It’s a fishing day

Pensacola Beach fishing conditions · Florida

Today 10 am to tomorrow 2 pmSpotted seatrout

The bite peaks at 80. Water is 69°, close to the 72° spotted seatrout like best, and a solunar period lands on the window. Wind builds to 20 mph out of the northeast by today at 2:00 am.

Log a trip here
Right now: 67 for spotted seatrout, marginalTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Spotted seatrout, 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. 672 am
  2. 67
  3. 67
  4. 675 am
  5. 57
  6. 57
  7. 578 am
  8. 57
  9. 80
  10. 8011 am
  11. 80
  12. 80
  13. 802 pm
  14. 80
  15. 80
  16. 805 pm
  17. 80
  18. 80
  19. 808 pm
  20. 80
  21. 80
  22. 8011 pm
  23. 80Tue
  24. 80
  25. 802 am
  26. 80
  27. 80
  28. 805 am
  29. 80
  30. 80
  31. 808 am
  32. 80
  33. 80
  34. 8011 am
  35. 80
  36. 80
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now

Water
69°F

Spotted seatrout range 60–85°

Wind
20 mph

From the northeast · rough for small boats

Light
Dark

Sunrise 6:58 am

Sky
Mostly Clear

No rain expected

Air
66°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.

Spotted Seatrout

Spotted seatrout

Cynoscion nebulosus

80Worth the tripToday 10 am to tomorrow 2 pm

Water

69°
50°60–85° · ideal 72°95°

Why

Right in spotted seatrout's ideal range. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Spotted seatrout prefers incoming tide. 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: Mar–Nov, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on spotted seatrout

Sheepshead

Sheepshead

Archosargus probatocephalus

80Worth the tripToday 10 am to tomorrow 2 pm

Water

69°
50°60–82° · ideal 72°92°

Why

Right in sheepshead's ideal range. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. 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: Feb–Dec, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on sheepshead

Bluefish

Bluefish

Pomatomus saltatrix

80Worth the tripToday 10 am to tomorrow 2 pm

Water

69°
50°60–80° · ideal 70°90°

Why

Right in bluefish's ideal range. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Bluefish prefers incoming tide. 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: Feb–Dec, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on bluefish

Red Drum

Red drum

Sciaenops ocellatus

68MarginalToday 10 am to tomorrow 2 pm

Water

69°
55°65–85° · ideal 75°95°

Why

Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Inside red drum's active range. Red drum prefers incoming tide. 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: Mar–Nov, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on red drum

Tarpon

Tarpon

Megalops atlanticus

39Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

69°
64°74–90° · ideal 80°100°

Why

Tarpon feeds aggressively under full moon. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Below tarpon's active range (74–90°F). 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. Likes an incoming tide. More on tarpon

Southern Flounder

Southern flounder

Paralichthys lethostigma

–Not scoredOut of season

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

Water

69°
48°58–82° · ideal 70°92°

Why

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.

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. More on southern flounder

The water

  • Water temperature69°F
  • Barometer30.07 inHg, falling

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunrise today6:58 am
  • Sunset today6:06 pm
  • MoonFull, 100% lit
  • Minor solunarToday 7:00 am–8:00 am
  • Major solunarToday 11:50 am–1:50 pm
  • Minor solunarToday 5:50 pm–6:50 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

Santa Rosa Island surf beside the Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier. Red drum and speckled trout in the surf, bluefish, sheepshead around the pier, tarpon passing in summer, and southern flounder (Florida closes flounder Oct 15–Nov 30).

Nearby

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

Navarre Beach17 mi · FloridaBest now until 6 am
90Go
Orange Beach26 mi · AlabamaBest now until 6 am
98Go
Gulf Shores Public Beach34 mi · AlabamaBest now until 6 amRip Current Statement
73Worth the trip

Questions people ask

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

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

What fish are commonly targeted at Pensacola Beach?

Pensacola Beach is listed on this site for 6 commonly-targeted species: Red Drum, Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, Sheepshead, 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 Pensacola 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 Pensacola 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 Pensacola Beach have?

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

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Pensacola Beach?

state agency regulations apply at Pensacola 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 Pensacola Beach tidal water?

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