Updated: Thursday, July 2, 2026 · Next update: Thursday, July 9, 2026
This Panama City fishing report for early July is dialed into the summer program. With red snapper season open, red snapper on the reefs and wrecks are the main draw offshore. Closer to the sand, Spanish mackerel blitz the beaches and St. Andrews Pass for fast light-tackle action, kings work the nearshore structure, and trout and redfish hold on the grass and jetties inside St. Andrews Bay. The main condition to plan around is the afternoon sea breeze, which builds a chop and makes early morning the best window offshore.
What’s Hitting
Red snapper stack on the reefs and wrecks and lead the list. Spanish mackerel chase bait along the beaches and through St. Andrews Pass, often in fast-moving surface blitzes. King mackerel sit on the nearshore structure, and inshore the speckled trout and redfish work the grass and the jetties, a solid option for small boats and shoreline anglers when the Gulf is rough.
Where to Find Them
Run to the public reefs and wrecks in 60–120 feet for snapper. Spanish and kings blitz St. Andrews Pass and the beachfront on clean mornings, when bait pushes tight to the sand.
Inside, the grass flats in St. Andrews Bay and the water around the jetties hold trout and reds. The jetties concentrate bait and current, which is why they hold inshore fish through the summer.
Tides & Conditions
Gulf temperatures sit in the mid-80s. Early morning is the best offshore window before the afternoon sea breeze builds a chop, while snapper feed steadily on the structure through the day. Inshore, the pass on a moving tide is where the Spanish and reds set up.
Glass minnows and cigar minnows stack on the nearshore reefs and along the beaches, and the Spanish, kings and snapper all key on them. A short sabiki stop on the way out fills the well, and watching for diving birds over the bait schools is the fastest way to find the roaming Spanish along the beach.
Tackle & Tactics
- Red snapper: cut bait, squid or live cigar minnows on a knocker rig with 40–60 lb leader. The sliding sinker gets the bait down fast and lets a fish take it without feeling much weight.
- Spanish: a Gotcha plug, a small silver spoon or a jig fished fast.
- Kings: slow-trolled live baits over the nearshore structure.
- Trout: a popping cork and shrimp worked over the grass.
Local Intel This Week
St. Andrews State Park ramp gives the fastest run to the pass and the nearshore reefs, while Carl Gray Park and the Earl Gilbert ramp serve the bay side. Launch at St. Andrews State Park for snapper and the pass blitzes, and use Carl Gray Park or Earl Gilbert for a bay trip on the grass and jetties. Snapper concentrate on the offshore reefs, with Spanish and kings around St. Andrews Pass and the beaches. Check current FWC and federal regulations and seasons before keeping fish.
This Week’s Tip
For beach and pass Spanish, speed is everything. Retrieve your spoon or plug fast enough that it skips just under the surface. Spanish are sight feeders that run down fleeing bait, and a lure that looks like it is escaping draws far more strikes than a slow one.
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