Updated: Thursday, September 17, 2026 · Next update: Thursday, September 24, 2026
This Naples / Marco Island fishing report covers mid-September, when snook season is open on the Gulf coast and the fall transition starts to show in the backcountry. Snook are the lead target, stacked at the passes on the outgoing tide and cruising the beaches at first light. Redfish begin their fall gathering in the Ten Thousand Islands, and trout return to the grass after a slow summer. Plan around the morning outgoing tide and fish early, before the sea breeze and afternoon storms arrive.
What’s Hitting
Snook lead the list. Expect fish stacked at Gordon Pass, Doctors Pass, Capri Pass and Caxambas Pass on the outgoing tide, and along the beaches at first light from Naples Pier to Marco Island’s south beach. Redfish are the second story, with schools forming on the outside bars and oyster edges of the Ten Thousand Islands and around Goodland.
Speckled trout move back onto the grass flats in Rookery Bay and Estero Bay. Mangrove snapper are thick on the nearshore reefs and around the pass structure, and a few late tarpon still roll off the beaches.
Where to Find Them
Target snook on the pass rocks and sandbars on the falling tide, and in the surf line along Vanderbilt Beach and the Naples beaches at first light.
Look for redfish on the outside oyster bars and mangrove points of the Ten Thousand Islands on the higher stages of the tide, then follow them into the deeper creek mouths as the water falls. Fish the grass in 3 to 6 feet in Rookery Bay and the Marco backwaters early for trout. Snapper sit on the nearshore reefs in 20 to 40 feet and around the docks at night.
Tides & Conditions
Mid-September brings moderate tides between the moons, and the morning outgoing sets up the pass action. Gulf water sits in the mid to upper 80s and eases at night. Expect calm, clear mornings, with the sea breeze and afternoon storms arriving on schedule. Backcountry water carries a slight stain from the summer rains but stays fishable.
Tackle & Tactics
- Pass snook: free-line live pilchards, pinfish or threadfin herring on a 4/0 circle hook with 30 to 40-pound fluorocarbon, or work a white paddle tail or flair hawk jig in the current.
- Beach snook: sight-cast a small white paddle tail or a live pilchard to cruising fish.
- Redfish schools: a gold spoon, a weedless paddle tail or a cut ladyfish on the edge of the school on 20-pound leader.
- Trout: a popping cork with a shrimp, or a soft plastic over the grass.
Local Intel This Week
The Bayview Park ramp in Naples serves Gordon Pass and the beaches, and the Caxambas Park ramp on Marco Island is the closest launch to the south passes. For the Ten Thousand Islands, launch at the Goodland boat park or the Port of the Islands ramp and run to the outside bars on the rising tide. Without a boat, walk Naples Pier or the Marco south beach at first light for snook in the surf. Check current FWC and federal regulations and seasons before keeping fish.
This Week’s Tip
In the Ten Thousand Islands, let the tide tell you where to be. Fish the outside bars on the last two hours of the rising tide when the reds push up to feed, then fall back to the creek mouths as the water drops. Chasing them on the wrong tide wastes a morning.
Planning a trip to Naples/Marco Island?
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