Panama City Fishing Report — November 2025
Excellent fall continues.
Inshore & Nearshore Fishing
Flounder through early November. Seatrout building toward winter concentrations. Redfish still active.
Offshore Fishing
Nearshore gag grouper as water temps cool. Excellent winter grouper fishing begins.
Top Techniques This Month
November grouper: Water temps in the upper 60s bring gag grouper onto the nearshore ledges. Day trips in 40–80 feet produce excellent results.
Fishing Outlook
Very good.
Regulations
Seatrout: 15″ minimum. Verify current regulations at state fishing regulations.
Plan Your Trip
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Flounder Late Season — Last Chance for Doormats
November is the back end of the flounder season, but the biggest fish of the year often come this month as the doormats move through the pass on their offshore migration. St. Andrews Pass and the channels feeding it are the productive water. Live bull minnows or finger mullet on a 3/8 oz jighead, drifted slow along the bottom near the rocks, is the proven approach. The outgoing tide is the productive window — bait gets flushed through the pass and the flounder line up on the structure to ambush. Doormats over 20 inches are common this month for anglers who put in time.
Sheepshead Starting, Redfish Staging
Sheepshead fishing is starting to fire as the water cools. The Hathaway Bridge pilings, the DuPont Bridge structure, and the artificial reefs in 30–60 feet are all holding fish. Fiddler crabs on a small jighead — the bite is subtle, set the hook the moment you feel weight. Redfish are staging in the deeper water of the pass and the holes near East Pass. Bull reds in the 30–40 inch range are crushing cut mullet on the bottom. Slot reds are still on the flats but the fish are getting tighter to structure as water cools.
Trout in the Bay, Spanish Winding Down
Speckled trout are stacking in the deeper holes and the warmer pocket waters of St. Andrews Bay and West Bay. Slow-rolled soft plastics on a 1/4 oz jighead near the bottom, or live shrimp under a popping cork over the deeper grass at mid-day. The bite is best during the warmest part of the afternoon as water temps tick up briefly. Spanish mackerel are winding down on the beaches but a few are still around — last call for the year.
Conditions, Hotspots, Regulations
Water temps 65–70°F. Florida saltwater license required. Flounder 14-inch minimum with 5-fish bag (Gulf). Sheepshead 12-inch minimum with 8-fish bag, no closed season. Redfish slot 18–27 inches with 1-fish bag. Spotted seatrout slot 15–19 inches with 5-fish bag. Hotspots: St. Andrews Pass drift for flounder, Hathaway Bridge pilings for sheepshead, East Pass deep holes for bull reds, West Bay deeper grass for late-season trout. Tight lines.
Boat Ramps and Local Access
Carl Gray Park ramp at St. Andrews Pass is the closest to the flounder action and bull-red holes. Earl Gilbert Park ramp puts you on West Bay for trout drifts. The Russell-Fields and MB Miller Piers are the easy walk-on shore options. November cold fronts cycle every 5–8 days — fish the day before and the post-front warming trend for the best bite. The Hathaway Bridge catwalks are good shore options for sheepshead and the late-season flounder. Tight lines.