Clearwater Harbor Fishing Reports (May 2026)

Tyson Wallerstein
Clearwater, Florida
Reported: 1 year ago

Artic air early this week will certainly cool off what’s been a hot wintertime bite. Unseasonably warm water temperatures over the past couple of weeks have helped to get all inshore fish moving around better, especially snook. A good snook bite can be hard to come by this time of...

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Tyson Wallerstein Clearwater, Florida Reported: 1 year ago

Artic air early this week will certainly cool off what’s been a hot wintertime bite. Unseasonably warm water temperatures over the past couple of weeks have helped to get all inshore fish moving around better, especially snook. A good snook bite can be hard to come by this time of year. however they are opportunists and if conditions are right they can feed aggressively especially in the afternoon. Redfish are much more cold tolerant than the snook and can be found shadowing mullet schools in both the Intercoastal waterway as well as the expansive flats of Tampa Bay. Target the first half of the incoming tide for redfish right now. The lower water will make it easier to spot the mullet schools and in turn put you where you need to be for the redfish. Chunk baits such as ladyfish and mullet work excellent under these conditions, allowing you to make extremely long casts to comfortable fish. Scaled sardines a.k.a. pilchards can still be cast netted in volume most days and have been the ticket for getting the snook fired up. The bait has moved deeper and can often be found near the bay bridges in deeper dredge holes. Look for high diving pelicans to give the bait away, typically the higher they dive the bigger the bait. Snook have been willing to creep out of backwater creeks over the last several days, but don’t expect them to venture too far from their safe zone. Target mangrove shoreline’s that have small feeder creeks along them on the later portion of the afternoon incoming tide

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Gage Brady
New Port Richey, Florida
Reported: 1 year ago

We have a red snapper season Nov 18th to Jan 1st !

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Gage Brady New Port Richey, Florida Reported: 1 year ago

We have a red snapper season Nov 18th to Jan 1st !

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Jim Vanderbeck
Clearwater, Florida
Reported: 1 year ago

Offshore red snapper and mangrove snapper are everywhere... The bite has been on fire! Ensure trout redfish and snook seem to be on every grass flat and every Beach

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Jim Vanderbeck Clearwater, Florida Reported: 1 year ago

Offshore red snapper and mangrove snapper are everywhere... The bite has been on fire! Ensure trout redfish and snook seem to be on every grass flat and every Beach

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Jim Vanderbeck
Clearwater, Florida
Reported: 1 year ago

Redfish, sheepshead, trout are on fire inshore, snook are still in the creeks. Red grouper are abundant when you can get out with the crazy winds we've been having!

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Jim Vanderbeck Clearwater, Florida Reported: 1 year ago

Redfish, sheepshead, trout are on fire inshore, snook are still in the creeks. Red grouper are abundant when you can get out with the crazy winds we've been having!

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Jim Vanderbeck
Clearwater, Florida
Reported: 2 years ago

Offshore red grouper and red snapper are everywhere. Amberjack showing up in large numbers on every reef. Inshore or near shore kingfish and Spanish mackerel or abundant back in the Creeks black drum are dominant

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Jim Vanderbeck Clearwater, Florida Reported: 2 years ago

Offshore red grouper and red snapper are everywhere. Amberjack showing up in large numbers on every reef. Inshore or near shore kingfish and Spanish mackerel or abundant back in the Creeks black drum are dominant

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Jim Vanderbeck
Clearwater, Florida
Reported: 2 years ago

Docks and canals are where the reds, blacks, and sheep's are!!

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Jim Vanderbeck Clearwater, Florida Reported: 2 years ago

Docks and canals are where the reds, blacks, and sheep's are!!

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Ron Finger with Fish Hawk Charters
Tierra Verde, Florida
Reported: 2 years ago

The Best Snapper Species Snappers are a fish family that need no introduction. Anglers from all over the world come to Florida to Target & catch them and love them for a variety of reasons. They’re usually easy to locate, are abundant in population, and provide a tasty treat. Just...

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Ron Finger with Fish Hawk Charters Tierra Verde, Florida Reported: 2 years ago

The Best Snapper Species
Snappers are a fish family that need no introduction. Anglers from all over the world come to Florida to Target & catch them and love them for a variety of reasons. They’re usually easy to locate, are abundant in population, and provide a tasty treat. Just the names “Mangrove Snapper” and “Red Snapper” get every saltwater fisher’s heart racing.
But before you think about cooking one up for a tasty treat, we will get U locked & loaded to land a boat load full.
We are very fortunate on the West Coast Florida Gulf of Mexico with the Mangrove and the Red Snapper. But other common species include the Cubera Snapper, Lane Snapper, Mutton Snapper, and Yellowtail Snapper. There are actually a total of 125 Snapper species that inhabit the earth’s oceans!
Mangrove Snapper
These guys have a red or pinkish tint that covers their small, rough scales. And don’t be fooled by their little teeth – they’re seriously sharp! To know where to find these fish, take a hint from their name. You’ll find them in mangrove islands but you can also find them hanging around docks, piers, grass flats, and more.
Red Snapper
Next up we have one of the largest and most favorable Snapper species, the Red Snapper. This species puts up a tough fight in offshore waters and can weigh up to 50 pounds! They’re also among the best-tasting fish species, period. Unfortunately, though, they’ve been overfished in many places, so there are strict seasons in place, especially here in Florida.
Cubera Snapper
The Cubera Snapper is another large Snapper species, with the biggest recorded weighing 120 pounds. They can be harder to find and make more of a rare appearance. But that just makes it more exciting when you catch one! These fish are more commonly found in deeper wrecks and reefs.
Lane Snapper
Next up we have Lane Snapper. A step down from Cubera Snapper, these little guys reach maximum lengths of 20 inches. But what they lack in size, they make up in strength. Lane Snapper will try and take any bait you present, even if that means grabbing it before a larger fish can. They have a pretty mix of white, yellow, and pink to create a tropical-looking fish. And, as with most Snappers, their fillets are quite delicious as well.
Mutton Snapper
The Mutton Snapper almost looks like a mix of the Mangrove and Lane Snapper, except they’re quite a bit larger. These guys range in size and you catch smaller ones or large ones out on the reefs.
Yellowtail Snapper
Last on the list, we have Yellowtail Snapper. Another fish on the smaller side, these fish are cute and can be recognized easily by their yellow tails – hence their name. They heavily populate southern Florida, where anglers can constantly rip them up and head home with a small but delicious treat!
Snapper Fishing Rules and Regulations
Now that you’re aware of common Snapper species, let’s talk about rules and regulations. As mentioned, there are tons of Snapper species out there. That means there are different types of rules for different types of fish, including maximum and minimum lengths, bag limits, and more.
It’s very important that you know the difference in regulations for each species. We have You fully covered.
We have the Federal Pelagic Species's Permits & NOAA Reef Permits to legally land any/all these snapper Species including ARS - American Red Snapper during the Federal Regulation Season Gulf of Mexico June - Aug
We are Fully Credentialed to both Target & Deliver the Snapper Species you deserve & desire.

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Jim Vanderbeck
Clearwater, Florida
Reported: 2 years ago

Red snapper have been chewing the bottom out of the boat... Red grouper as well. Mahi are showing up strong in the gulf this year.

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Jim Vanderbeck Clearwater, Florida Reported: 2 years ago

Red snapper have been chewing the bottom out of the boat... Red grouper as well. Mahi are showing up strong in the gulf this year.

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