Updated: Thursday, September 17, 2026 · Next update: Thursday, September 24, 2026
This Jacksonville fishing report covers mid-September, the stretch Northeast Florida anglers wait for all year. Bull redfish are the lead target, stacked in numbers at the St. Johns River jetties and the river mouth, while the mullet run peaks along the beaches and everything from the jetties to the Intracoastal feeds on it. Flounder stage in the river on their way out. Plan around the morning outgoing tide, which sets up the best jetty window, and the calm early hours before the northeast breeze builds.
What’s Hitting
Bull redfish lead the week. Fish from 30 to 45 inches stack at the St. Johns River jetties and along the channel edges from Mayport to the Dames Point bridge, and schools of oversized reds work the bait on the beach as well. The mullet run is at full strength, and tarpon, big jacks and Spanish mackerel follow the pods along Jacksonville Beach and Hanna Park.
Flounder move out of the creeks and stage along the river edges and jetty rocks ahead of their fall migration. Slot reds and trout are steady in the Intracoastal creeks and the Sisters Creek area on the moving tide.
Where to Find Them
Bull reds sit at the tips of both jetties and along the drop-offs inside the river mouth, especially on the last of the outgoing tide, when the river drains bait toward the ocean. Along the beach, tarpon and jacks are wherever the mullet pods are thickest, so cover ground from Hanna Park south to Ponte Vedra and watch for birds.
Flounder are on the sandy edges of the jetty rocks and along the Mayport docks. The creeks off Sisters Creek and the Intracoastal near the Palm Valley bridge hold slot reds and trout.
Tides & Conditions
Tides are moderate between moons, with the morning outgoing setting up the best jetty window. River water sits in the low 80s and clears after the summer rains. Expect calm mornings with a light west wind, then a northeast breeze and an occasional shower later in the day. The surf is fishable most mornings.
Tackle & Tactics
- Bull reds: a live or cut mullet or a blue crab half on a 7/0 circle hook with a fish-finder rig and 3 to 4 ounces of weight, on a heavy spinning or conventional outfit with 50-pound braid.
- Beach tarpon and jacks: live finger mullet under a float or a large paddle tail.
- Flounder: a live mud minnow or finger mullet on a Carolina rig, or a bucktail dragged slowly along the bottom.
- Creeks: a popping cork with a shrimp or a soft plastic for trout and slot reds.
The fish-finder rig lets a bull red move off with the bait without feeling the weight.
Local Intel This Week
The Mayport boat ramp is the closest launch to the jetties, with the Sisters Creek ramp and the Joe Carlucci ramp on the Intracoastal as the main alternatives. Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park has beach and surf access for shore anglers, and the Jacksonville Beach Pier is worth a look when the mullet are on the beach. Bull reds over the slot must be released. Check current FWC and federal regulations and seasons before keeping fish.
This Week’s Tip
At the jetties, anchor up-current of the rocks and let your bait sit on the down-current edge where the eddy forms. Bull reds hold in that seam waiting for the tide to wash bait to them, and a bait in the seam outfishes a bait in the current every time.
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