Lakeland Fishing Reports (December 2025)

Wade Osborne
Tampa, Florida
Reported: 2 years ago

July started off with a BANG! Fishing has been outstanding for the most part. The majority of what’s been biting are snook, mangrove snapper, seatrout, silver trout, Spanish mackerel, sharks, and a few redfish. Sure, there have been a few days where the fish bite has been slow, but that’s...

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Wade Osborne Tampa, Florida Reported: 2 years ago

July started off with a BANG! Fishing has been outstanding for the most part. The majority of what’s been biting are snook, mangrove snapper, seatrout, silver trout, Spanish mackerel, sharks, and a few redfish. Sure, there have been a few days where the fish bite has been slow, but that’s why it’s called fishing.
If you’re looking to keep some fish for dinner, the only species that’s closed to harvest right now is snook. Other than that, putting fish in the box has been a given.
So, if you’re looking to catch dinner or just catch and release, book your adventure today.

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John Rivers
Tampa, Florida
Reported: 2 years ago

It's officially Spring in Tampa Bay Area. Snook are all over the place and are feeding well. Water temp's are right where they should be which puts the fish in a good mood, which means bent rods and screaming drags. Live bait is the best choice, but if you like...

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John Rivers Tampa, Florida Reported: 2 years ago

It's officially Spring in Tampa Bay Area. Snook are all over the place and are feeding well. Water temp's are right where they should be which puts the fish in a good mood, which means bent rods and screaming drags.
Live bait is the best choice, but if you like tossing artificials, no worries, you'll catch your fair share as well. Here are a few lures that I like when targeting snook, redfish and trout. Headon's Spookis my go to for top-water. For redfish, and trout, I like tossing a 4"paddle tail ( colors: white and clear with red metal-flake ). Snook in Tampa Bay are live bait feeders, but you can still get them to eat artificials. I like a 1/8oz snake-lock jig head with a ZMan Paddlerz. Schools of redfish are also showing up on the flats in a few areas. These fish are very boat shy, so be quiet and patient and you'll hook a few. Once again, live or cut bait has been the best way to hook these skittish bronze beauties.
Some of the redfish schools have been beat up by some fishermen, but that’s just how it goes with the amount of boaters on the water these days, so again, be patient and you'll hook a few. They are mostly oversized fish, which means your drag is gonna scream. The sheepshead bite is still going strong in Tampa Bay, and the rock piles, jetties and bridges have been producing some nice catches. Live shrimp, fiddler and mud crabs have been the baits of choice.

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John Rivers
Tampa, Florida
Reported: 2 years ago

Fishing report for the last two weeks in the Tampa bay area. The trout bite has been exceptional on the flats from 3 to 6 foot of water in the morning on an incoming tide, a Pilchard under a under afloat works best. I like using 15 to 20 pound...

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John Rivers Tampa, Florida Reported: 2 years ago

Fishing report for the last two weeks in the Tampa bay area.
The trout bite has been exceptional on the flats from 3 to 6 foot of water in the morning on an incoming tide, a Pilchard under a under afloat works best. I like using 15 to 20 pound leader with a 1/0 to 2/0 Circle hook.
Next move over at redfish the fish can be very finicky and hard to find sometimes because they are heavily fished, but luckily I have been on a good red fish bite the past two weeks, and again on an incoming tide has been the ticket, cut bait on the bottom, like threadfin or cut mullet Has been working well. I like to use 20 to 30 pound leader with a 2/0 circle hook.
And let’s not forget our favorite fish in the area and what makes Tampa Bay world renowned: the hard fighting beautiful Snook. These fish can get upwards of 40+ inches. The average fish caught on fishing trips are between 18 and 27 inches, but you never know when you’re going to hook into that 30” to 35” or even 40” fish and you better be ready because when they hit, you’re definitely gonna know it.
Over the next couple weeks, the snook are going to start to make their way out to the beaches and then start their spawn. So for the next three weeks the odds of hooking into a 30 inch plus or even 40 inch fish is pretty good that’s why I love May so much here in the Tampa Bay area.

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Phil Pegley
Ruskin, Florida
Reported: 2 years ago

Spring into summer by fishing in Tampa Bay! Charter fishing in the last month in Tampa Bay is about as good as it gets as far as plenty of action plenty of great fish to catch and plenty of options for our local fish and we have migrating species invading...

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Phil Pegley Ruskin, Florida Reported: 2 years ago

Spring into summer by fishing in Tampa Bay!
Charter fishing in the last month in Tampa Bay is about as good as it gets as far as plenty of action plenty of great fish to catch and plenty of options for our local fish and we have migrating species invading our local waters. With the warming waters we get large schools of cigar minnows, hard tails, blue runners, and threadfin herring with that brings king fish, sharks, Spanish mackerel, Bonita, and even sailfish and blackfin tuna. Our inshore fishing has been on fire our customers have found redfish and large speckled trout with plenty of snook in the last month, and we are seeing more and more tarpon showing up with every passing moon so it's time to grip that rod reel just a little bit tighter and be ready for those silver kings to come a calling. I don't really expect any real changes except for more tarpon and sharks in the weeks to come so tight lines until next time. -Captain Phil

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Steve Niemoeller with Lake Toho Fishing Guide Service
St. Cloud, Florida
Reported: 2 years ago

This past few days has had some great catches here on Toho folks from all over the usa and From England wild shiners and now artificial is also starting to get good !

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Steve Niemoeller with Lake Toho Fishing Guide Service St. Cloud, Florida Reported: 2 years ago

This past few days has had some great catches here on Toho folks from all over the usa and From England wild shiners and now artificial is also starting to get good !

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Cody Beckman
Tampa, Florida
Reported: 2 years ago

Hey, yeah of course. The inshore bite has been on fire with the weather warming up, upper to over slot redfish and snook are moving into the bay with some big redfish schools starting to form as well. The mangrove snapper and sheepshead bite is still good as well

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Cody Beckman Tampa, Florida Reported: 2 years ago

Hey, yeah of course. The inshore bite has been on fire with the weather warming up, upper to over slot redfish and snook are moving into the bay with some big redfish schools starting to form as well. The mangrove snapper and sheepshead bite is still good as well

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Steve Niemoeller with Lake Toho Fishing Guide Service
St. Cloud, Florida
Reported: 2 years ago

We are still having great catches of bass and crappie here on west lake Toho. Wild shiners are still catching the biggest and most numbers, but a senko or a chatterbait can also produce some nice catches

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Steve Niemoeller with Lake Toho Fishing Guide Service St. Cloud, Florida Reported: 2 years ago

We are still having great catches of bass and crappie here on west lake Toho. Wild shiners are still catching the biggest and most numbers, but a senko or a chatterbait can also produce some nice catches

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Wade Osborne
Tampa, Florida
Reported: 2 years ago

If you are visiting the area and staying in hotels on the beach, you have probably noticed some effects of Red Tide. The first things you may notice are a scratchy throat and coughing. The next thing you may witness are dead fish. Unfortunately, there has been a Red Tide...

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Wade Osborne Tampa, Florida Reported: 2 years ago

If you are visiting the area and staying in hotels on the beach, you have probably noticed some effects of Red Tide. The first things you may notice are a scratchy throat and coughing. The next thing you may witness are dead fish. Unfortunately, there has been a Red Tide bloom that has continued to plague the Pinellas coastline and kill fish for over three months now.
The good news is there are no signs of Red Tide in upper Tampa Bay where I’m located and the fishing is excellent. The snook, redfish and seatrout are plentiful and more than willing to take a bait.
So, what are you waiting for? Book your adventure now, and let’s go catch some fish!

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