Tampa Bay & Gulf Coast Fishing Intelligence

Window

Fort De Soto Park

Pinellas County

Wait for the best window around high tide thu 9:39 am

Conditions are close, but you will get paid more by timing than by grinding all day in the wrong water.

Best window around high tide Thu 9:39 AMFull read →

Conditions

Water—NOAA CO-OPS 8726607

Nearshore—No buoy

WindE 3 mphMostly Clear

TidelowNext high Thu 9:39 AM

Air76°FNWS hourly

Surf—NWS surf

Surf + swell intelligence

Live surf report

Real buoy data, NWS surf product, and a derived fishability call so you do not waste a drive on blown-out water.

Wave height—NDBC realtime

Period—Awaiting data

Swell direction—Direction pending

WindE 3 mphNWS hourly

NWS marine forecast

Today

Seas 3 to 4 feet, occasionally to 5 feet

Detail west 2 feet at 7 seconds and southeast 1 foot at 4 seconds

East winds 5 to 10 knots, diminishing to around 5 knots early this afternoon, then becoming west late. Seas 3 to 4 feet, occasionally to 5 feet. Wave detail: west 2 feet at 7 seconds and southeast 1 foot at 4 seconds. Bay and inland waters light chop. Isolated showers and thunderstorms late.

Tonight

Seas 2 to 4 feet, occasionally to 5 feet

Detail east 2 feet at 3 seconds and west 2 feet at 7 seconds

North winds around 10 knots, becoming east after midnight. Seas 2 to 4 feet, occasionally to 5 feet. Wave detail: east 2 feet at 3 seconds and west 2 feet at 7 seconds. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. Isolated showers and thunderstorms in the evening.

Friday

Seas 2 to 3 feet

Detail east 2 feet at 3 seconds and west 2 feet at 7 seconds

Northeast winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas 2 to 3 feet. Wave detail: east 2 feet at 3 seconds and west 2 feet at 7 seconds. Bay and inland waters light chop. Scattered showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon.

Marine intelligence

Solunar windows, barometric pressure, and red tide status.

7:20 PM–9:20 PMmoon overhead 8:20 PM
Major
1:10 AM–2:10 AMmoonset 1:40 AM
Minor
7:50 AM–9:50 AMmoon underfoot 8:50 AM
Major · in 3h 23m
3:30 PM–4:30 PMmoonrise 4:00 PM
Minor · in 11h 3m

Major windows ~2 hours; minor windows ~1 hour. Best when they overlap sunrise, sunset, or a tide change.

Barometric pressure→ steady

1016 hPa30.01 inHg+0.9 hPa over 6 h

Stable pressure. Fish what the tide and light tell you.

Red tide / HABnone

No K. brevis detectedFWC sample as of Jul 23

No bloom impact on the bite right now. Standard tactics apply.

Open FWC dashboard →

Intelligence Map

Markers pulse with the live score. Green means go, amber means window, red means hold.

Spot Board

Live scores for every Tampa Bay & Gulf Coast location. Tap any spot for the full read.

Pinellas County

Fort De Soto Park

This spot targets species that are in their active season right now. The current tide stage is not ideal for this setup.

Best window around high tide Thu 9:39 AMFull read →

St. Petersburg

Skyway Fishing Pier

This spot targets species that are in their active season right now. The current tide stage is not ideal for this setup.

Best window around high tide Thu 9:39 AMFull read →

Tampa / St. Pete

Gandy Bridge

This spot targets species that are in their active season right now. The current tide stage is not ideal for this setup.

Best window around high tide Thu 9:39 AMFull read →

Pass-a-Grille / Tierra Verde

Pass-a-Grille Channel

This spot targets species that are in their active season right now. The current tide stage is not ideal for this setup.

Best window around high tide Thu 9:39 AMFull read →

Species Outlook

What is worth targeting in Tampa Bay & Gulf Coast right now, scored against live conditions.

Best: Fort De Soto Park

Snook

This spot targets species that are in their active season right now. The current tide stage is not ideal for this setup.

Rig: 3/0-4/0 live-bait hook or paddletail on a 1/4-1/2 oz headBait: Live mullet, pilchards, or low-light soft plastics

Harvest closed right now; treat snook as a low-light catch-and-release target until the next east coast opening.

Best: Fort De Soto Park

Redfish

This spot targets species that are in their active season right now. The current tide stage is not ideal for this setup.

Rig: 1/8-1/4 oz jighead, weedless paddletail, or a light live-shrimp rigBait: Live shrimp, mullet chunks, or soft plastics in the seam

Indian River Lagoon redfish are catch-and-release only, so this is a confidence signal more than a cooler plan.

Best: Fort De Soto Park

Tarpon

This spot targets species that are in their active season right now. The current tide stage is not ideal for this setup.

Rig: Heavy spinning with 60-80 lb fluorocarbon leader, 5/0-7/0 circle hookBait: Live mullet, crabs, or threadfin herring; fly anglers use tarpon toads and black death patterns

Tarpon over 75" require a $50 harvest tag (one per person per year). Most are catch-and-release only.

Best: Fort De Soto Park

Mangrove Snapper

This spot targets species that are in their active season right now. The current tide stage is not ideal for this setup.

Rig: Light fluorocarbon leader, small circle or live-bait hook, minimal weightBait: Live shrimp, pilchards, or small pieces of cut bait. Chum helps.

FWC: 10" total length minimum, 5 per harvester. Open year-round in state waters.

Best: Skyway Fishing Pier

Spanish Mackerel

This spot targets species that are in their active season right now. The current tide stage is not ideal for this setup.

Rig: Long-shank hook or wire leader with a fast-retrieve setupBait: Gotcha plugs, Clark spoons, or live pilchards and greenbacks under a float

FWC: 12" fork minimum, 15 per harvester. Open year-round.

Best: Gandy Bridge

Jack Crevalle

This spot targets species that are in their active season right now. The current tide stage is not ideal for this setup.

Rig: Medium-heavy spinning with topwater plugs or fast-retrieve spoonsBait: Topwater poppers, spoons, or live mullet when jacks are blitzing bait

No minimum size, no bag limit in Florida recreational waters.

Best: Fort De Soto Park

Sheepshead

This spot targets species that are in their active season right now. The current tide stage is not ideal for this setup.

Rig: Short dropper or jig fished tight to structureBait: Shrimp, fiddler crabs, or barnacles

FWC rule set: 12" minimum, 8 per person, open year-round; vessel limit 50 during March and April.

Best: Fort De Soto Park

Spotted Seatrout

This spot targets species that are in their active season right now. The current tide stage is not ideal for this setup.

Rig: 1/8 oz jighead with a soft plastic paddletail or jerk shadBait: Live shrimp under popping cork, or soft plastics in natural colors

FWC: 15"-20" slot limit, 3 per harvester (northeast/south regions). Check your zone.

Bait Shops

Real hours, real phone numbers for Tampa Bay & Gulf Coast. Call ahead for live bait.

Skyway Pier Bait Shop (North)

Open 24/7 · 365 days a year

4905 34th St S, St. Petersburg, FL 33711

(727) 865-0668

Live shrimpFrozen baitRental rodsTackle

Open in Maps →

Skyway Pier Bait Shop (South)

Open 24/7 · 365 days a year

I-275 South Pier, Palmetto, FL 34221

(941) 729-0117

Live shrimpFrozen baitRental rodsTackle

Open in Maps →

Skyway Bait & Tackle

Daily 6 AM – 9 PM

4825 US-19 Alt, Palmetto, FL 34221

(941) 729-7592

Live baitFrozen baitKayak launchTackle

Open in Maps →

Rules & Sources

Trip-planning surface, not a legal substitute. Every rule links back to its source.

Port CanaveralJetty Park access rule

Port Canaveral rules say beach or shore fishing is prohibited in Jetty Park, but a license is not required from the pier.

Source →

FWCSnook window

FWC says east coast snook harvest is open Feb. 1-May 31 and Sept. 1-Dec. 14, with a permit required if you are taking snook.

Source →

FWCIndian River Lagoon redfish

FWC currently lists the Indian River Lagoon redfish region as catch-and-release only.

Source →

FWCPompano baseline

FWC recreational regulations list Florida pompano at 11" fork minimum, 6 per harvester, open year-round.

Source →

FWCShore-based shark permit

FWC requires the free shore-based shark fishing permit and course for shark targeting from shore, jetties, bridges, and piers.

Source →

Bite Atlas

Fort De Soto Park

Conditions

Live surf report

Today

Tonight

Friday

Marine intelligence

Prime bite hours today

Intelligence Map

Spot Board

Fort De Soto Park

Skyway Fishing Pier

Gandy Bridge

Pass-a-Grille Channel

Species Outlook

Snook

Redfish

Tarpon

Mangrove Snapper

Spanish Mackerel

Jack Crevalle

Sheepshead

Spotted Seatrout

Bait Shops

Skyway Pier Bait Shop (North)

Skyway Pier Bait Shop (South)

Skyway Bait & Tackle

Rules & Sources

Live Feed Stack