| January |
Snook, Sheepshead, Seatrout |
Backcountry creek fishing, warm water structure |
Snook in the 10,000 Islands creek systems; sheepshead on structure |
| February |
Sheepshead, Snook, Seatrout |
Crab on structure, backcountry jigs |
Best sheepshead month; seatrout in deeper bay grass |
| March |
Cobia, Permit (Gulf flats), Snook |
Sight-casting cobia, crabs on Gulf flats |
Cobia following rays; permit on the Gulf flats west of Marco |
| April |
Permit, Cobia, Snook |
Crab flies on Gulf flats, live bait |
Excellent permit on the shallow Gulf flats; cobia at nearshore structure |
| May |
Tarpon, Snook, Redfish |
Live crabs and mullet in 10,000 Islands creeks |
Tarpon moving through the backcountry; excellent snook and redfish |
| June |
Tarpon, Snook |
Live bait in 10,000 Islands passes |
Tarpon in the backcountry creeks and on the Gulf beaches at night |
| July |
Tarpon, Snook, Redfish |
Live bait, topwater at dawn |
Excellent dawn topwater snook along mangrove shorelines |
| August |
Snook, Redfish, Seatrout |
Topwater, DOA jigs, live shrimp |
All-around excellent backcountry fishing; afternoon storms build |
| September |
Snook, Redfish, Flounder |
Topwater, soft plastics, jig-and-grub |
Snook season reopens; redfish schooling; flounder building |
| October |
Redfish, Snook, Seatrout |
Gold spoons, popping corks, soft plastics |
Best fall inshore month in the 10,000 Islands |
| November |
Seatrout, Redfish, Grouper (nearshore) |
Soft plastics, live shrimp, bottom fishing |
Good trout and reds; gag grouper nearshore as water cools |
| December |
Sheepshead, Snook, Seatrout |
Crab on structure, backcountry jigs |
Sheepshead season; snook in the backcountry creek systems |