rock and structure on the outgoing tide. Doormats over 20 inches show up consistently this month. The Fort Pickens drift on the falling tide is the textbook approach: idle to the rocks, drift back, repeat.
Sheepshead Aggressive
Sheepshead are settling into their winter pattern early this year. The Pensacola Beach Pier, Bob Sikes Bridge fenders, Three Mile Bridge pilings, and every artificial reef in 30–60 feet are holding fish. Fiddler crabs on a 1/0 jighead is the standard. The bite tends to be subtle — set the hook the moment you feel the tap, before they spit. Some big fish over 5 lbs get caught this month.
Bull Reds on the Beach, Trout in Creeks
Bull redfish in the 35–45 inch range are blitzing on bait pods along the beaches from Pensacola Beach east to Navarre. Cut mullet or whole pogies on a 6/0 fishfinder rig, surf-cast at first and last light, will produce trophy fish. Slot reds are still on the inshore flats but spreading out — the warming-tide pattern (mid-afternoon high tides) is the productive window. Spotted trout are stacking in the deeper creeks and protected bayou pockets — soft plastics on a 1/4 oz jighead worked slow near the bottom.
Conditions, Hotspots, Regs
Water temps 65–70°F. Florida saltwater license required. Flounder 14-inch minimum, 5-fish bag (Gulf). Sheepshead 12-inch minimum, 8-fish bag. Redfish slot 18–27 inches with 1-fish bag (Gulf), bull reds over slot release-only. Spotted seatrout slot 15–19 inches with 5-fish bag, one over 19 allowed. Spanish mackerel 12-inch minimum, 15-fish bag. Hotspots: Fort Pickens drift for flounder, Three Mile pilings for sheepshead, Pensacola Beach surf at dawn for bull reds, Bayou Texar back for trout. Tight lines.
Boat Ramps and Cold-Front Strategy
Sherman Cove ramp puts you on the pass for flounder drifts immediately. Big Lagoon Park ramp is closest to the Innerarity reds. Bayou Texar ramp is the trout play for the upper bay. Shore access: Pensacola Beach Pier, Three Mile Bridge catwalk, Bob Sikes catwalk, Fort Pickens beach for surf bull-reds. November cold fronts cycle every 5–7 days — fish the day before a front pushes through for the best bite, give the water 36–48 hours to recover after. Tight lines.