Panama City fishing report for the week of October 1, 2026. The fall pattern is setting up in Bay County. The water is cooling, the crowds have thinned, and the fish are getting more active from the beaches out to the offshore ledges. It is a great time to fish without the summer traffic.
What’s Hitting
This week on the water, grouper are getting more active on the nearshore and offshore ledges as the water cools. Bull redfish are spawning at St. Andrews Pass and along the beaches. Flounder are starting their fall migration toward the passes. King mackerel and Spanish mackerel are along the beaches and around the pass. Inside St. Andrew Bay, speckled trout and slot reds are on the grass flats.
Where to Find Them
For grouper, fish the natural ledges and artificial reefs in 80 to 150 feet of water. For bull reds, St. Andrews Pass and the beaches near the pass on the outgoing tide. For flounder, the rocks at the jetties and the docks and drop-offs in St. Andrew Bay. For kings and Spanish, look for birds working bait along the beaches. Trout and reds are on the grass flats in West Bay and North Bay.
Tides & Conditions
Tides on the Panhandle are small, and the last quarter moon this weekend makes them softer. Water temperatures are in the upper 70s and dropping. The first cold fronts of the fall often arrive in October and can trigger strong feeding. Watch the tropics and the marine forecast before heading offshore.
Tackle & Tactics
For grouper, a live pinfish or a cigar minnow on a heavy bottom rig, with 80- to 100-pound fluorocarbon and enough weight to hold bottom. For bull reds, a fish-finder rig with cut bait or a live pinfish. For flounder, a bull minnow on a Carolina rig or a bucktail. For kings, slow-troll live cigar minnows on a wire stinger rig. For Spanish, a small spoon retrieved fast.
Local Intel This Week
Public launches include the St. Andrews State Park ramp, the Carl Gray Park ramp, and the Earl Gilbert Park ramp. Shore anglers have good access at the St. Andrews jetty, the Russell-Fields Pier, and the M.B. Miller County Pier. Fish are concentrated around the pass and on the nearshore ledges. Gulf grouper and snapper seasons change from year to year, so check current FWC and federal regulations and seasons before keeping fish, and bull reds over the slot must be released.
This Week’s Tip
Grouper will pull you into the rocks if you give them an inch. When you hook one, lock down the drag and crank hard for the first few turns to get the fish off the bottom. Once it is a few feet up, you have won most of the battle.
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