Palm Beach fishing report for the week of September 17, 2026. Two things happened this week that mark the turn of the season. The mullet run arrived in full along the Palm Beach County beaches, and the first sailfish of the fall showed up on the edge. It is the kind of week where you can catch a sailfish at 9 and a snook at the inlet by noon.
What’s Hitting
This week on the water the inshore story is snook. They are stacked at Palm Beach Inlet, Jupiter Inlet, and Boynton Inlet on the outgoing tide, and in the surf along Juno Beach, Singer Island, and the Palm Beach oceanfront at first light. Tarpon are rolling behind the mullet pods along the beach and inside the Lake Worth Lagoon at dawn, and big jacks and bluefish are working the same bait. Offshore, sailfish have shown on the edge in 120 to 200 feet, with kingfish and bonito on the reef in 90 to 120 feet and scattered mahi on the weedlines farther out. Mutton snapper are steady on the reef in 60 to 90 feet.
Where to Find Them
Snook are on the inlet rocks and jetties on the falling tide, and in the surf line wherever the mullet are thickest. Drive the beach accesses from Jupiter south to Lake Worth and look for birds and nervous water. Tarpon are in the surf at first light and around the Lake Worth Lagoon bridges after dark. Offshore, the edge off Palm Beach and Jupiter in 120 to 200 feet has been the sailfish zone, especially where the current pushes north against a little east wind. The reef in 90 to 120 feet off Juno has kings and bonito.
Tides & Conditions
Moderate tides this week with the first-quarter moon Friday. The morning outgoing has been the best inlet window. Seas have been 2 to 3 feet with a light east wind, building with the afternoon storms. Water is in the mid-80s and clear along the beach, and the Gulf Stream current has been running north close to the edge, which is what brought the sailfish in.
Tackle & Tactics
For snook at the inlets, a live finger mullet on a 5/0 circle hook free-lined in the current, or a flair hawk jig or large paddle tail on 40-pound fluorocarbon. On the beach, a walking topwater at first light draws snook, jacks, and tarpon. For tarpon, live mullet on 60-pound leader and a heavy spinning outfit. Sailfish want live goggle-eyes, pilchards, or threadfins on kites or slow-trolled, with a spinning rod ready to pitch a bait at any fish that shows in the spread.
Local Intel This Week
The Phil Foster Park ramp at Riviera Beach is the main public launch for Palm Beach Inlet, with the Burt Reynolds Park ramp in Jupiter and the Boynton Beach Harbor Marina ramp serving the other inlets. Shore anglers are catching snook and tarpon from the Juno Beach Pier area, the Boynton Inlet jetties, and the Jupiter Inlet rocks. Fish are concentrating at the inlets on the outgoing tide and along the beach around the mullet pods. Snook season is open on the Atlantic coast; check current FWC regulations, slot sizes, and seasons before keeping fish.
This Week’s Tip
When you see a sailfish in the spread and it will not commit, drop a live pilchard back on a spinning rod and let it swim freely. A sail that has been teased by the trolled baits will usually eat the first free-swimming bait it sees.
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