St. George Island fishing conditions · Florida

Today 2 pm to tomorrow 3 pmSpotted seatrout

The bite peaks at 55. Water is 70°, close to the 72° spotted seatrout like best, and a solunar period lands on the window. Wind builds to 25 mph out of the northeast by today at 3:00 am.

Small Craft Advisory until Monday 4 pm

Log a trip here

Right now: 22 for spotted seatrout, sit it outTap 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.

223 am
42
42
426 am
32
32
329 am
32
32
3212 pm
32
55
553 pm
55
55
556 pm
55
55
559 pm
55
55
55Tue
55
55
553 am
55
55
556 am
55
55
559 am
55
55
5512 pm
55
55

Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Water: 70°F
Wind: 25 mph
Light: Dark
Sky: Mostly Clear
Air: 69°F
Barometer: Falling
Moon: 100% lit

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

Cynoscion nebulosus

55MarginalToday 2 pm to tomorrow 3 pm

Water

70°

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

Archosargus probatocephalus

55MarginalToday 2 pm to tomorrow 3 pm

Water

70°

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

Pomatomus saltatrix

55MarginalToday 2 pm to tomorrow 3 pm

Water

70°

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–Nov, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on bluefish

Red drum

Sciaenops ocellatus

43Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

70°

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

Megalops atlanticus

14Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

70°

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

Paralichthys lethostigma

–Not scoredOut of season

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

Water

70°

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 temperature70°F
Barometer30.19 inHg, falling

Sun, moon & solunar

Sunrise today7:47 am
Sunset today6:57 pm
MoonFull, 100% lit
Minor solunarToday 7:50 am–8:50 am
Major solunarToday 12:40 pm–2:40 pm
Minor solunarTonight 6:40 pm–7:40 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

A barrier island off Apalachicola Bay, with Gulf surf on one side and the bay's grass flats on the other. Red drum and speckled trout, bluefish, sheepshead, tarpon passing in summer, and southern flounder (Florida closes flounder Oct 15–Nov 30).

WaterEmerald Coast
AccessShoreline
RulesFlorida
WhereFranklin County · 29.7212, -84.7479

Nearby

The closest public spots we cover, with the same 36 hours of floats.

Mexico Beach43 mi · FloridaBest now until 6 am

90Go

Lake Seminole71 mi · GeorgiaBest now until 7 am

78Worth the trip

Panama City Beach74 mi · FloridaBest now until 6 amSmall Craft Advisory

85Go

Destin Beach112 mi · FloridaBest now until 6 amRip Current Statement

55Marginal

Navarre Beach134 mi · FloridaBest now until 6 am

90Go

Pensacola Beach149 mi · FloridaBest today 10 am to tomorrow 2 pm

80Worth the trip

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at St. George Island?

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

What fish are commonly targeted at St. George Island?

St. George Island 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 St. George Island?

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 St. George Island 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 St. George Island have?

St. George Island has shoreline / wading access. There is no pier or boat ramp at this location.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at St. George Island?

state agency regulations apply at St. George Island. 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 St. George Island tidal water?

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