It’s a fishing day

Daytona Beach fishing conditions · Florida

Tomorrow, 12 am–9 amRed drum

The bite peaks at 75. Water is 76°, close to the 75° red drum like best, and a solunar period lands on the window. Wind builds to 25 mph out of the northeast by today at 7:00 am.

High Surf Advisory until Thursday 2 amCoastal Flood Warning until Thursday 2 amRip Current Statement until Thursday 2 amWind Advisory until Monday 8 pm
Log a trip here
Right now: 58 for red drum, marginalTap 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. 583 am
  2. 58
  3. 58
  4. 556 am
  5. 28
  6. 49
  7. 489 am
  8. 25
  9. 25
  10. 2812 pm
  11. 29
  12. 29
  13. 253 pm
  14. 25
  15. 25
  16. 256 pm
  17. 29
  18. 45
  19. 459 pm
  20. 45
  21. 68
  22. 71Tue
  23. 75
  24. 75
  25. 713 am
  26. 71
  27. 71
  28. 716 am
  29. 71
  30. 71
  31. 529 am
  32. 48
  33. 48
  34. 4812 pm
  35. 48
  36. 52
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now

Water
76°F

Red drum range 65–85°

Wind
20 mph

From the northeast · rough for small boats

Light
Dark

Sunrise 7:32 am

Sky
Slight Chance Rain Showers

19% chance of rain

Air
73°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

75Worth the tripTomorrow, 12 am–9 am

Water

76°
55°65–85° · ideal 75°95°

Why

Right in red drum's ideal range. Red drum prefers incoming tide. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. 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 Northeast Region and 2 in the Southeast Region. Harvest is prohibited in federal waters.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Florida

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

Tarpon

Tarpon

Megalops atlanticus

71Worth the tripTomorrow, 12 am–9 am

Water

76°
64°74–90° · ideal 80°100°

Why

Tarpon prefers incoming tide. Tarpon feeds aggressively under full moon. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. 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

Spotted Seatrout

Spotted seatrout

Cynoscion nebulosus

63MarginalTomorrow, 12 am–9 am

Water

76°
50°60–85° · ideal 72°95°

Why

Spotted seatrout prefers incoming tide. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Inside spotted seatrout's active range. Holds 3–15 ft down.

Keep

15" minimum · 19" maximum · 3 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Northeast Region: 15–19" slot; no fish over 19" may be kept. 3 per person a day, open year-round.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Florida

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

Bluefish

Bluefish

Pomatomus saltatrix

63MarginalTomorrow, 12 am–9 am

Water

76°
50°60–80° · ideal 70°90°

Why

Bluefish prefers incoming tide. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Inside bluefish's active range. Holds 5–50 ft down.

Keep

12" minimum · 3 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. 12" fork-length minimum, 3 per person a day in Atlantic state waters.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Florida

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

Common Snook

Common snook

Centropomus undecimalis

55MarginalTomorrow, 12 am–9 am

Water

76°
58°68–88° · ideal 78°98°

Why

Right in common snook's ideal range. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Common snook prefers outgoing tide. Holds 2–20 ft down.

Keep

28" minimum · 32" maximum · 1 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Atlantic: 28–32" slot, 1/day, snook permit required. Harvest open Feb 1–May 31 and Sep 1–Dec 14; catch-and-release the rest of the year.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Florida

Season here: Mar–Nov. More on common snook

Sheepshead

Sheepshead

Archosargus probatocephalus

43Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

76°
50°60–82° · ideal 72°92°

Why

Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Inside sheepshead's active range. Sheepshead prefers slack tide. 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. More on sheepshead

Southern Flounder

Southern flounder

Paralichthys lethostigma

–Not scoredOut of season

Out of seasonOut of season here today. Check the agency before fishing.

Water

76°
48°58–82° · ideal 70°92°

Why

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Inside southern flounder's active range. Dangerous wind — boats unsafe, casting impossible. Holds 1–20 ft down.

Keep

14" minimum · 5 a day

Out of season here today. Check the agency before fishing. Florida flounder: 14" minimum, 5 per person a day. Closed Oct 15–Nov 30.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Florida

Season here: Mar–Nov. Likes an outgoing tide. More on southern flounder

The water

  • Water temperature76°F
  • Barometer30.09 inHg, falling

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunrise today7:32 am
  • Sunset today6:43 pm
  • MoonFull, 100% lit
  • Minor solunarToday 7:30 am–8:30 am
  • Major solunarToday 12:20 pm–2:20 pm
  • Minor solunarTonight 6:20 pm–7:20 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

Hard-packed surf beach with the Main Street and Sunglow piers. FWC's Volusia County calendar has red drum in late spring, early summer and fall, black drum and seatrout from winter into early summer, flounder from winter into spring, tarpon in early spring and again from fall into early winter, and sheepshead year-round; bluefish reach this coast in winter. A few snook too: FWC manages Northeast Florida as its own snook region, where the fish are expanding but still scarce.

Nearby

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

New Smyrna Beach14 mi · FloridaBest now until 5 amGale WarningSmall Craft Advisory
71Worth the trip

Questions people ask

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

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

What fish are commonly targeted at Daytona Beach?

Daytona Beach is listed on this site for 7 commonly-targeted species: Red Drum, Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, Sheepshead, and 3 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 Daytona 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 Daytona 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 Daytona Beach have?

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

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Daytona Beach?

state agency regulations apply at Daytona 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 Daytona Beach tidal water?

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