Cayo Costa State Park Fishing Reports (May 2026)

Christopher LeDrew
Cape Coral, Florida
Reported: 2 months ago

Today's trip

See Full Report & Photos >

Christopher LeDrew Cape Coral, Florida Reported: 2 months ago

Today's trip

Scroll for more Close

Isaiah Torres
Fort Myers, Florida
Reported: 3 months ago

Sheepshead bite has been insane

See Full Report & Photos >

Isaiah Torres Fort Myers, Florida Reported: 3 months ago

Sheepshead bite has been insane

Scroll for more Close

Al Harrington
Cape Coral, Florida
Reported: 4 months ago

• Sheepshead: This is the star of the show right now. As the water cools, "convicts" are moving onto dock pilings, bridge footings (especially the Matlacha Bridge), and oyster bars. Use small pieces of fresh shrimp or fiddler crabs on a #1 or 1/0 circle hook. • Redfish: Look for...

See Full Report & Photos >

Al Harrington Cape Coral, Florida Reported: 4 months ago

• Sheepshead: This is the star of the show right now. As the water cools, "convicts" are moving onto dock pilings, bridge footings (especially the Matlacha Bridge), and oyster bars. Use small pieces of fresh shrimp or fiddler crabs on a #1 or 1/0 circle hook.
• Redfish: Look for "tailers" on the shallow flats during the low afternoon tides. With negative tides predicted around midday, focus on the edges of deep-water creeks and mangrove shorelines.
• Trout: Seatrout are scattered across the 3- to 5-foot grassy flats. Drifting with a popping cork and live shrimp or slow-working a soft plastic paddle tail is the most consistent way to find them.
• Snook: Most snook have retreated into the warmer backcountry canals and up the Caloosahatchee River. They are a bit lethargic due to the temp drop, so slow down your presentation.

Scroll for more Close

Christopher LeDrew
Cape Coral, Florida
Reported: 4 months ago

They had a good time today, especially the young man!

See Full Report & Photos >

Christopher LeDrew Cape Coral, Florida Reported: 4 months ago

They had a good time today, especially the young man!

Scroll for more Close

Roland Willock
Cape Coral, Florida
Reported: 9 months ago

Weather has been a pain especially in the afternoons this time of year but getting it done!!!

See Full Report & Photos >

Roland Willock Cape Coral, Florida Reported: 9 months ago

Weather has been a pain especially in the afternoons this time of year but getting it done!!!

Scroll for more Close

Brandon Douberly
Bartow, Florida
Reported: 1 year ago

The winter feels are here in Southwest Florida. We may not be in full blown cold season but it feels like it some days. Early cold fronts that have not been common the past several years, extreme low winter type tides and of course our northern visitors have made their...

See Full Report & Photos >

Brandon Douberly Bartow, Florida Reported: 1 year ago

The winter feels are here in Southwest Florida. We may not be in full blown cold season but it feels like it some days. Early cold fronts that have not been common the past several years, extreme low winter type tides and of course our northern visitors have made their appearance. The other, more notable signs of winter fishing is the invasion of big sheepshead in to our inshore waters. When the temps drop these delicious fish make their way inshore to engage their annual spawning. Sheepshead are big, hardy, tasty and strong fighting fish that feed exclusively on crustaceans like barnacles, shrimp, crabs and even sand fleas. Our sheepshead are a structure oriented species, meaning they like cover such as docks, rock piles, mangrove branches and you can sometimes find them along oyster beds where a lot of their food can be found. They have big strong jaws, lined with rows of rounded teeth resembling human teeth. They are quite the sight to see, but despite their strange appearance they taste much like the food they consume. Some people would compare their meat to crab. I typically target these fish using a sharp 1/4 ounce jig head tipped with a small shrimp or if need be a piece of a larger shrimp. The key is to cover the hook without giving them enough hanging off the hook where they can pull it off. Covering the hook makes them have no choice but to eat the whole bait. Their mouth is so full of teeth sometimes it is difficult to get a hook in them, needless to say it is not uncommon to miss them.

Scroll for more Close

Logan Hawthorne
Cape Coral, Florida
Reported: 1 year ago

Nearshore bite is heating up.

See Full Report & Photos >

Logan Hawthorne Cape Coral, Florida Reported: 1 year ago

Nearshore bite is heating up.

Scroll for more Close

Brandon Douberly
Bartow, Florida
Reported: 1 year ago

Fishing ahead of a cold front is one of my absolute favorites. The barometric pressure gets to a perfect point before fronts come through and these fish feel it and get extremely active. Cold fronts can cause fish to go into a lethargic state where they have no energy or...

See Full Report & Photos >

Brandon Douberly Bartow, Florida Reported: 1 year ago

Fishing ahead of a cold front is one of my absolute favorites. The barometric pressure gets to a perfect point before fronts come through and these fish feel it and get extremely active. Cold fronts can cause fish to go into a lethargic state where they have no energy or motivation to chase or eat baits. Imagine for a second you wake up and you feel bloated, nauseous even, your initial reaction is not to get out of bed and eat a big breakfast, instead you lay around for as long as it takes to feel well again. This feeling in that scenario is very similar to what fish feel after a low pressure system blows through, they have to work to keep a balance and have no problem sitting around until the pressure builds back and they feel comfortable again. They tend to eat like they’re going into hibernation for a few days because essentially that is the case. As for the day we had before our most recent front, the fish had no quit in them, it seemed like every bait for 3-5 hours was getting bit. We caught tons of redfish, snook and trout in just a matter of a few hours. The trout were huge, most over 20 inches, redfish ranged in size but many between 19 and 25 inches. We caught a lot of snook too, most in the mid 20’s and a couple over 30. I had my brother out and we were on a mission to get meat for a family fish fry. We did our job, we limited out on all three species and the family will have a fine fish fry in the coming days.

Scroll for more Close