Stuart fishing report for the week of October 8, 2026. The mullet run is still the headline on my home water, and with the new moon arriving this weekend the tides will be moving hard through the inlet and the Crossroads. Mornings have a touch of fall in them, the bait is stacked up, and the fish know it.
What’s Hitting
Snook are the main event around the inlet, the bridges and the dock lights, eating mullet and pilchards. Tarpon are still showing along the beach and in the inlet on moving water, though fewer than a month ago. Redfish are schooling in the St. Lucie forks and along the Indian River Lagoon edges, jacks and bluefish are crashing bait on the beachfront, and the first Spanish mackerel are mixed in along the surf line.
Where to Find Them
Fish the inlet on the outgoing tide, where snook sit along the rock edges and the seawall waiting for mullet to be flushed out. At night, dock lights along the lagoon hold snook and the occasional tarpon. For redfish, work the oyster edges and mangrove points in the South Fork and Bessey’s Creek on a rising tide, and look for the schools pushing wakes on the flats.
Tides & Conditions
The new moon this weekend means bigger swings between high and low water. Expect strong current at the inlet on the outgoing tide, so plan your drifts and anchor spots with the flow. Early mornings are the best window for the beachfront bite, and afternoon east wind can chop up the inlet mouth, so check marine forecasts before you run out.
Tackle & Tactics
Live mullet and pilchards on a 20-pound fluorocarbon leader with a circle hook are the standard for snook and tarpon. For artificials, paddle tails and suspending twitchbaits in mullet patterns work well, and a gold spoon is hard to beat on reds. On the beach, small casting spoons and jigs sort out the jacks and macks. Match your leader to the water clarity and step up in size when the tide runs strong.
Local Intel This Week
Public access includes Sandsprit Park in Stuart, the Port Salerno ramps on the Manatee Pocket, and Jensen Beach Causeway Park, with the Stuart Beach and Hutchinson Island accesses for surf casters. Fish are concentrating around the inlet, the Roosevelt Bridge pilings and the lagoon mullet schools. Check current FWC regulations and seasons before keeping any fish, and release snook and tarpon carefully, with minimal handling.
This Week’s Tip
Watch the birds and the nervous water. When mullet start spraying, the predators are right underneath, so cast beyond the commotion and bring the lure through the edge of the school instead of dropping it in the middle.
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