Lakewood Ranch Fishing Reports (May 2026)

Lakewood Ranch Weather Forecast

Fishing reports straight from our guides in Lakewood Ranch

James Gibson
Sarasota, Florida
Reported: 2 days ago

Summer is upon us in Sarasota Bay. Our customers are enjoying catching Snook, Redfish and Trout in and around New pass and Big Pass.

James Gibson Sarasota, Florida Reported: 2 days ago

Summer is upon us in Sarasota Bay. Our customers are enjoying catching Snook, Redfish and Trout in and around New pass and Big Pass.

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Ray Culver
Seminole, Florida
Reported: 2 days ago

Ray Culver Seminole, Florida Reported: 2 days ago

Tarpon and permit fishing is on fire right now, and it’s the perfect time to get on the water. Big tarpon are rolling and feeding hard, giving you a real shot at an unforgettable fight, while nearshore permit are showing up in numbers and ready to eat.

This is prime time—these opportunities don’t last long, and the bite has been as good as it gets. If you’ve been thinking about chasing tarpon or checking a permit off the list, now’s your window.

Spots are filling fast, so don’t wait. Reach out and lock in your tarpon and permit trip while the bite is this hot.

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Ryan Wagner
Treasure Island, Florida
Reported: 1 week ago

Some solid trips as of late! 1. Family hogfish on a 1/2 day trip 2. Nice gag grouper on a friend trip 3. Nice half day action. Hogfish and grey snapper

Ryan Wagner Treasure Island, Florida Reported: 1 week ago

Some solid trips as of late!

1. Family hogfish on a 1/2 day trip
2. Nice gag grouper on a friend trip
3. Nice half day action. Hogfish and grey snapper

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Marc Christenson
St. Petersburg, Florida
Reported: 1 week ago

Marc Christenson St. Petersburg, Florida Reported: 1 week ago

Trout was the hot action for spring. Pretty much every flat they can be found. Fish the shallow pot holes early then push out a little deeper as it gets later in the day. Moving water is the ticket either incoming or outgoing tide. Good to see trout in our area coming back after Piney Point disaster lots of small fish but there's some bigger over 20" fish mixed in. Spanish mackerel and king mackerel have started showing up good numbers nearshore in the gulf. They make for exciting action with their long fast runs pulling drag. I like to anchor up and chum for them with live bait but trolling planers and spoons works good as well. Just have to pick your days right now with the wind. Lots of action right now I will be switching to snook fishing starting May and maybe a few tarpon as well.

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Phil Dyer
Bradenton, Florida
Reported: 1 week ago

Phil Dyer Bradenton, Florida Reported: 1 week ago

the past few weeks have been some good spring fishing with lots of trout, mackerel, jacks, blue fish, lady fish and an occasional shark on deeper grass flats. Snook, redfish, trout, and flounder have been in shallower water and mangrove areas.
Gulf fishing has been pretty good on bottom fishing for snapper, porgies, trigger fish and grouper. Gulf fishing had some recent mackerel and kingfish, but this last week has produced a few cobia.

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Joseph Dephillips
Wesley Chapel, Florida
Reported: 2 weeks ago

Kingfish fish

Joseph Dephillips Wesley Chapel, Florida Reported: 2 weeks ago

Kingfish fish

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Andrew Crabtree
St. Petersburg, Florida
Reported: 2 weeks ago

Bite is on good for spanish mackerel, Snook, trout, etc! They are chewing!

Andrew Crabtree St. Petersburg, Florida Reported: 2 weeks ago

Bite is on good for spanish mackerel, Snook, trout, etc! They are chewing!

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Darius Kirschner
Sarasota, Florida
Reported: 2 weeks ago

Spring is in the air and snook, redfish, and trout fishing is on fire. As well as nearshore cobia , mackerel, snapper, and grouper

Darius Kirschner Sarasota, Florida Reported: 2 weeks ago

Spring is in the air and snook, redfish, and trout fishing is on fire. As well as nearshore cobia , mackerel, snapper, and grouper

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What's Biting in Lakewood Ranch

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★★★★★
We had a great time!! Very knowledgeable captain in the waters of Tampa Bay! I highly recommend for anyone.
Joe J. | April 28, 2026

Trip: Tampa Bay Inshore Rodeo
★★★★★
Great was Great ! Aiden was also very good! We had a Great time and caught some Nice fish! Great boat too!
Bryan K. | April 27, 2026

Trip: St. Pete Offshore Experience
★★★★★
Captain Phil was great and we all enjoyed the trip. The fish didn't cooperate at first, but Captain Phil moved us to another spot and we got better action. We had a miscommunication with the booking but Trey at Captain Experience was very helpful and we got everything worked out. Thanks Guys! I would book here again.
Andrew R. | April 24, 2026

Trip: Tampa Bay Shark Hunt
★★★★★
Captain Randall is the Reel deal! Put us on the Fish and was a wealth of knowledge of the area !
David F. | April 24, 2026

Trip: Anna Maria Inshore And Nearshore
★★★★★
Marc was a great Captain we had a terrific day on the water, we caught many different species of fish and brought back 6 keepers, Marc also recommended a local restaurant that cooks your catch, it was delicious. We will definitely book with Marc again for our future trips when we get back down to Florida again, thank you Marc
Michelle R. | April 23, 2026

Trip: St Pete Inshore/Nearshore
★★★★★
Capt Andy was great. We had a keeper on board 10 seconds after the first cast!!! Just one of more to come! My son and I had a great time. Capt Andy was very friendly and knowledgeable. Extremely helpful with changing baits, etc.
Ron | April 21, 2026

Trip: Inshore Trip Afternoon Action
★★★★★
Captain Frankie was the best charter I’ve ever been on!! we explained what we wanted to go after and he was able to put us on the fish we were looking for! A great experience for even new fisherman or experienced fisherman! We plan to book another in the future!
Jeffery A. | April 20, 2026

Trip: Grouper And Snapper Trips
★★★★★
My wife, Carolina, and I, had a great time with Captain Steve! He showed us not only the techniques of catching fish on the West Coast, but also a great time and he is a great showman! Captain Steve definitely knows what he’s doing! We will be back!🙌🎣
Rafael P. | April 19, 2026

Trip: Beach Fishing: Family-Friendly
★★★★★
My wife and I recently booked an afternoon fishing trip with Jose. Jose was very personable and immediately set us at ease. He has a great sense of humor and we laughed throughout the afternoon. More importantly, we caught fish from the beginning of the trip to the end. Jose knows these waters and where to find them. We caught many species (spotted sea trout, sheepshead, redfish, snook, pinfish, a shark, and the elusive triple tail). The sea trout were the most plentiful and made an excellent meal. Thanks Jose for a fun afternoon. We will book again the next time we are in the area!!
Jim L. | April 16, 2026

Trip: 4 Hour Trip – Fish And Fun
★★★★★
Captain Josh was fantastic - he took grest care of my family and I, caught a ton a great fish, and enjoyed the amazing boat. He and his assistant were extremely enthusiastic and were great in teaching my kids about fishing in the Gulf. Great times had by all and would greatly recommend him.
Christopher J. | April 13, 2026

Trip: Nokomis Offshore/Nearshore

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Certified Damn Good Guides offer 10/10 trips. Guides earn this badge through quality reviews, quick and responsive communication, and low cancellation rates.