May 2025 — Jacksonville: Flounder, Redfish, Seatrout All Excellent — Full Spring Season. May is a late spring month with water in the 72–78°F range — tarpon arriving on beaches; snook and redfish on the flats; nearshore action picks up. Here’s the full breakdown of what’s biting, where to fish, and the most productive tactics for this month.
What’s Biting — May 2025
Primary targets this month: Flounder, Redfish, Seatrout, Kingfish.
Flounder
Flounder are around Mayport jetties, the rock piles inside the St. Johns River mouth, the train trestle, and Sisters Creek. Bucktails with Gulp! trailers, live mud minnows, and finger mullet on Carolina rigs produce. Work baits slow on the bottom.
Redfish
Summer redfish are in the marshes of Pumpkin Hill Creek, Sisters Creek, Browns Creek, Cedar Point flats, and the docks of Black Hammock Island. Fish dawn and dusk hard — once the sun gets high and water hits 85°F+, bites slow significantly. Live pinfish, cut ladyfish, and topwater walking baits at first light are top producers. Tailing fish on grass flats around the new and full moons.
Seatrout
Summer trout are in Sister’s Creek, the ICW north of the Mayport ferry, the deeper holes off Heckscher Drive, and Black Hammock Island — focus on the deeper grass edges and potholes early and late in the day. Live shrimp and pinfish under popping corks produce limits. Trolling MirrOlures over grass flats is effective in slightly deeper water.
Kingfish
Kingfish are around 9-Mile Reef, 21-Fathom Reef, MR Reef, and the Hangover off Jacksonville Beach. Slow-troll live bait (cigar minnows, blue runners, menhaden) on stinger rigs at 1–3 knots. Run a planer or downrigger to get baits to 20–40 feet where bigger smokers hold. Drifting live bait over hard bottom in 50–100 feet also produces in summer.
Water Conditions & Patterns
Water temperatures are running 72–78°F. Tarpon arriving on beaches; snook and redfish on the flats; nearshore action picks up. Falling tides through the Mayport jetties create the best bite windows; sheepshead and redfish position behind structure where current breaks. Two hours before to two hours after low tide is prime.
Check the NOAA marine forecast and tide charts before launching. Wind direction matters more than wind speed for inshore fishing — east winds tend to push clean water in, while strong westerlies can muddy the bays.
Tactics & Tackle for This Month
- Early and late. The 5 AM to 9 AM window and 6 PM to dark are gold; midday water temps push fish deep or into shade.
- Live bait season. Cast-net pilchards, scaled sardines, and threadfins for snook, tarpon, and snapper. Chum with a few live ones to start a feed.
- Storm awareness. Afternoon thunderstorms develop fast — check radar before and during trips. Get off the water at the first thunder.
May Outlook
Tarpon season builds rapidly — by late May, fish are stacked on the major passes and beaches. Snook, redfish, and seatrout are in spring spawning patterns.
Regulations Reminder
Redfish: 18–27″ slot, one per angler per day (verify current FWC zone-specific rules). Seatrout: 15–19″ slot, three per day in most zones (verify current FWC zone rules). Flounder: 14″ minimum, five per day (Florida). King Mackerel: 24″ fork length, two per day (Gulf/Atlantic). Always verify the current FWC regulations at myfwc.com before your trip — sizes, bag limits, and season dates change.
Local Resources
Bait & Tackle: B&M Bait & Tackle (Mayport, 904-246-6969); Strike-Zone Fishing (Jacksonville, 904-641-2433); Fishin’ Hole (Atlantic Beach, 904-757-7550).
Public Boat Ramps: Mayport (free, fast access to jetties), Sisters Creek (deep-water access to north river), Goodbys Creek (south side ICW), Wayne B. Stevens (Heckscher Drive).
Charter Fishing: $400–$650 inshore (Mayport, St. Johns); $750–$1,400 offshore (Elton Bottom, Hangover). Book ahead during cobia migration (March–April), red snapper opener (June), and the fall run (October–November).
More Jacksonville Resources
Jacksonville Fishing Guide · Jacksonville Seasonal Calendar · All Jacksonville reports →
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