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Stuart Fishing Report

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

The Sailfish Capital: where the St. Lucie meets the Indian River and the Gulf Stream swings close enough to raise January kites.

3/5
Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.
Next tide
Low 12:28 AM
Air / High
89 / 90 F
Wind
SE 8 mph

Sources: NOAA tides 8722357, 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.

Stuart locks in another hot, bright day: the fish know the drill and so should you. Today brings cloud cover, wind SE around 8 mph, steady pressure near 1014 hPa and a high of 90. Tides: high 4:24 AM and 5:28 PM, low 11:49 AM: 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 90 F with a rain chance. 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 8722357 (Stuart, St. Lucie River). Fish the moving water either side of each change.

Fri
HIGH4:24 AM1.0 ft
LOW11:49 AM0.2 ft
HIGH5:28 PM1.0 ft
Sat
LOW12:28 AM0.7 ft
HIGH5:32 AM1.0 ft
LOW1:01 PM0.3 ft
HIGH6:39 PM1.0 ft

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp89 F
High / Low90 / 78 F
WindSE 8-12 mph
Pressure1014.3 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain84% cloud, 39%
Sunrise / Sunset07:01 / 19:38
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 · Showers, 90/78 F, wind 12 mph, rain 39%

Fair or better. A 12 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Stuart: 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 Stuart 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 Stuart 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 90 F, wind to 10 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

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 87 F, wind to 11 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 87 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; sailfish release culture universal: check FWC.

Access

Sandsprit Park, Stuart Causeway ramps, Manatee Pocket fleet; Bathtub Reef beach access.

About this water

The St. Lucie Inlet town, Martin County, FL. Sailfish Capital of the World.

Fishing Stuart: the full guide

Capital credentials

Stuart claimed 'Sailfish Capital of the World' in the 1930s and defends it every winter: the Gulf Stream's edge swings within a few miles of St. Lucie Inlet, and December-February's cold fronts stack sails along the color change: kite fleets raise double digits on the good days. The town's offshore pedigree runs a century deep.

The crossroads estuary

Inside, the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon cross at the inlet: snook stack the crossroads' docks and bridge shadows (a night-tide institution), tarpon roll the river bends in summer, and the lagoon's flats north hold reds and trout when the water allows. The inlet itself funnels everything: moving tide beats time of day.

The water-quality watch

Stuart's fishery lives with Lake Okeechobee's discharge politics: releases stain the estuary and push fish to the inlet and beaches. Watch the discharge schedule like the tide chart: clean-water stretches turn the crossroads world-class fast: the fishery's resilience is the town's ongoing fight and pride.

Working Stuart

Sandsprit Park and the Stuart Causeway ramps serve the estuary and inlet run: the beaches (Bathtub Reef to Jensen) fish pompano and snook in the troughs: and the offshore fleet sails from Manatee Pocket: half-day sails in winter, dolphin-and-wahoo summers. The inlet's shoals shift constantly: local knowledge or generous tide margins.

Common questions

When is sailfish season off Stuart?

December-February, behind the cold fronts: north winds stack them on the color change and the kite fleets fly. Half-day winter sails here out-raise most full days anywhere.

What is the Crossroads at Stuart?

The junction where the St. Lucie River, Indian River Lagoon and inlet meet: a snook-and-tarpon interchange of docks, shadows and current. Night tides are its office hours.

Is fishing good at Stuart 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 Pierce18 miLake Okeechobee38 miSebastian Inlet47 miLake Istokpoga62 miLake Kissimmee80 miLake Tohopekaliga98 mi
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