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Apalachicola Bay Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Florida’s oyster bay: Apalachicola’s marsh edges and bars hold redfish, trout and a working waterfront tradition.

3/5
Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.
Next tide
High 8:58 AM
Air / High
85 / 86 F
Wind
SSE 6 mph

Sources: NOAA tides 8728690, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.

Apalachicola Bay stays in its summer rhythm: early magic, midday siesta, evening reprieve. Today brings a mixed sky, wind SSE around 6 mph, steady pressure near 1014 hPa and a high of 86. Tides: high 7:56 AM, low 5:31 PM: the moving water either side of each change is when this place feeds. Water sits around 85 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: plan around them and beat the heat.

The plan, species by species

Redfish (red drum)Excellent

Dawn topwater over grass flats and shorelines, then follow them to deeper guts and channel edges with gold spoons and paddletails. Look for wakes and nervous bait.

Speckled troutGood

First light topwater over grass and shell, then deeper: free-lined live shrimp or croaker over 4-8 ft structure. The bite dies with the sun; night lights fish well.

Tomorrow: Similar at 85 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings.

Tides

NOAA station 8728690 (Apalachicola). Fish the moving water either side of each change.

Fri
HIGH7:56 AM2.1 ft
LOW5:31 PM0.2 ft
Sat
HIGH8:58 AM2.1 ft
LOW7:05 PM0.1 ft

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp85 F
High / Low86 / 78 F
WindSSE 6-7 mph
Pressure1013.7 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain48% cloud, 35%
Sunrise / Sunset07:19 / 19:58
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~85 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 86/78 F, wind 9 mph, rain 35%

Fair or better. A 9 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Apalachicola Bay: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Redfish (red drum) illustration

Redfish (red drum)

Best: Sep-Nov bull run

The copper-flanked king of the flats and surf: tailing in inches of water, schooling by the hundred in fall. Dawn topwater over grass flats and shorelines, then follow them to deeper guts and channel edges with gold spoons and paddletails. Look for wakes and nervous bait.

Speckled trout illustration

Speckled trout

Best: spring and fall

The Gulf coast's everyday obsession: soft mouths, violent topwater strikes and a fishery that lives by tide and bait. First light topwater over grass and shell, then deeper: free-lined live shrimp or croaker over 4-8 ft structure. The bite dies with the sun; night lights fish well.

When to come: the Apalachicola Bay calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Redfish (red drum)
Speckled trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 85 F (estimated, not a reading).

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~85 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Apalachicola Bay today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Redfish (red drum) led the card at excellent. High of 84 F, wind to 10 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Redfish (red drum) led the card at excellent. High of 89 F, wind to 10 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Redfish (red drum) led the card at excellent. High of 86 F, wind to 10 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Florida requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Florida license. Redfish, trout and other inshore limits vary by zone and change: check current FWC regulations for the panhandle.

Access

Ramps at Apalachicola, Eastpoint and St. George Island; extensive marsh and flat access by shallow-draft boat.

About this water

A 200-square-mile estuary at the mouth of the Apalachicola River, Franklin County, Florida, sheltered by barrier islands.

Fishing Apalachicola Bay: the full guide

Where the river meets the gulf

Apalachicola Bay spreads across 200 square miles at the mouth of the Apalachicola River in the Florida panhandle, sheltered from the gulf by St. George and St. Vincent islands. Once the source of most of Florida’s oysters, it remains one of the state’s most productive estuaries: redfish, speckled trout, flounder, sheepshead and black drum work the bars, marsh edges and passes.

Reds and trout

Redfish push onto the marsh edges and oyster bars on higher tides, taking gold spoons, weedless plastics and cut bait: East Bay and the marsh shorelines are the reliable water. Speckled trout hold the grass flats and deeper potholes in three to six feet, best on popping corks and soft plastics, with the biggest fish taking topwater at first light in spring and fall.

Passes and structure

The passes: West Pass, Government Cut, Sikes Cut: funnel bait and hold everything, especially on moving tides. Sheepshead and black drum stack on the bridge pilings and oyster structure in the cool months, and flounder work the sandy edges in fall. Tarpon and cobia appear along the beaches in summer for anglers running out of the passes.

Franklin County logistics

Ramps at Apalachicola, Eastpoint and St. George Island serve the bay, with a substantial guide fleet based locally. River flow affects salinity and clarity throughout: heavy upstream rain pushes fresh water into the bay and moves fish. Apalachicola town, with its working waterfront and restored downtown, is a destination in itself.

Common questions

When is the best inshore fishing?

Spring and fall for trout and redfish on the flats and bars; winter concentrates sheepshead and drum on structure.

Does river flow matter?

Considerably: heavy upstream rain drops salinity and moves fish toward the passes and higher-salinity water.

Is it good for wading?

In places: the marsh shorelines and shallow bars are wadeable, though a shallow-draft boat opens far more water.

Is fishing good at Apalachicola Bay right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.

Nearby waters

Saint Marks River54 miLake Talquin55 miPanama City Beach59 miLake Seminole76 miSteinhatchee96 miChoctawhatchee Bay96 mi
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