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Saint Marks River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The St. Marks meets the Wakulla at San Marcos de Apalache and runs past the refuge lighthouse into Apalachee Bay.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Next tide
High 1:09 AM
Air / High
78 / 78 F
Wind
NE 8 mph

Sources: NOAA tides 8728130, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 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 the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Saint Marks River lines up a genuinely fishable day across the board. Today brings clear skies, wind NE around 8 mph, steady pressure near 1019 hPa and a high of 78. Tides: high 12:45 AM and 1:16 PM, low 6:56 AM and 7:12 PM: the moving water either side of each change is when this place feeds. Water sits around 78 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 10:13 AM-12:13 PM and 10:39 PM-12:39 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Redfish (red drum)Excellent

Spring and early summer put redfish on grass flats, shorelines and oyster bars; on the Gulf, fish below spawning age stay inside the bays (TPWD). Sight-cast to tailing and cruising fish or drift live shrimp under a popping cork.

Speckled troutExcellent

Spring brings seatrout back over shallow seagrass, and the spawning season (April to September in Louisiana and South Carolina) keeps them feeding. Popping corks with live shrimp, free-shrimping on the drift and casting to working birds are the main tools.

BluefishExcellent

Warming water pushes the schools north along the coast. Casting spoons and poppers into bait and chunking menhaden are the usual approaches; use a wire or heavy leader every time.

Tomorrow: Similar at 78 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made β†’

Before you go

Florida requires a fishing licence from age 16, from $17.00 for residents, and salt water needs its own licence here. What a Florida licence costs and where to buy it β†’

Chasing redfish (red drum) here? Check the size and bag limits with FWC before you keep anything. The season dates for Florida, read off the agency, are on the Florida seasons page.

Water and weather

Live readings.

Tides

NOAA station 8728130 (St. Marks River Entrance). Fish the moving water either side of each change.

Fri
HIGH12:45 AM3.4 ft
LOW6:56 AM0.7 ft
HIGH1:16 PM3.6 ft
LOW7:12 PM0.9 ft
Sat
HIGH1:09 AM3.5 ft
LOW7:34 AM0.2 ft
HIGH2:01 PM3.8 ft
LOW7:45 PM1.0 ft

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp78 F
High / Low78 / 49 F
WindNE 8-13 mph
Pressure1018.7 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset07:44 / 18:57
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (seasonal)~78 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Which day to fish Saint Marks River this week

The best day on Saint Marks River this week looks like Sunday Oct 25, at 4 out of 5, against 3 today.

Best day this week: Sunday, Oct 25 β€” good at 4/5, steady pressure, neither help nor hindrance.

Today, Oct 23 β€” Fair

A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Solunar majors
10:13 AM-12:13 PM and 10:39 PM-12:39 AM
Minor period
4:34 AM-5:34 AM
Sun
07:44 to 18:57
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Clear, 9 mph
Rain chance
0%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

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

Redfish (red drum) illustration

Redfish (red drum)

Best: late-summer and fall bull run; inshore all year

Red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), called redfish across the South, is a bronze inshore drum with a black spot near the tail, fished on grass flats, oyster bars, marsh creeks and beaches from the Chesapeake around Florida to Texas. Spring and early summer put redfish on grass flats, shorelines and oyster bars; on the Gulf, fish below spawning age stay inside the bays (TPWD). Sight-cast to tailing and cruising fish or drift live shrimp under a popping cork.

Speckled trout illustration

Speckled trout

Shallow bays spring and summer; deeper water in winter

Speckled trout is the anglers' name for the spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus), a spotted member of the drum family that lives in shallow bays and estuaries from the Chesapeake to Texas. Spring brings seatrout back over shallow seagrass, and the spawning season (April to September in Louisiana and South Carolina) keeps them feeding. Popping corks with live shrimp, free-shrimping on the drift and casting to working birds are the main tools.

Bluefish illustration

Bluefish

Peak harvest: May-Oct, most in Jul-Aug (NOAA)

Bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) are sharp-toothed schooling predators that move up and down the Atlantic coast with the seasons and feed in surface blitzes on menhaden, silversides and squid. Warming water pushes the schools north along the coast. Casting spoons and poppers into bait and chunking menhaden are the usual approaches; use a wire or heavy leader every time.

When to come: the Saint Marks River 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
Bluefish
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 78 F (estimated, not a reading).

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~78 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 Saint Marks River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

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 79 F, wind to 6 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Redfish (red drum) led the card at excellent. High of 80 F, wind to 7 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Redfish (red drum) led the card at excellent. High of 75 F, wind to 9 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 saltwater license for salt water. FWC limits (eRegulations summary, updated July 20, 2026): red drum 18–27 inches, 1 per harvester and no more than 4 per vessel in the Panhandle, Big Bend and Northeast regions; spotted seatrout 15–19 inches, with a bag of 5 in the Big Bend region and 3 in the Panhandle. Confirm the region on FWC's maps.

Access

Newport Park boat ramp (Wakulla County launch permit, $5 daily); St. Marks NWR saltwater launch and Lighthouse Road impoundments (daylight hours, gate opens 6 a.m., $5 per vehicle); Tucker's Point at San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park (Thursday–Monday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., no entrance fee).

About this water

The lower St. Marks River at its junction with the Wakulla River and Apalachee Bay, Wakulla County, Florida, bordered by St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.

Fishing Saint Marks River: the full guide

Where the rivers meet the bay

At San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park the St. Marks River joins the Wakulla River and flows out to Apalachee Bay. Florida State Parks calls Tucker's Point, the park's overlook at the junction, an excellent spot for fishing and says redfish, speckled trout, sheepshead and even largemouth bass are caught there, where fresh and salt water mix. The Spanish began the first fort at the junction in 1679.

The refuge waters

St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge lies along the lower river. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says about five miles each of the Aucilla, St. Marks and Wakulla rivers lie within or near its boundaries and that roughly 32,000 acres of bay and estuary sit inside its closing boundary. Saltwater fishing is open all year; the refuge lists bluefish, spotted seatrout, flounder, red drum, Spanish mackerel, mullet, shark and black sea bass, plus largemouth bass, sunfish and catfish in fresh water.

Impoundments and crabbing

About 2,000 acres of man-made pools along Lighthouse Road (County Road 59) are open to bank fishing all year, and hand-launched boats are allowed in them from March 15 to October 15. The refuge page gives both a 10-horsepower limit and an electric-motor-only rule for these pools, so ask at the visitor center. Crabbing is allowed only in tidal water at the lighthouse.

Tides and launching

The tide station linked here, NOAA 8728130, is at the St. Marks Lighthouse on Apalachee Bay; the refuge says the tower, completed in 1842, is the second oldest lighthouse in Florida and the oldest on the Gulf coast. Wakulla County's Newport Park ramp at 8046 Coastal Highway launches onto the St. Marks River with a county daily or annual launch permit, and the refuge has a saltwater launch that reaches the bay.

Common questions

Do I need a boat to fish the St. Marks?

No. The refuge impoundments along Lighthouse Road are open to bank fishing all year, and Tucker's Point at San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park is a shore spot where the park reports redfish, trout and sheepshead.

Can I keep redfish here?

Yes, within FWC limits: one red drum of 18 to 27 inches per harvester and no more than four per vessel in both the Panhandle and Big Bend regions. Check FWC before your trip, since limits are reviewed.

Is there a fee to fish the refuge?

The refuge charges $5 per vehicle, $1 per bike or pedestrian, or $25 for an annual refuge pass, and honors America the Beautiful passes.

Is fishing good at Saint Marks River 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 the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Lake Talquin33 miApalachicola Bay54 miSteinhatchee56 miLake Seminole60 miPanama City Beach97 miHomosassa128 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

Tide predictions
NOAA CO-OPS 8728130 β€” St. Marks River Entrance
Harmonic predictions, datum MLLW, local time. 12 high and low events returned for today and the next two days. A prediction, not a measured water level: wind and surge move the real thing.
Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 30.0880, -84.1893 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 5, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 5, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.