Palm Beach County’s summer fishery is firing offshore and in. Mahi are scattered along the Gulf Stream edge, tarpon have piled into the inlets, and the beaches are holding snook along with a steady reef bite close to shore.
What’s Hitting
Mahi are the offshore headline along the weed lines and color changes. Closer in, the reefs hold mangrove snapper and the occasional kingfish and bonito. Tarpon are rolling in Palm Beach and Boynton inlets, and snook line the beaches and inlet rocks.
Where to Find Them
Run east to the Stream edge in 150 to 250 feet for mahi along the weed lines. The reef lines hold snapper and kings. Tarpon stack in the Palm Beach, Boynton, and Jupiter inlets on the moving tide, and snook hold along the beaches and around the inlet structure. The Lake Worth Lagoon docks and bridges hold snook and tarpon at night, a productive sheltered option when the Stream is too rough to run.
Tides & Conditions
Summer water is warm and the Stream runs close. Morning seas have offered the best offshore window before the sea breeze and storms. The inlet tarpon bite peaks on the low-light tide changes, and the beach snook bite is best at first light and after dark.
Tackle & Tactics
Troll ballyhoo or pitch bait to mahi on the weed lines, keeping a spinning rod ready for fish under debris. Drift live bait on the reef for snapper and kings. For inlet tarpon, free-line live mullet or crabs on the moving tide, and fish the beach for snook with live bait or a jig. Light spinning gear with a long leader works for dolphin under debris, while a heavier outfit with 80-pound leader is the call for inlet tarpon in current.
Local Intel This Week
Launch from the Riviera Beach (Phil Foster Park) or Boynton Harbor ramps for quick inlet and offshore access. Mahi are concentrating along the Stream weed lines and tarpon in the inlets. Snook are catch-and-release in summer on the Atlantic coast — check current FWC regulations before keeping fish. The Juno Beach Pier and the Lake Worth Pier give shore anglers a real shot at snook, Spanish, and tarpon along the beach.
This Week’s Tip
In the inlets, the strongest part of the outgoing tide flushes bait out to waiting tarpon. Anchor or hold up-current and let your baits drift naturally into the seam where the fish are stacked — a drifted bait outfishes a cast one here.