Months come from each species' own season curve around Sarasota. A strong month is strong for that fish, not a ranking against the others. Time of day, when it is shown, is today's forecast and moves with the tide.
Each row is shaded against that species' own best month here, so a dark cell means a good month for that fish rather than a comparison between them.
| Species | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Snook | ||||||||||||
| Red Drum | ||||||||||||
| Spotted Seatrout | ||||||||||||
| Sheepshead | ||||||||||||
| Spanish Mackerel | ||||||||||||
| Gray Snapper | ||||||||||||
| Gag Grouper |
Common Snook: January fair, February fair, March fair, April good, May excellent, June peak, July excellent, August good, September fair, October fair, November fair, December fair. Red Drum: January fair, February fair, March fair, April fair, May fair, June fair, July fair, August good, September peak, October peak, November good, December fair. Spotted Seatrout: January good, February good, March excellent, April excellent, May fair, June poor, July poor, August poor, September fair, October excellent, November excellent, December good. Sheepshead: January peak, February peak, March excellent, April fair, May poor, June poor, July poor, August poor, September poor, October fair, November good, December peak. Spanish Mackerel: January none, February none, March good, April peak, May excellent, June good, July fair, August fair, September excellent, October peak, November good, December none. Gray Snapper: January poor, February poor, March fair, April fair, May good, June excellent, July peak, August excellent, September good, October fair, November fair, December poor. Gag Grouper: January good, February fair, March fair, April good, May fair, June poor, July poor, August fair, September fair, October excellent, November peak, December excellent.
These are today's forecast windows, taken at the spot leading each species. They are not a standing schedule.
Peaks in June.
Snook are resident year-round in Sarasota, so the curve stays near baseline in every week. It peaks from late May through July, when spawning aggregations gather at passes and beaches (Big Pass, New Pass, Longboat), which boosts abundance in coastal waters. It dips slightly in winter, when cold fronts push fish up into rivers, canals and residential basins, where they remain present but more dispersed.
Peaks in September and October.
Red drum are year-round residents of Sarasota Bay, Little Sarasota Bay, and the passes, so the curve never drops to zero. Abundance peaks from late August through October, when large schools of adult bull reds stage near the passes and nearshore for the fall spawn and mullet runs fill the flats. Winter is a modest low as fish disperse to deeper holes, creeks, and residential canals, with a mild spring bump as the flats warm.
Excellent in March, April, October and November.
Spotted seatrout are year-round residents of Sarasota Bay, Little Sarasota Bay, and the Myakka/Manatee-area grass flats, so the curve never drops near zero. Abundance on the bay flats peaks in spring (late March–April) and again in fall (October–November) as fish feed heavily in moderate water temperatures and bait concentrates. In winter they hold in residential canals, deeper holes, and creeks rather than leaving, so counts stay near baseline. Midsummer heat and spawning dispersal push fish to deeper grass edges and channels, which drops their presence on the flats.
Peaks in January, February and December.
Sheepshead are resident year-round in Sarasota Bay, but abundance on bay structure, bridges, and nearshore reefs peaks from January through early March. Cooler water concentrates the fish, and adults aggregate to spawn near passes and nearshore reefs, with the peak in February. Numbers taper through spring and stay at a steady moderate level through the warm months as fish disperse to deeper or offshore structure, then build again from October as water temperatures fall.
Peaks in April and October.
Spanish mackerel in Sarasota peak during the spring northbound migration (mid-March through April) as Gulf water warms past about 70°F and scaled sardine and threadfin schools move into the passes. A second peak comes with the fall southbound run (late September through October). Summer holds a resident population, while winter numbers drop sharply as most fish shift south toward the Keys, though some linger near the passes and deeper structure on warm spells.
Peaks in July.
Gray snapper are year-round residents in Sarasota Bay, the passes, and nearshore reefs, so the curve never drops to zero. Abundance in inshore and nearshore waters builds through spring as water warms and peaks in mid-summer (late July to early August), when the June–August offshore spawning aggregations and high inshore densities overlap. It tapers through fall, and winter cold fronts push fish to deeper or offshore structure, producing the January–February low.
Peaks in November.
Gag are resident year-round off Sarasota. Abundance in fishable nearshore water peaks from late October through December, when cooling Gulf temperatures push them shallow onto inshore ledges and hard bottom to feed heavily on baitfish. Numbers dip in February–March as adults move offshore to spawning aggregations, rebound briefly in April as they return, then stay lowest through summer when gag hold on deeper, cooler offshore structure.
It depends on the species. Common Snook peaks in June. Red Drum peaks in September and October. Spotted Seatrout is excellent in March, April, October and November. Sheepshead peaks in January, February and December. Spanish Mackerel peaks in April and October. Gray Snapper peaks in July.
On October 31, 2026, the forecast windows are Common Snook 1 PM to 4 PM, Red Drum 1 PM to 4 PM, Spotted Seatrout 1 PM to 4 PM, Sheepshead 1 PM to 4 PM, Spanish Mackerel 1 PM to 4 PM and Gray Snapper 1 PM to 4 PM. These are today's model windows, not a standing schedule.