Tampa Fishing Report & Forecast

When to fish Tampa

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.

Common Snook: January fair, February fair, March fair, April excellent, May peak, June excellent, July good, August fair, 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 excellent, September peak, October excellent, November fair, December fair. Spotted Seatrout: January good, February fair, March excellent, April excellent, May good, June fair, July poor, August poor, September fair, October good, November excellent, December good. Gag Grouper: January good, February fair, March fair, April good, May fair, June poor, July poor, August poor, September good, October excellent, November peak, December excellent. Sheepshead: January peak, February peak, March excellent, April fair, May poor, June poor, July poor, August poor, September poor, October fair, November good, December excellent. Spanish Mackerel: January none, February none, March good, April peak, May peak, June good, July good, August good, September peak, October peak, November good, December none. Red Snapper: January fair, February fair, March fair, April good, May excellent, June excellent, July good, August good, September good, October fair, November fair, December fair. Red Grouper: January good, February fair, March fair, April good, May fair, June poor, July poor, August poor, September fair, October excellent, November peak, December excellent. King Mackerel: January none, February none, March fair, April peak, May peak, June fair, July poor, August good, September peak, October peak, November fair, December none. Cobia: January none, February none, March excellent, April peak, May excellent, June good, July fair, August good, September excellent, October peak, November fair, December none. Gray Snapper: January poor, February poor, March fair, April good, May excellent, June peak, July excellent, August excellent, September good, October fair, November fair, December poor. Greater Amberjack: January fair, February good, March excellent, April peak, May good, June fair, July poor, August poor, September fair, October good, November good, December fair.

• Common Snook. Snook are resident year-round in Tampa Bay, so the curve never drops to zero. Winter values are slightly lower because cold fronts push fish into rivers, canals, and power-plant outflows and away from open bay waters. Abundance builds through spring as the water warms and peaks from May into early June, when fish stage on passes and beaches for summer spawning, then eases gradually through summer, with a small bump in September–October during the fall mullet run before settling to winter levels.
• Red Drum. Red drum are year-round residents of Tampa Bay, so the curve stays broad, near baseline. Abundance peaks from late August through October, when large breeding 'bull' reds school at the passes and mouth of the bay to spawn, joining the resident slot fish. Numbers dip slightly in winter as fish concentrate in rivers and backcountry creeks. A mild spring rise follows, with the warming flats and bait influx.
• Spotted Seatrout. Spotted seatrout are year-round residents of Tampa Bay, so the curve never drops to zero. Abundance peaks in spring (late March–April), when fish stage on shallow grass flats ahead of spawning, and again in fall (October–November), when cooling water and abundant bait concentrate them on flats and in creeks. Summer heat pushes fish to deeper grass edges and dispersed spawning aggregations, producing a modest midsummer dip, while winter fish pack into rivers, canals, and residential basins at near-baseline levels.
• Gag Grouper. Gag are resident year-round off Tampa Bay, but nearshore abundance peaks from late October through December, when cooling water pushes fish inshore onto shallower ledges and hard bottom in roughly 20–60 ft. Numbers thin from February to March as adults move offshore to spawn, then rebound slightly in April as fish return shallow. Abundance is lowest in summer, when warm water drives gag to deeper offshore structure and red tide events can depress local presence.
• Sheepshead. Sheepshead are year-round residents in Tampa Bay, but abundance on inshore structure peaks from late January through early March, when adults aggregate around bridges, jetties, and nearshore reefs to spawn in cool water. Numbers taper through spring as fish disperse to deeper and offshore structure. The curve stays flat at a modest baseline through summer and builds again as water cools in late fall.
• Spanish Mackerel. Spanish mackerel flood Tampa Bay in March–April as water passes ~68–70°F and the bait schools arrive, peaking in late March and April. Good numbers hold through a slightly softer summer, when some fish slide to cooler nearshore Gulf water. A second strong peak comes in October as fish stage and feed on bait before migrating south. Most fish leave once water drops below ~65°F in December–February, though a few linger around deep channels and power-plant outflows, so winter weights stay low but not zero.
• Red Snapper. Red snapper are year-round residents of the deeper offshore reefs and ledges west of Tampa (mostly 80–200+ ft), so the curve stays broad and never reaches zero. Abundance rises in late spring and early summer as fish aggregate on structure and some move slightly shallower during the May–August spawning season. A modest fall bump follows as water cools, and the winter dip reflects fish dispersing to deeper water rather than leaving the area.
• Red Grouper. Red grouper are resident year-round on Tampa's offshore hard bottom. Abundance is highest from late fall through early winter, when cooling water pushes fish shallower onto the 60–120 ft ledges within reach of Tampa, with a smaller bump in April. Numbers dip in mid-summer as fish hold deeper and red tide or low-oxygen events can thin the shallower grounds.
• King Mackerel. King mackerel off Tampa Bay are strongly bimodal. The spring run peaks from late March through April as Gulf waters warm past about 70°F and kings follow the bait migrating north. The fall run peaks from late September through October as fish push back south ahead of cooling water. Summer holds a reduced resident presence offshore, and winter numbers drop to a trace once the fish move to South Florida and the Keys.
• Cobia. Cobia peak in Tampa Bay waters during the spring northward migration (mid-March to April) as water hits the high 60s to low 70s and fish follow rays and bait along the beaches. They stay through summer around structure, buoys and nearshore reefs. A smaller fall peak in October marks the southbound run, and a resident winter population persists at lower numbers on deep wrecks and around warm-water power plant outflows.
• Gray Snapper. Gray (mangrove) snapper are year-round residents in Tampa Bay, so the curve never drops to zero. Abundance builds through spring as water warms and peaks from late May through July, when adults stack on bay structure, bridges and nearshore reefs for the summer spawn and juveniles recruit to grass flats and mangroves. Numbers taper through fall, and the lowest bay presence is in mid-winter, when cold fronts push fish to deeper channels and offshore reefs.
• Greater Amberjack. Greater amberjack are resident year-round on Tampa-area offshore wrecks, ledges and artificial reefs, so the curve never drops to zero. Abundance peaks in March–April, when fish aggregate on deeper structure to spawn. A secondary fall bump in October–November comes as cooling water concentrates fish on nearer reefs, while the mid-summer dip reflects fish dispersing deeper as Gulf shelf waters reach peak heat.

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