Now until 6 amSouthern flounder
The bite peaks at 73. Water is 69°, close to the 70° southern flounder like best.
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.
Right now · best window
Southern flounder range 58–82°
From the northeast
Sunrise 7:00 am
No rain expected
NWS hourly forecast
Measured, last 3 hours
Full
Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are Alabama regulations for these waters.
Right in southern flounder's ideal range. Southern flounder prefers outgoing tide. Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Holds 1–20 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. 14" minimum, 5/person/day. Closed Nov 1–30.
Verified Oct 21, 2026 · Alabama
Season here: Mar–Nov. More on southern flounder
Right in spotted seatrout's ideal range. Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 3–15 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. 15–22" slot, 6/person/day (one over 22" allowed).
Verified Oct 21, 2026 · Alabama
Season here: Mar–Nov, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. Likes an incoming tide. More on spotted seatrout
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.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. 12" minimum, 8/person/day.
Verified Oct 21, 2026 · Alabama
Season here: Year-round, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. Likes slack water. More on sheepshead
Right in black drum's ideal range. Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 2–40 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Alabama: no size or bag limit on black drum; it is not on the state saltwater creel and size list.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Alabama
Season here: Sep–May. Likes an incoming tide. More on black drum
Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Inside red drum's active range. Holds 3–20 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. 16–26" slot, 3/person/day.
Verified Oct 21, 2026 · Alabama
Season here: Mar–Nov, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. Likes an incoming tide. More on red drum
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
We only show reports an agency has published, with their date. Outdoor Alabama (ADCNR) has the state’s fishing pages.
Licenses and rules: state fishery agencies · fish-consumption advisories
The main public beach at Gulf Shores, near the Gulf State Park pier. Red drum, speckled trout, sheepshead and black drum, and southern flounder (Alabama closes flounder in November).
Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.
Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Gulf Shores Public Beach you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website
Gulf Shores Public Beach is listed on this site for 5 commonly-targeted species: Red Drum, Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, Sheepshead, and 1 more. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.
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 Gulf Shores Public 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.
Gulf Shores Public Beach has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp.
state agency regulations apply at Gulf Shores Public 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.
Yes. Gulf Shores Public Beach sits on tidal water with a NOAA tide station nearby. Today's high/low timing is in the tide chart on this page.
Press / anywhere to search. Towns list the closest spots.
