Saint James City Fishing Reports (May 2026)

Robert F.
Naples, Florida
Reported 2 months ago

Spring is kicking into full effect. Different species are showing up, such as Jack, black drum, redfish, trout, and more!

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Robert F. Naples, Florida Reported 2 months ago

Spring is kicking into full effect. Different species are showing up, such as Jack, black drum, redfish, trout, and more!

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Perry B.
Naples, Florida
Reported 2 months ago

March is the true transition from winter into spring, and with it our fishery begins to come alive. What makes this time of year so special is the sheer range of species you can encounter. As water temperatures rise, opportunities expand both inshore and offshore, and the next few weeks...

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Perry B. Naples, Florida Reported 2 months ago

March is the true transition from winter into spring, and with it our fishery begins to come alive. What makes this time of year so special is the sheer range of species you can encounter. As water temperatures rise, opportunities expand both inshore and offshore, and the next few weeks are when things really start to happen.
Our inshore fishery will change dramatically by the end of this week. With a steady warming trend, we’ll shift from shrimp to live pilchards, opening the door to some of the best backcountry fishing of the year. Snook, Redfish, and juvenile Tarpon become increasingly active as they push back into the shallows after winter, making for exciting, visual fishing in calm conditions.
Offshore has already been stellar and is only getting better. Hundreds of permits have shown up early this season, along with plenty of barracudas and amberjacks to pull on. We’ve been feeding the AJs flies and artificials, creating some epic topwater eats. Cobia should begin to show soon, another strong kingfish run is upon us, and the snapper bite has been phenomenal. This time of year, we can chum them up near the surface—a bonus when we’re already surrounded by action, and they make for incredible table fare.
As we move into April, all eyes turn toward the arrival of the silver king. Tarpon and Permit will be our primary targets throughout the spring and into early summer.
March is already nearly full and April isn’t far behind. We’re looking forward to an epic spring with our clients—feel free to reach out with any questions about upcoming trips.
Happy fishing

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Dalton R.
Fort Myers Beach, Florida
Reported 2 months ago

The sheepshead and trout fishing has been great after these cold fronts, surprised to see snook still eating with 57 degree water temp

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Dalton R. Fort Myers Beach, Florida Reported 2 months ago

The sheepshead and trout fishing has been great after these cold fronts, surprised to see snook still eating with 57 degree water temp

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Mike W.
Chicago, Illinois
Reported 2 months ago

The inshore bite has been slow, but it's starting to heat up with the warm weather coming in Offshore the water clarity has affected the conditions for the last couple weeks, but we're now finally getting the water clear that were used to the wind has kicked up so we're...

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Mike W. Chicago, Illinois Reported 2 months ago

The inshore bite has been slow, but it's starting to heat up with the warm weather coming in

Offshore the water clarity has affected the conditions for the last couple weeks, but we're now finally getting the water clear that were used to the wind has kicked up so we're unsure what it'll bring. The Boat will be grounded for offshore for a couple days at least

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James W.
Port Charlotte, Florida
Reported 3 months ago

The water is starting to warm up the fish have been very active this week

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James W. Port Charlotte, Florida Reported 3 months ago

The water is starting to warm up the fish have been very active this week

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James W.
Port Charlotte, Florida
Reported 3 months ago

I've been stalking and sight fishing and Fishing the backcountry on negative tides. Been catching redfish in less than a foot of water.

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James W. Port Charlotte, Florida Reported 3 months ago

I've been stalking and sight fishing and Fishing the backcountry on negative tides. Been catching redfish in less than a foot of water.

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Tim R.
Naples, Florida
Reported 3 months ago

The fishing in Naples and Southwest Florida has been outstanding, with the fish into a nice wintertime pattern, despite the warm tropical weather. In the backcountry, we have been bouncing jigs and drifting shrimp on the bottom of the deep holes surrounded by shallow flats, and getting rewarded with all...

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Tim R. Naples, Florida Reported 3 months ago

The fishing in Naples and Southwest Florida has been outstanding, with the fish into a nice wintertime pattern, despite the warm tropical weather.

In the backcountry, we have been bouncing jigs and drifting shrimp on the bottom of the deep holes surrounded by shallow flats, and getting rewarded with all kinds of fish, big and small. Redfish, black drum, sheepshead, big seatrout, big mangrove snapper, jewfish (golaith grouper) and jack crevalle have been the predominant characters in the show, and they have kept bends in the rods, smiles on faces, and yummy delights on dinner plates!

The only species we have not been tangling with, have been snook and tarpon. And with another strong cold front heading down shortly, I don't expect to see those fish in the back waters, but one never knows!

In the meantime, we will keep on enjoying some outstanding fishing, fun, and fish dinners in the foreseeable future!

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Drew U.
Fort Myers, Florida
Reported 3 months ago

The sheepshead bite has been good using live shrimp on the bottom fishing docks, oyster bars, and deep mangrove shorelines.

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Drew U. Fort Myers, Florida Reported 3 months ago

The sheepshead bite has been good using live shrimp on the bottom fishing docks, oyster bars, and deep mangrove shorelines.

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