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Sebastian Inlet Fishing Report

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

Florida's snook capital: one violent little cut in the barrier island where the Indian River Lagoon breathes through to the Atlantic.

3/5
Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.
Next tide
Low 8:34 PM
Air / High
82 / 83 F
Wind
SE 15 mph

Sources: NOAA tides 8722004, 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.

Sebastian Inlet stays in its summer rhythm: early magic, midday siesta, evening reprieve. Today brings cloud cover, wind SE around 15 mph, steady pressure near 1014 hPa and a high of 83. Tides: high 1:23 AM and 2:27 PM, low 7:55 AM and 8:34 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.

BluefishExcellent

Dawn and dusk metal: cast spoons and poppers where bait shows. Midday fish slide deeper off the bars.

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 82 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 8722004 (Sebastian Inlet Bridge). Fish the moving water either side of each change.

Fri
HIGH1:23 AM2.3 ft
LOW7:55 AM0.3 ft
HIGH2:27 PM2.4 ft
LOW8:34 PM0.8 ft
Sat
HIGH2:31 AM2.3 ft
LOW9:07 AM0.3 ft
HIGH3:38 PM2.4 ft
LOW9:46 PM0.8 ft

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp82 F
High / Low83 / 79 F
WindSE 15-21 mph
Pressure1013.7 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain93% cloud, 24%
Sunrise / Sunset07:02 / 19:39
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, 83/79 F, wind 19 mph, rain 24%

Fair or better. A 19 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Sebastian Inlet: 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.

Bluefish illustration

Bluefish

Best: Sep-Oct blitzes

The ocean's most honest fish: when blues blitz bait on the beach, everything with hooks gets bit. Dawn and dusk metal: cast spoons and poppers where bait shows. Midday fish slide deeper off the bars.

When to come: the Sebastian Inlet 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 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 Sebastian Inlet 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 82 F, wind to 19 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 82 F, wind to 14 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 81 F, wind to 13 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 saltwater license. Snook: seasonal harvest windows + one-fish slot 28-32 inches + snook permit: confirm current FWC dates. Pompano 11-inch fork.

Access

Sebastian Inlet State Park (both sides: fee), north jetty and catwalks, surf access on both beaches, boat ramps inside.

About this water

Atlantic inlet between Melbourne Beach and Vero Beach, Brevard County, FL. The Indian River Lagoon's most famous vent.

Fishing Sebastian Inlet: the full guide

The snook mecca

Sebastian Inlet concentrates Florida's east-coast snook like nowhere else: the north jetty's outgoing tide is the signature stand, live croakers or big swimbaits swum along the rocks while linesiders ambush in the wash. Summer nights during the closed season turn the jetty into a catch-and-release theater; the open-season windows (check dates) draw the state's most focused slot-hunters.

More than snook

The same current serves redfish over the flats inside, giant jack crevalle mauling topwater at dawn, Spanish mackerel on the outgoing green water, flounder on the sand spillover, and the winter pompano parade along the beaches both sides. Offshore, the reef line sits close: kings and cobia patrol within small-boat range on calm days.

Tide craft at the cut

The inlet runs fast: fish the seams, not the middle. Outgoing tide pushes lagoon bait to waiting predators at the tips; incoming stacks fish inside along the channel edges and the catwalks under A1A. Heavy jigheads (1-2 oz) reach bottom in the current; everything lighter is decoration. The bridge catwalks fish all night: snook in the shadow lines, tarpon rolling silent through the lights.

The lagoon behind

The Indian River Lagoon spreading north and south is a fishery of its own: sight-fished redfish schools, seatrout over grass, juvenile tarpon in the mangrove creeks. Sebastian's stretch has weathered algae crises: the recovery zones fish better every year, and the inlet keeps its corner flushed and alive.

Common questions

When can you keep snook at Sebastian Inlet?

Only in FWC's open windows (historically spring and fall: verify current dates) with a snook permit, one fish 28-32 inches. The rest of the year is release fishing: the jetty is packed anyway.

Is the north or south jetty better?

North is the storied snook stand (outgoing tide, ocean side); south fishes the incoming better and runs less crowded. Both produce: the tide matters more than the side.

Is fishing good at Sebastian Inlet 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

Fort Pierce30 miStuart47 miLake Kissimmee51 miLake Istokpoga61 miLake Tohopekaliga62 miMosquito Lagoon66 mi
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