Updated: Thursday, May 14, 2026 · Next update: Thursday, May 21, 2026
This Fort Myers/Sanibel fishing report covers mid-May, when the countdown to the legendary Boca Grande tarpon run is on. Tarpon stage in numbers in the pass and along the beaches from Captiva south to Boca Grande, snook hit their pre-spawn peak, and the flats around Sanibel and Pine Island Sound fill with redfish and trout. Plan around the tide: outgoing water at the passes for tarpon, a high incoming on the mangroves for snook, and low water on calm mornings for tailing reds.
What’s Hitting
Tarpon lead the list. The Boca Grande Pass fishery is just starting to fire in mid-May and peaks in late May through June. Some of the biggest fish of the year, 150 to 200 lbs, come out of this fishery, so make sure your gear is up to it.
Snook are at their pre-spawn peak in Pine Island Sound, Matlacha Pass and around Captiva, Redfish and Boca Grande passes, and they crush baits. Bigger fish in the 28–32 inch range stack at the pass mouths on the outgoing. Redfish work the flats and oyster bars throughout the Sound, and trout stay on the grass flats at dawn.
Where to Find Them
For tarpon, the Mile Marker 11 area on the inside of Boca Grande Pass holds fish at slack, and Captiva Pass on the outgoing is the close-in option. Snook stack at the mouths of Captiva Pass and Redfish Pass and around the spoil islands inside Pine Island Sound. On a high tide, the east side of Captiva Island puts snook tight to the mangroves, and the Cabbage Key area offers snook on the mangroves and reds on the flats.
Look for tailing reds around the islands east of Cabbage Key, in the back of Tarpon Bay and on the flats around the Pine Island grasses. Matlacha Pass gives up trout on the grass and snook in the back lakes, and the grass flats off Sanibel’s Bowman’s Beach are the dawn trout stop.
Tides & Conditions
Expect water temperatures of 79–81°F. The new moon falls Saturday, which means softer tides, but the dawn and dusk windows should fire. Light east winds are in the forecast for Wednesday and Thursday. The pattern is simple: outgoing at the passes for tarpon, high incoming on the mangroves for snook, and low tide on calm mornings for tailing reds.
Tackle & Tactics
- Tarpon: drift live crabs and threadfin on a 7/0 circle hook through Boca Grande Pass, starting on the upper stages of falling water.
- Mangrove snook: pitch live whitebait tight to the mangroves on a high incoming tide.
- Pass snook: free-line live pinfish on a 4/0 circle hook into the current at the pass mouths on the outgoing.
- Redfish: sight-cast at low tide on the flats and around the oyster bars.
- Trout: soft plastics on a jighead, or live shrimp under a popping cork, on the grass at dawn.
Local Intel This Week
Boca Grande Pass starts firing for tarpon in mid-May, so get in early while fish stage ahead of the peak. Launch at the Punta Rassa Boat Ramp or Matlacha Community Park to reach the Sound and Matlacha Pass, and use Lovers Key State Park for access to the south. A Florida saltwater license is required. Check current FWC and federal regulations and seasons before keeping fish.
This Week’s Tip
Match the tide to the species. Fish the outgoing in the passes for tarpon, switch to the high incoming on the mangroves for snook, and finish on low water for tailing reds.
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