It’s a fishing day

Clearwater Beach fishing conditions · Florida

Now until 7 amRed drum

The bite peaks at 81. Water is 73°, close to the 75° red drum like best. Wind builds to 18 mph out of the northeast by today at 4:00 pm.

Small Craft Advisory until Wednesday 8 pm
Log a trip here
Right now: 81 for red drum, worth the trip · inside the best windowTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Red drum, hour by hour

Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.

  1. 813 am
  2. 81
  3. 81
  4. 816 am
  5. 71
  6. 75
  7. 719 am
  8. 63
  9. 63
  10. 6312 pm
  11. 67
  12. 67
  13. 633 pm
  14. 48
  15. 48
  16. 486 pm
  17. 67
  18. 63
  19. 719 pm
  20. 71
  21. 71
  22. 71Tue
  23. 75
  24. 75
  25. 753 am
  26. 71
  27. 71
  28. 716 am
  29. 71
  30. 71
  31. 759 am
  32. 71
  33. 71
  34. 7112 pm
  35. 63
  36. 75
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now · best window

Water
73°F

Red drum range 65–85°

Wind
14 mph

From the north-northeast

Light
Dark

Sunrise 7:38 am

Sky
Mostly Clear

1% chance of rain

Air
68°F

NWS hourly forecast

Barometer
Falling

Measured, last 3 hours

Moon
100% lit

Full

What’s biting

Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are Florida regulations for these waters.

Red Drum

Red drum

Sciaenops ocellatus

81Worth the tripNow until 7 am

Water

73°
55°65–85° · ideal 75°95°

Why

Right in red drum's ideal range. Red drum prefers incoming tide. Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Holds 3–20 ft down.

Keep

18" minimum · 27" maximum · 1 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. 18–27" slot, 1 per person a day; vessel limit 4 in the Panhandle and Big Bend regions and 2 from Tampa Bay south. Harvest is prohibited in federal waters.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Florida

Season here: Year-round, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on red drum

Spotted Seatrout

Spotted seatrout

Cynoscion nebulosus

81Worth the tripNow until 7 am

Water

73°
50°60–85° · ideal 72°95°

Why

Right in spotted seatrout's ideal range. Spotted seatrout prefers incoming tide. Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Holds 3–15 ft down.

Keep

15" minimum · 19" maximum · 3 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Tampa Bay south through Everglades National Park: 15–19" slot; one fish over 19" per vessel, or per person from shore, counts in the bag. 3 per person a day, open year-round.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Florida

Season here: Year-round, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on spotted seatrout

Bluefish

Bluefish

Pomatomus saltatrix

81Worth the tripNow until 7 am

Water

73°
50°60–80° · ideal 70°90°

Why

Right in bluefish's ideal range. Bluefish prefers incoming tide. Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Holds 5–50 ft down.

Keep

12" minimum · 10 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. 12" fork-length minimum, 10 per person a day in Gulf waters, including Monroe County.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Florida

Season here: Year-round, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on bluefish

Sheepshead

Sheepshead

Archosargus probatocephalus

65MarginalNow until 7 am

Water

73°
50°60–82° · ideal 72°92°

Why

Right in sheepshead's ideal range. Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 5–40 ft down.

Keep

12" minimum · 8 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. 12" minimum, 8 per person a day; vessel limit 50 per trip in March and April.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Florida

Season here: Year-round, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. Likes slack water. More on sheepshead

Common Snook

Common snook

Centropomus undecimalis

53Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

73°
58°68–88° · ideal 78°98°

Why

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Inside common snook's active range. Holds 2–20 ft down.

Keep

28" minimum · 33" maximum · 1 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Panhandle to Sarasota Bay: 28–33" slot, 1/day, snook permit required. Harvest open Mar 1–Apr 30 and Sep 1–Nov 30; catch-and-release the rest of the year.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Florida

Season here: Mar–Nov. Likes an outgoing tide. More on common snook

Tarpon

Tarpon

Megalops atlanticus

36Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

73°
64°74–90° · ideal 80°100°

Why

Tarpon prefers incoming tide. Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Tarpon feeds aggressively under full moon. Holds 3–30 ft down.

Keep

no harvest

Catch and release only today. Catch-and-release only. Tarpon over 40" must stay in the water unless you hold a tarpon tag (one per person a year), bought before fishing, in pursuit of a Florida state or world record.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Florida

Season here: Apr–Sep. More on tarpon

The water

  • Water temperature73°F
  • Barometer30.11 inHg, falling

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunrise today7:38 am
  • Sunset today6:52 pm
  • MoonFull, 100% lit
  • Minor solunarToday 7:40 am–8:40 am
  • Major solunarToday 12:30 pm–2:30 pm
  • Minor solunarTonight 6:30 pm–7:30 pm

Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works

Fishing report

No current report covers these waters.

We only show reports an agency has published, with their date. Florida FWC has the state’s fishing pages.

Licenses and rules: state fishery agencies · fish-consumption advisory

About this spot

Gulf beach on Clearwater's barrier island, with Pier 60 and the passes at either end. Snook along the beach trough in summer, tarpon passing offshore, red drum, speckled trout and sheepshead around the passes, bluefish, and flounder (closed Oct 15–Nov 30), which on this coast are Gulf flounder rather than southern flounder.

Nearby

Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Clearwater Beach?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Clearwater Beach you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website

What fish are commonly targeted at Clearwater Beach?

Clearwater Beach is listed on this site for 6 commonly-targeted species: Common Snook, Tarpon, Red Drum, Spotted Seatrout, and 2 more. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.

When is the best time to fish at Clearwater Beach?

It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Clearwater Beach against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.

What kind of access does Clearwater Beach have?

Clearwater Beach has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Clearwater Beach?

state agency regulations apply at Clearwater Beach. Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.

Is Clearwater Beach tidal water?

Yes. Clearwater Beach sits on tidal water with a NOAA tide station nearby. Today's high/low timing is in the tide chart on this page.