Daytona and Space Coast fishing report for the week of September 24, 2026. The mullet run is still pouring down the beaches, and with the full moon on Saturday and big equinox tides, the predators are feeding hard. It is a great week to be on the water from Ormond Beach to Sebastian.
What’s Hitting
What’s hitting is tarpon, and they are putting on a show. Big fish are crashing mullet schools right in the surf along Daytona, New Smyrna, and Cocoa Beach. Snook are feeding hard at Ponce Inlet and along the beaches, and redfish are tailing on the Mosquito Lagoon flats on the high tides. Jacks, bluefish, and sharks are following the bait, and speckled trout are feeding in the lagoon early. Offshore, kingfish are on the nearshore reefs.
Where to Find Them
Look for tarpon along the beaches from Ponce Inlet south to New Smyrna and Cape Canaveral, anywhere the mullet schools are thick. Snook are holding along the Ponce Inlet jetties and the rocks inside the inlet on the outgoing tide. In Mosquito Lagoon, work the flats and shorelines north of the Haulover Canal for tailing reds. Port Canaveral’s jetty and the Sebastian Inlet are also producing snook and reds.
Tides & Conditions
Big tides this week with the full moon, and the equinox has the lagoons running higher than usual. Tarpon are feeding best early in the morning before the wind comes up. Water temperatures are in the low 80s. Watch for northeast wind events this time of year, and check the tropics before heading offshore.
Tackle & Tactics
For tarpon on the beach, cast a live mullet or a large swimbait into the school and hold on. Use a 7/0 or 8/0 circle hook on 60- to 80-pound fluorocarbon. For snook at Ponce Inlet, a live mullet or a bucktail jig is the ticket. In Mosquito Lagoon, sight-cast to tailing reds with a gold spoon, a soft plastic, or a fly. Keep a quiet approach in the shallow water.
Local Intel This Week
Lighthouse Point Park and the Ponce Inlet jetty offer great shore access. For boaters, the Ponce Inlet public ramp and the Shiloh ramp in Mosquito Lagoon are good options. Jetty Park at Port Canaveral provides pier and jetty access. Fish are concentrating along the beaches with the mullet and around the inlets on the outgoing tides. Check current FWC regulations, slot sizes, and seasons before keeping fish.
This Week’s Tip
When you see tarpon crashing a mullet school, cast just past the edge of the school and let your bait swim into it. Casting directly into the middle often spooks the school and the fish.
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