Lakewood Ranch Fishing Reports (December 2025)

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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Joe Burruezo
Tampa, Florida
Reported: 2 years ago

Tarpon are doing tarpon things!

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Joe Burruezo Tampa, Florida Reported: 2 years ago

Tarpon are doing tarpon things!

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Ivan Reyes
St. Petersburg, Florida
Reported: 2 years ago

Spring chinook salmon is on fire in the Columbia river gorge.

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Ivan Reyes St. Petersburg, Florida Reported: 2 years ago

Spring chinook salmon is on fire in the Columbia river gorge.

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Patrick Bale
Key Largo, Florida
Reported: 2 years ago

The redfish bite has been pretty solid along with the snook bite. I’m starting to see some really nice mangrove snapper show up at some local docks as well. Reef fishing has also been good of the wind isn’t blowing too bad. Snapper, grunts and sheephead have been chewing pretty...

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Patrick Bale Key Largo, Florida Reported: 2 years ago

The redfish bite has been pretty solid along with the snook bite. I’m starting to see some really nice mangrove snapper show up at some local docks as well. Reef fishing has also been good of the wind isn’t blowing too bad. Snapper, grunts and sheephead have been chewing pretty good out there. The grouper have been chewing the floor out of the boat but unfortunately we can’t keep them right now.

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Todd Walker
Sarasota, Florida
Reported: 2 years ago

The snook are starting to stage in the pass. One was 40"and 28

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Todd Walker Sarasota, Florida Reported: 2 years ago

The snook are starting to stage in the pass. One was 40"and 28

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Mike Ayersman
Lakeland, Florida
Reported: 2 years ago

Bite is on fire

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Mike Ayersman Lakeland, Florida Reported: 2 years ago

Bite is on fire

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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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