Updated: Thursday, September 17, 2026 · Next update: Thursday, September 24, 2026
This Palm Beach fishing report covers mid-September, the turn of the season on the Palm Beach County coast. The mullet run arrives in full along the beaches, putting snook at the inlets and tarpon in the surf, while the first sailfish of the fall push onto the edge. It is the kind of stretch when you can catch a sailfish at 9 and a snook at the inlet by noon. Plan around the morning outgoing tide at the inlets and the north-running Gulf Stream offshore.
What’s Hitting
Inshore, snook lead the way. Expect them 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 roll behind the mullet pods along the beach and inside the Lake Worth Lagoon at dawn, and big jacks and bluefish work the same bait.
Offshore, sailfish move onto 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
Target snook 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 sit in the surf at first light and around the Lake Worth Lagoon bridges after dark.
Offshore, fish the edge off Palm Beach and Jupiter in 120 to 200 feet for sailfish, especially where the current pushes north against a little east wind. The reef in 90 to 120 feet off Juno holds kings and bonito.
Tides & Conditions
Mid-September brings moderate tides, with the first-quarter moon on Friday, and the morning outgoing is the best inlet window. Expect seas of 2 to 3 feet with a light east wind, building with the afternoon storms. Water runs in the mid-80s and clear along the beach, and the Gulf Stream current runs north close to the edge, which is what brings the sailfish in.
Tackle & Tactics
- Inlet snook: 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.
- Beach: a walking topwater at first light draws snook, jacks and tarpon.
- Tarpon: live mullet on 60-pound leader and a heavy spinning outfit.
- Sailfish: live goggle-eyes, pilchards or threadfins on kites or slow-trolled, with a spinning rod ready to pitch a bait to 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. Without a boat, fish the Juno Beach Pier area, the Boynton Inlet jetties and the Jupiter Inlet rocks for snook and tarpon on the falling tide. Snook season is open on the Atlantic coast in mid-September. Check current FWC and federal regulations and seasons before keeping fish.
This Week’s Tip
When a sailfish shows in the spread and 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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