Sarasota Fishing Report — Week of November 5, 2026: Spanish Mackerel, Trout, Sheepshead

Updated: Thursday, November 5, 2026 · Next update: Thursday, November 12, 2026

This Sarasota fishing report is a seasonal outlook for the week of November 5, built on early-November patterns around Sarasota Bay and the Gulf passes. Cooling water and the first mild fronts typically bring Spanish mackerel, trout and sheepshead into focus, while snook and redfish remain available around the mangroves. The new moon on Monday, November 9 should help the tides.

What’s Hitting

Early November around Sarasota often feels like a reset as the heat finally eases. Spanish mackerel typically run along the beaches and passes, and flats anglers frequently find spotted seatrout over grass in two to five feet of water. Sheepshead begin gathering around docks, bridges and nearshore structure. Snook may still hold near the mangrove shorelines and passes, though they slow as the water cools, and redfish usually cruise the edges of Roberts Bay and Little Sarasota Bay. Pompano can appear on the beaches and flats when conditions suit. Bait schools of scaled sardines and threadfins typically hold along the channels. A strong cold front could make fish less predictable, so a calm, sunny afternoon after a front may become the best window.

Where to Find Them

Big Sarasota Pass and New Pass are dependable places to look for mackerel, bluefish and snook, with the rocks and seawalls offering shelter from current. On the flats, the grass beds near Longboat Key, Siesta Key and Roberts Bay hold trout and redfish. The Ringling Causeway and the Siesta Drive bridge pilings attract sheepshead and snapper. Offshore, anglers may fish nearshore reefs and ledges in the Gulf for mangrove snapper, grouper and kingfish, subject to season. Inside the bay, the mangrove shorelines of Palma Sola Bay and the skinny water around Whitaker Bayou are reliable options when winds stay light.

Tides & Conditions

With the new moon on Monday, November 9, tides around Sarasota should run stronger, with faster current through Big Pass, New Pass and the channels. Moving water typically triggers feeding along passes, and the last of the outgoing flow often positions fish on pass edges. On the flats, a rising tide pushes redfish and trout into the shallows, giving a good window to cast soft plastics. Daylight saving ended, which shifts sunrise earlier, and evening tides now end in darkness sooner. North wind can push water out of the bays, so low tides may be extreme, which narrows boat routes across the flats.

Tackle & Tactics

For flats fishing, a seven-foot medium spinning rod with ten pound braid and a fluorocarbon leader fits trout and redfish. Soft plastics on a quarter-ounce jig head, a topwater plug at dawn and live shrimp under a popping cork are consistent choices. Spanish mackerel require a light wire leader or a short fluorocarbon bite guard with small spoons or jigs. For sheepshead, use a small strong hook with fiddler crabs or shrimp on a light weight. Bring a cast net for sardines, polarized sunglasses for sight casting and a quality pair of pliers.

Local Intel This Week

Public access is good. Siesta Beach and Lido Beach give surf anglers a chance for pompano and whiting, and the Ringling Causeway Park area offers shoreline fishing near the bridge. The Venice Fishing Pier and the Venice Inlet jetty are a short drive south. Boaters can launch at Centennial Park near downtown and at Ken Thompson Park on City Island. Be mindful of manatee zones and slow-speed areas on the bay. Check current state and federal regulations and seasons before keeping fish. Local tackle shops on Siesta Key and in Sarasota typically know which bait is available. Mote Marine Laboratory and the Ringling Causeway are good landmarks for navigation, and the shallow flats near Siesta Key can run extremely thin on low tides, so a depth sounder and slow approach protect both prop and fish.

This Week’s Tip

Launch from Centennial Park about an hour before sunrise, run to a shallow grass flat near Bird Key, and cast a small topwater plug over the grass. When the surface action fades, switch to a soft plastic and work slowly along the deeper edges.