Orange Beach and Gulf Shores fishing report for the week of September 10, 2026. The offshore fleet has had good weather this week and the amberjack fishing on the wrecks and reefs has been steady, while inshore the bull reds have started to show at Perdido Pass and the kings and Spanish are working the bait along the beaches. It has been a productive week for both the charter boats and the small-boat anglers fishing the pass and the nearshore water.
What’s Hitting
What’s hot this week is amberjack on the wrecks and reefs in 100 to 200 feet, with fish from 20 to 50 pounds on the deeper structure. Bull redfish are staging at Perdido Pass and around the jetties, with fish over 40 inches on the tide changes. Kingfish are on the bait pods and the nearshore reefs in 40 to 80 feet just off the beach, and Spanish mackerel are along the beach and around the Gulf State Park Pier. In the bays, trout are on the grass in Wolf Bay and Perdido Bay at dawn, and slot reds are on the docks and shorelines. Flounder are beginning to show along the pass rocks.
Offshore, the deeper reefs are also producing vermilion snapper, and there have been some mahi and wahoo on the edge.
Where to Find Them
Amberjack are on the deeper wrecks and reef sites in 100 to 200 feet south of the pass. Bull reds are in Perdido Pass on the tide changes and around the jetty rocks. Kingfish are on the bait pods along the beach and the nearshore reefs — the Gulf State Park reef zone has been productive. Spanish are around the pier and along the beach. In the bays, trout are on the grass flats in Wolf Bay and around the Perdido Bay islands, and reds are on the docks and points along the Intracoastal.
Tides & Conditions
The new moon this weekend brings strong tides through the pass, and the bull reds feed hardest on the outgoing. Winds have been east at 10 to 15 with a moderate chop nearshore and afternoon storms building inland. Gulf water is in the mid-80s and clear along the beach. Seas have been 2 to 3 feet nearshore and 3 to 4 offshore.
Tackle & Tactics
For amberjack, a live hardtail or a big jig on 60 to 80-pound tackle over the wrecks. For bull reds, cut mullet or a live pinfish on a 7/0 circle hook with a Carolina rig in the pass. Kingfish want slow-trolled live cigar minnows on a stinger rig, and Spanish are taking Gotcha plugs and spoons on a fast retrieve. In the bays, topwaters at dawn then soft plastics under a cork for trout, and live shrimp on the docks for reds.
Local Intel This Week
Public ramps: the Orange Beach Waterfront Park ramp on Wolf Bay and the Cotton Bayou ramp are the closest to Perdido Pass, the Gulf Shores public ramp at the Intracoastal Waterway serves the west end, and the Boggy Point ramp is a good option for the pass. Shore anglers have been catching Spanish and kings from the Gulf State Park Pier and reds and flounder from the Perdido Pass jetties. Fish are concentrating at the pass on the tide changes and on the bait pods along the beach. Check current Alabama Marine Resources and federal regulations before keeping fish — bull reds over the slot must be released, amberjack has a seasonal closure that should be confirmed, and Alabama’s state red snapper season schedule changes each year.
This Week’s Tip
Amberjack on the wrecks feed up in the water column, not on the bottom. Drop your live bait or jig to about halfway down over the structure and work it there. A bait that goes all the way to the bottom gets eaten by something smaller, and the big jacks are suspended above the wreck.
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