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Venice Fishing Report

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

The Gulf's shark-tooth town fishes deeper than its beaches: Venice Inlet's snook, tarpon lanes offshore and jetties that never quit.

3/5
Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.
Next tide
High 5:51 AM
Air / High
89 / 91 F
Wind
SW 10 mph

Sources: NOAA tides 8725889, 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.

Venice locks in another hot, bright day: the fish know the drill and so should you. Today brings clear skies, wind SW around 10 mph, steady pressure near 1014 hPa and a high of 91. Tides: high 4:40 AM, low 1:57 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 89 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 8725889 (Venice Inlet). Fish the moving water either side of each change.

Fri
HIGH4:40 AM2.4 ft
LOW1:57 PM0.2 ft
Sat
HIGH5:51 AM2.4 ft
LOW3:24 PM0.2 ft

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp89 F
High / Low91 / 78 F
WindSW 10-12 mph
Pressure1014.0 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain22% cloud, 18%
Sunrise / Sunset07:10 / 19:46
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, 91/78 F, wind 10 mph, rain 18%

Fair or better. A 10 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Venice: 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 Venice 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 Venice 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 88 F, wind to 9 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 9 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 12 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 windows + permit: check FWC. Tarpon over 40 inches stay in the water.

Access

Higel Park, Marina Boat Ramp; South Jetty walkway; beach accesses along The Esplanade.

About this water

Gulf inlet town, Sarasota County, FL. Snook jetties and the summer tarpon lane.

Fishing Venice: the full guide

Two Venices

Florida's Venice (not Louisiana's) works a double fishery: the inshore game around Venice Inlet and Roberts Bay: snook on the jetties, reds in Dona and Roberts bays' mangroves, trout over the grass: and the nearshore ledges where the west coast's tarpon lane passes each summer within sight of the beach.

Jetty rhythm

The Venice jetties frame the inlet with year-round structure: snook in the rocks (night tides especially), sheepshead all winter, Spanish and bluefish runs spring and fall, and the occasional inlet tarpon rolling through. The South Jetty's walkway makes it one of the coast's most productive boatless stations.

Tarpon and the beach lanes

May-July, tarpon strings run the beach in 10-30 feet: boats stake out at dawn casting crabs ahead of the schools: the Boca Grande crowds thin this far north: Venice's lane fishes with room. Kings, cobia and permit ride the same nearshore structure spring and fall: light-tackle offshore without long runs.

Working the town

Public ramps at Higel Park and Marina Boat Ramp serve the inlet: the beaches' shark-tooth hunters share dawn with surf casters (whiting, pompano in season): and Casey Key's north end adds quieter backwater. Summer storms build fast: the inlet's shoals demand tide respect: standard west-coast rules.

Common questions

When do tarpon run past Venice?

May through July along the beach lanes: dawn stakeouts with crabs as the strings push north. It is the Boca Grande migration with elbow room.

Is the Venice jetty good for fishing?

Among the west coast's best boatless spots: snook at night, sheepshead in winter, Spanish in the runs. The South Jetty walkway fishes every tide.

Is fishing good at Venice 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

Sarasota17 miBoca Grande29 miTampa Bay47 miClearwater65 miLake Istokpoga75 miLake Kissimmee91 mi
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