Estero Bay Weather Forecast

Fishing reports straight from our guides in Estero Bay

Al Harrington
Al H.
Cape Coral, Florida
Reported 6 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...
Al Harrington
Al H. Cape Coral, Florida Reported 6 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.
Fishing in Cape Coral, Florida
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Steve Gould
Steve G.
Marco Island, Florida
Reported 6 months ago
We crushed them today. Tomorrow higher winds then Thursday light wind
Steve Gould
Steve G. Marco Island, Florida Reported 6 months ago
We crushed them today. Tomorrow higher winds then Thursday light wind
Fishing in Marco Island, Florida
Fishing in Marco Island, Florida
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Tim Daugherty
Tim D.
Naples, Florida
Reported 6 months ago
The fishing this week around Naples and Marco Island has been nothing short of fantastic, with action firing on all cylinders. Anglers booking Naples fishing charters or Marco Island fishing charters are finding steady opportunities throughout the middle islands and deep in the backcountry. As water temperatures cool, the conditions have been ideal for a classic winter pattern, and the fish are responding in a big way.

We’re still catching plenty of snook along the middle islands, and the snook fishing Naples and snook fishing Marco Island anglers are experiencing consistent hookups. Every year when the water temps begin to...
Tim Daugherty
Tim D. Naples, Florida Reported 6 months ago
The fishing this week around Naples and Marco Island has been nothing short of fantastic, with action firing on all cylinders. Anglers booking Naples fishing charters or Marco Island fishing charters are finding steady opportunities throughout the middle islands and deep in the backcountry. As water temperatures cool, the conditions have been ideal for a classic winter pattern, and the fish are responding in a big way.

We’re still catching plenty of snook along the middle islands, and the snook fishing Naples and snook fishing Marco Island anglers are experiencing consistent hookups. Every year when the water temps begin to
fall, those snook push farther into the backcountry, and this week is no exception. On the low incoming tides, the fish have been staging along shorelines with deep undercuts, which are producing excellent numbers. For those seeking snook fishing on artificials, fly, or live bait, expect the action to remain strong as long as the warmer weather holds.

A decent redfish bite is also underway, with reds mixed in alongside the snook. The bait fishing has been outstanding as well—live pilchards are thick on the nearshore wrecks just a mile or so off the beaches, and I am loading up with only a few throws of the cast net. With live wells full, we’re set up perfectly for action-packed days on the water. Combined with aggressive schools of jacks and plentiful mangrove snapper, anglers on Naples fishing guides trips and guided fishing trips out of Marco Island are staying busy from start to finish.
Fishing in Naples, Florida
Fishing in Naples, Florida
Fishing in Naples, Florida
Fishing in Naples, Florida
Fishing in Naples, Florida
Fishing in Naples, Florida
Fishing in Naples, Florida
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Tim Rushing
Tim R.
Naples, Florida
Reported 7 months ago
The Naples Fishing Report for December is full of fish, fun, and mild weather! We’ve been bouncing around from Naples to Marco Island and the 10,000 Islands the past several weeks, and the fishing has been outstanding. December fishing down here in Southwest Florida is always one of those special windows of time, where the skies are easter egg blue, the waters calm, and the temperatures balmy! If you want a tripletail, they are showing up all over the trap buoys. The back country is loaded with all kinds of fun things to catch, from trophies, to dinner, or loads...
Tim Rushing
Tim R. Naples, Florida Reported 7 months ago
The Naples Fishing Report for December is full of fish, fun, and mild weather! We’ve been bouncing around from Naples to Marco Island and the 10,000 Islands the past several weeks, and the fishing has been outstanding. December fishing down here in Southwest Florida is always one of those special windows of time, where the skies are easter egg blue, the waters calm, and the temperatures balmy! If you want a tripletail, they are showing up all over the trap buoys. The back country is loaded with all kinds of fun things to catch, from trophies, to dinner, or loads of fish plain ol family and kid catching fun! The water has cooled down into the low 70’s and that always seems to jumpstart the fish into a frisky mood as they try to eat the waves of bait that are still present. They also start to pick up an interest in eating shrimp. The fish that seem to really start biting during this time of year are the seatrout. They love shrimp, jigs tipped with shrimp, and will eat pilchards. The weeks before the cold snap last week seemed to produce at least one nice redfish, every trip along with countless smaller snook, fun-sized tarpon, snapper and jack crevalle. That trend of nice redfish has continued. Since those couple of cold days behind the front, the fishing in Naples started producing a load of black drum, trout, nice redfish, jewfish, snapper, sheepshead and jack crevalle. We started mixing in shrimp, and jigs for bait, along with pilchards. If you want to catch something to eat, watch the kids or family have fun, or hunt a trophy it's a great time to make it happen
Fishing in Naples, Florida
Fishing in Naples, Florida
Fishing in Naples, Florida
Fishing in Naples, Florida
Fishing in Naples, Florida
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Dalton Rybka
Dalton R.
Fort Myers Beach, Florida
Reported 7 months ago
The sheepshead bite has been on fire along with snook and trout! During these extreme winter lows the docks and grass flats have been producing
Dalton Rybka
Dalton R. Fort Myers Beach, Florida Reported 7 months ago
The sheepshead bite has been on fire along with snook and trout! During these extreme winter lows the docks and grass flats have been producing
Fishing in Fort Myers, Florida
Fishing in Fort Myers, Florida
Fishing in Fort Myers, Florida
Fishing in Fort Myers, Florida
Fishing in Fort Myers, Florida
Fishing in Fort Myers, Florida
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Perry Bedell
Perry B.
Naples, Florida
Reported 7 months ago
November wrapped up on a high note, capped off by a busy holiday week and some incredible catches for our clients. As we transition toward winter and the water continues to cool, our offshore fishery shifts into an entirely different gear. This time of year, you truly never know what you might run into offshore—and that unpredictability is part of the fun. Just this week, we ran across a school of massive Blackfin Tuna surprisingly close to land. Encounters like these are exactly the kind of bonus opportunities winter can bring. Along with the occasional surprises, all of our reliable...
Perry Bedell
Perry B. Naples, Florida Reported 7 months ago
November wrapped up on a high note, capped off by a busy holiday week and some incredible catches for our clients. As we transition toward winter and the water continues to cool, our offshore fishery shifts into an entirely different gear. This time of year, you truly never know what you might run into offshore—and that unpredictability is part of the fun. Just this week, we ran across a school of massive Blackfin Tuna surprisingly close to land. Encounters like these are exactly the kind of bonus opportunities winter can bring. Along with the occasional surprises, all of our reliable staples have been showing nicely too. Cobia schools have been consistent from the nearshore wrecks out to the offshore structures, and they’ll remain one of our primary targets throughout the winter season. With the cooler temperatures, big Amberjacks are also pushing in closer. These fish provide an absolute blast on rod and reel—we'll chum them up and throw artificials or flies right at them on the surface. Winter also brings some of the best bottom fishing of the entire year, and it’s prime time for serious meat runs. Grouper and Snapper will continue to be major players offshore through the coming months. On the inshore side, we’re right on the edge of switching fully into our winter pattern, transitioning from live pilchards to shrimp and jigs once the backcountry water temps reach that key threshold. Live bait is still producing well with Snook, Redfish, and plenty of Jack Crevalles. As things cool a bit more, shrimp fishing will light up with Trout, Sheepshead, Pompano, Redfish,
Fishing in Naples, Florida
Fishing in Naples, Florida
Fishing in Naples, Florida
Fishing in Naples, Florida
Fishing in Naples, Florida
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Tyler Keegan
Tyler K.
Marco Island, Florida
Reported 8 months ago
Redfish are on fire! Nearshore bite for kingfish, snapper, and snook. Tarpon are blowing up schools of mullet!
Tyler Keegan
Tyler K. Marco Island, Florida Reported 8 months ago
Redfish are on fire! Nearshore bite for kingfish, snapper, and snook. Tarpon are blowing up schools of mullet!
Fishing in Marco Island, Florida
Fishing in Marco Island, Florida
Fishing in Marco Island, Florida
Fishing in Marco Island, Florida
Fishing in Marco Island, Florida
Fishing in Marco Island, Florida
Fishing in Marco Island, Florida
Fishing in Marco Island, Florida
Fishing in Marco Island, Florida
Fishing in Marco Island, Florida
Fishing in Marco Island, Florida
Fishing in Marco Island, Florida
Fishing in Marco Island, Florida
Fishing in Marco Island, Florida
Fishing in Marco Island, Florida
Fishing in Marco Island, Florida
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Tyler Keegan
Tyler K.
Marco Island, Florida
Reported 11 months ago
Great snook, mangrove snapper and small tarpon bite. Redfish should be picking up really soon in good numbers!
Tyler Keegan
Tyler K. Marco Island, Florida Reported 11 months ago
Great snook, mangrove snapper and small tarpon bite. Redfish should be picking up really soon in good numbers!
Fishing in Marco Island, Florida
Fishing in Marco Island, Florida
Fishing in Marco Island, Florida
Fishing in Marco Island, Florida
Fishing in Marco Island, Florida
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Dan Muench
Dan M.
Fort Myers, Florida
Reported 11 months ago
Out today with two teens. Hot. Water temp said 89 degrees! Redfish bite is still good! And some tarpon are still in the area!
Dan Muench
Dan M. Fort Myers, Florida Reported 11 months ago
Out today with two teens. Hot. Water temp said 89 degrees! Redfish bite is still good! And some tarpon are still in the area!
Fishing in Fort Myers, Florida
Fishing in Fort Myers, Florida
Fishing in Fort Myers, Florida
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James Goodman
James G.
Fort Myers, Florida
Reported 11 months ago
Been an incredible bite for big snook fishing 6 inch live threadfin herring on 30 lb leader with a 4/0 circle hook. Pitching the mangroves on a strong tide.
James Goodman
James G. Fort Myers, Florida Reported 11 months ago
Been an incredible bite for big snook fishing 6 inch live threadfin herring on 30 lb leader with a 4/0 circle hook. Pitching the mangroves on a strong tide.
Fishing in Fort Myers, Florida
Fishing in Fort Myers, Florida
Fishing in Fort Myers, Florida
Fishing in Fort Myers, Florida
Fishing in Fort Myers, Florida
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Recent Estero Bay Reviews

  • ★★★★★
    Captain Ty was awesome to us! Definitely booking with him again!

    Thomas N. | July 13, 2026

    Trip: Inshore Slam

  • ★★★★★
    Had a great time. Lots of action. Captain was helpful with our young men and took time to teach them. 13 different species of fish!

    James A. | June 29, 2026

    Trip: Fort Myers Beach Local Captain.

  • ★★★★★
    My kids and I had a great day with Captain Jesse, he had them on fish for the majority of our time on the water. The gear was in good shape and he was attentive throughout the trip those who needed help the most.. I would definitely recommend booking a trip with Captain Jesse!

    Todd T. | June 22, 2026

    Trip: Fort Myers Beach Local Captain.

  • ★★★★★
    My family enjoyed Jesse but did have a couple comments. It seemed he was not as forthcoming to assist but helped if asked. The other comment was about the smoking. Our family is very sensitive about cigarette smoke due to my bout with pancreatic cancer for which the leading cause is cigarette smoking, even though I have never smoked in my life. They didn’t expect him to stop to fill up on their fishing time. I would say his communication was above expectations. Thank you.

    Laurel K. | June 8, 2026

    Trip: Fort Myers Beach Local Captain.

  • ★★★★★
    Mike was great and the entire group had a great time. The trip flew by, definitely worth doing

    Josh D. | June 3, 2026

    Trip: Fishing Backwater (No Waves)

  • ★★★★★
    Michael was great! Had a great day fishing!

    Jameson L. | May 30, 2026

    Trip: Charlotte Harbor Inshore Fishing

  • ★★★★★
    Jack did a great job! He really worked hard to make it a fun trip! We would definitely book another trip with him! Fun day!

    Peter R. | May 26, 2026

    Trip: Inshore Bay Trip - 23' Aqua Star

  • ★★★★★
    Had a great trip with Captain Tim. It was clear that he has vast experience with the local waters. He’s a pro!

    Kevin B. | May 22, 2026

    Trip: Inshore Adventure Starts Here

  • ★★★★★
    Great time caught fish jack is a good dude!

    Jimmie S. | May 19, 2026

    Trip: Inshore Bay Trip - 23' Aqua Star

  • ★★★★★
    Good time, perfect day. Capt Dalton moved around until we found fish. Highly recommended

    Kevin S. | April 24, 2026

    Trip: Fishing Thrills In Fort Myers

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