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Sarasota Fishing Report

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

Sarasota Bay's grass-flat classroom: trout and snook behind the keys, tarpon off Longboat and a big-city fishery wearing resort clothes.

3/5
Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.
Next tide
High 6:15 AM
Air / High
88 / 90 F
Wind
SW 8 mph

Sources: NOAA tides 8726083, 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.

Sarasota locks in another hot, bright day: the fish know the drill and so should you. Today brings a mixed sky, wind SW around 8 mph, steady pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 90. Tides: high 5:04 AM, low 2:37 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 87 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 8726083 (Sarasota Bay). Fish the moving water either side of each change.

Fri
HIGH5:04 AM2.4 ft
LOW2:37 PM0.2 ft
Sat
HIGH6:15 AM2.4 ft
LOW4:04 PM0.2 ft

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp88 F
High / Low90 / 77 F
WindSW 8-11 mph
Pressure1013.4 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain37% cloud, 27%
Sunrise / Sunset07:10 / 19:47
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, 90/77 F, wind 9 mph, rain 27%

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 Sarasota: 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 Sarasota 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 Sarasota today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

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 8 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 88 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 91 F, wind to 8 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

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. Snook seasonal + permit; trout slot rules: check FWC southwest zone.

Access

Centennial Park, Turtle Beach ramps; South Lido kayak launches; bridge and beach access.

About this water

The bay city of the keys, Sarasota County, FL. Grass flats behind the postcard.

Fishing Sarasota: the full guide

The bay behind the beaches

Sarasota Bay spreads ten sheltered miles behind the barrier keys: grass flats, mangrove edges and residential canals holding trout, snook, reds and the summer's Spanish-and-jack traffic. The resort skyline hides a legitimate fishery: guides pole the same flats the sunset cruises motor past.

Flats and passes

The bay's grass (Stephens Point, the Ringling flats, Buttonwood's edges) fishes classic west-coast: popping corks over potholes, topwater at dawn: while Big Pass and New Pass funnel the tide: snook in the swash channels, pompano bouncing the sand, and the beach troughs' snook walk in summer (sight-casting from the sand at first light: the region's most underrated hunt).

Tarpon off the keys

May-July, the tarpon lane passes Longboat and Siesta: staked boats and DOA-crab drifts in 15-30 ft: the Sarasota stretch fishes calmer than Boca Grande's circus. Fall flips to mackerel and false albacore off the passes when the bait runs: light-tackle sport within paddle distance.

City-water logistics

Ramps at Centennial Park and Turtle Beach cover the bay's ends: kayak launches thread the mangrove parks (South Lido's lagoon a favorite): and the bridges' night lights run snook school year-round. Summer thunderheads and weekend traffic set the schedule: dawn, as everywhere on this coast, is the honest window.

Common questions

Where do snook hold in Sarasota?

Summer: the beach troughs at dawn and the passes' swash channels: winter: canals and the bay's warm corners. The night dock lights fish twelve months.

When is tarpon season off Siesta Key?

May-July as the migration passes the keys: staked-out crab drifts at dawn. Calmer water and thinner fleets than the famous passes south.

Is fishing good at Sarasota 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

Venice17 miTampa Bay30 miBoca Grande46 miClearwater48 miLake Istokpoga80 miLake Kissimmee87 mi
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