Tampa Bay · United States

Tampa Bay Gulf fishing forecast

82 Fair of 100

Tampa Bay Gulf is a saltwater fishing spot in Tampa Bay, United States. Anglers here target Red Drum, Common Snook, Tarpon, Spotted Sea Trout. The most productive months are typically April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.

Quick answer

Best monthsApril, May, June, July

Top speciesRed Drum, Common Snook, Tarpon

Score now82/100

Local rulesFlorida

Today’s verdict

Ranks #112 of 437 spots FishRadar scored worldwide today

Trending up — 3 points above this spot’s 7-day average

Score confidence ±4 points, from 8 live signals

The statistical model disagrees with the physics model here today — treat this score with extra caution.

Helping the score most

Water temperature+24.6Waves+9.0Wind+8.0

Working against it

Marine heatwave-2.0

Pressure trend

Pressure data unavailable

Best window today

20:00 · Light wind (0 km/h) and calm seas

Next solunar peak

minor 08:46

Current conditions

Sea surface temp	31.0 °C
Wind	5 km/h from E, gusting 12 km/h
Wave height	0.1 m at 2 s
Current	0.00 m/s toward SSW
Pressure	1016 hPa
Depth	4 m
Cloud cover	100%
Chlorophyll	9.58 mg/m³
Salinity	35.6 PSU
Mixed-layer depth	7 m
UV index	0
Wind sea	0.0 m at 0 s
Ground swell	0.1 m at 2 s from W
Current shear (surface vs 50 m)	0.00 → 0.00 m/s

The water here is 5.3 °C warmer than the September average of 25.7 °C. Warmer-than-normal water pushes cool-water species deeper and brings warm-water species in earlier than the calendar suggests. The water is mixed to about 67.3 m, so surface temperature carries well down the water column.

Tide now: Rising · turns in 183 minTide is an approximate harmonic prediction — confirm with local tide tables.

Updated 1 h ago.

What the score means at Tampa Bay Gulf

Tampa Bay Gulf currently scores 82 out of 100 (Fair). Water temperature is 31.0 °C. 8 forecast signals are active in this score.

Water temperature +24.6: how close the water is to this species mix’s comfort band
Waves +9.0: swell energy stirring the water column
Wind +8.0: surface chop, oxygen and bait drift
Chlorophyll +5.4: plankton density — the base of the food chain
Chlorophyll front +3.8: a plankton edge — classic feeding line
Pre-storm bite +3.5: the classic feed before heavy weather

What’s biting now

The model expects today: red-drum, spotted-sea-trout, king-mackerel, tarpon, snook, gulf-flounder, southern-flounder, black-drum

Bite windows

Moon

Waning Crescent · 14% lit

Solunar day rating

50 / 100

Best months for Tampa Bay Gulf:

Score history at this spot

30 days tracked at this exact location

Best recent day: 2026-08-27, 87/100

26 day(s) at 70+ in the tracked period

About this spot

Water type

Sea

Open coastal saltwater — conditions and safety depend heavily on the live wind, wave, and tide forecast, so check them before you head out.

Access & shore

Fishable from shore · offshore-only

What you can catch

Red Drum

Sciaenops ocellatus
Common Snook

Centropomus undecimalis
Tarpon

Megalops atlanticus
Spotted Sea Trout

Cynoscion nebulosus

Best months by species at Tampa Bay Gulf

Red DrumSciaenops ocellatus
Common SnookCentropomus undecimalis
TarponMegalops atlanticus
Spotted Sea TroutCynoscion nebulosus

Typical months; local seasons and closures apply.

Local regulations

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)

Florida

Species	Bag limit	Min size	Open season
Common SnookFWC recreational saltwater regulations — Snook; Chapter 68B, F.A.C.	1/day	71.1–81.3 cm slot	Feb 1 – May 31; Sep 1 – Dec 14; Mar 1 – Apr 30; Sep 1 – Nov 30
Slot: 28–32" Atlantic; 28–33" Gulf (most regions). Snook permit required for harvest. Closed seasons differ by region — Panhandle/Big Bend/Tampa/Sarasota and Charlotte Harbor/SW Gulf each have distinct closures. Always verify against current FWC zone map before fishing.
Red DrumFWC recreational saltwater regulations — Red Drum; Chapter 68B, F.A.C.	1/day	45.7–68.6 cm slot	Jan 1 – Dec 31
Strict 18–27" slot statewide — fish under 18" or over 27" must be released. Indian River Lagoon (IRL) is catch-and-release-only — no retention permitted in IRL waters.
TarponFWC recreational saltwater regulations — Tarpon; Chapter 68B, F.A.C.	1/day	min 190.5 cm	—
A tarpon tag is required to harvest tarpon. Catch-and-release strongly encouraged. Harvest heavily restricted.

Licensing:

saltwater-recreational — residents Florida residents 16–64 must purchase a Saltwater Fishing License; $17/yr (short-term rates available)., non-residents Non-residents 16+: $17/3-day, $30/7-day, $47/annual.
saltwater-recreational — residents Federal Recreational Fishing License may be required in addition to state license when fishing federal (EEZ) waters., non-residents Same as residents. Many states require their own license even in federal waters.

FishRadar regulations are summaries for informational purposes only. Always verify current rules at myfwc.com before fishing. Seasons and limits change annually.