Best Times & Seasons to Fish Jacksonville, Florida (Guide)
Jacksonville is an often overlooked fishing destination, but it can actually offer some of the best fishing in Florida throughout the year. Knowing the best time of year to fish these rich waters can make a huge difference.
The best time to catch fish in Jacksonville is late summer through mid-fall as bigger fish like striped bass, king mackerel, cobia, and redfish are targeting schooling baitfish in preparation for winter.
| Fish Species | Best Season to Fish in Jacksonville, Florida |
| Striped Bass | July through October is the best time for big schooling stripers. |
| Cobia | Fall & Spring are the best seasons. The biggest cobia are caught in Fall. |
| King Mackerel | May through September is the best time to catch kingfish. |
| Redfish | October through May are the prime months for large bull redfish. |
| Seatrout | Night fishing during the summer is best. May through August is prime time. |
Jacksonville holds a lot of fish. From inland fishing for bass to deep-sea fishing, Jacksonville can satisfy that itch to get into some good fish. You can also experience the view of the city without all of the people, as the views of the city while you’re on the water are great.
Jacksonville offers everything you could want for a fishing trip, bass fishing, river fishing, inland fishing, and deep-sea fishing, all of these are productive ways of catching fish, it just becomes a personal preference on how you want to catch a ton of fish at that point.
Best Time to Fish Jacksonville
Fishing in Jacksonville is excellent year-round, but if you’re looking for the best bang for your buck, spring or fall will be your best bet.
These times offer the best variety of species, and usually, they’ll be big fish. The water temperatures are cooler and the fish are preparing for the changing seasons, so they are hungry.
I recommend this Penn Pursuit Spinning Rod & Reel combo (available on Amazon) for inshore and nearshore fishing. It can handle everything from redfish to snapper and king mackerel. The Penn Battalion Series Spinning Rod and the Penn Battle Spinning Reel are fantastic to create your combo.
Species of Jacksonville: Best Times
Cobia
Cobia like water temps right around 70 degrees, making them an excellent target for anglers visiting Jacksonville during Spring and Fall. They can be found in the summer as well, but are usually in deeper water and a bit more scattered.
Going for cobia in the fall or winter offers you the best chance at catching some bigger ones. Sight-fishing for cobia as the water warms up can be a great time with lots of fish, usually, the best times of day for this are mid-day in the fall and spring or early morning/evening fishing in the summer.
The most common bait for cobia are jigs with plastics on them. Keep changing up your retrieve until you find a pattern that works.
If you’re looking to cover a lot of water to find a pod, a faster retrieve might work better. If you’re shore or surf fishing for cobia, you can use the same technique as well.
Cobia tend to stay in-shore in the fall and spring, and head deeper in the summer. You can find cobia along the flats and near shallow structure. If you’re fishing from shore, they won’t be too far from piers or not too far out from beaches.
Sea Trout
You’ll find that Spring offers your best chance at finding bigger sea trout. They generally hang around the mouth of the St. Johns River, waiting for migrating fish to come from the river. Summer can also be a great time to fish for sea trout, with night fishing being a highlight.
Night fishing during the summer is so good because the water cools off and brings baitfish in shallow. During the fall, there is plenty of baitfish roaming around inlets and in rivers. And where there’s baitfish, there’s going to be trout.
Sea Trout love hard and soft plastics, you can’t go wrong with anything that imitates a shiny minnow swimming around, or a shrimp lower in the water column. Sea trout can be very aggressive, so having an erratic retrieve could produce several fish for you.
Sea Trout love being near inlets and rivers, and with Jacksonville having 3 major river systems nearby, it’s a perfect place to target them.
The Nassau River is on the north side of Jacksonville, the Fort George River is straight east, combining with the St. Johns River. The mouths of these rivers are all great spots to find sea trout.
Striped Bass
Striped bass can usually be found as the tide is changing, and just before dusk or dawn. The fall is a great time to go for striped bass as they are looking to put on some weight for the colder temperatures in the winter.
They continue to put on weight through the late spring, when the temperatures warm up, making fall through spring great times to fish.
Striped bass have a considerably different diet than largemouth bass, as they can live in both fresh and saltwater. Generally, anglers like to use live eels, herring, or other baitfish, but clams and crabs can also prove to be effective.
Striped bass spawn in freshwater and move out into saltwater when they’re about 2-4 years old if their waterway is connected to the ocean.
They don’t have eyelids, so the high sun during the midday can be brutal for them, causing them to move into deeper water. Having solid electronics can be a huge help to find isolated pods in deeper water.
King Mackerel (Kingfish)
King Mackerel, also known as kingfish, are one of the most sought-after fish of Jacksonville. One of the keys to finding kingfish is to find the bait, they are very aggressive fish looking to feed on a whole cloud of baitfish if they can.
Using live bait that is natural to the area is a very popular tactic for kingfish fishermen. Pogies, blue runners, or ribbonfish are the go-to for anglers in Jacksonville. Bigger bait usually means a bigger kingfish, with some anglers preferring 8–12-inch bait.
You can find kingfish following groups of pogies or other baitfish along beaches or around shrimp boats after they dump their unwanted catch.
Kingfish will hang just outside of river mouths or by drop-offs as the tide changes. If the tide is going out, the baitfish will be brought with it, giving the kingfish an easy meal. Kingfish can be found shallow or deep, so you do have a chance of finding some offshore as well.
Red Snapper
Red snapper have a relatively long season, being active from October through May. They can still be found in the summer, but are a lot more scattered and are usually caught while deep-sea fishing.
For bait, you’ll want to use a shiny baitfish, like a pinfish or a cigar minnow. Red snapper are one of the few fish that usually won’t bite on dead bait, so keeping your bait fresh is very important.
You can rig these fish with weight and jig and drop it down to the wreck or reef you’re fishing and expect to get hit pretty quick.
You can find a large number of red snapper offshore and deep-sea fishing, mainly around wrecks. Fish, in general, gravitate towards structure, including baitfish, which brings in the bigger fish. Don’t be surprised if a wreck is your charters go-to spot for red snapper.
You can also expect to catch a variety of other fish, the biodiversity of these areas is great and you can only target a certain species so much.
Redfish/Black Drum
Redfish and black drum go hand in hand, you can use the same presentations to catch both of these fish in the same general areas.
Redfish can be found year-round in Jacksonville, making them one of the staple species to fish for. At almost any time, you can find them in the same flats and inshore spots, as usual, there are exceptions, such as storms and pressure.
Springtime usually brings big fish and lots of numbers, these fish are no exception. The fish are also very active in the fall as the water temperature begins to drop a bit, they want to put some weight on for the winter.
Live shrimp jigs are a solid choice for both of these fish, you can’t go wrong with a live baitfish either. Try casting your bait around deeper holes, structure, and grass if you find some, these fish love having this cover from the sun during the day.
Usually, flats and inshore are considered to be the best spots to catch these fish, usually, they’ll be somewhat shallow feeding around dusk and dawn, and move a bit deeper during midday.
During midday, you might find schools of these fish hanging around the outer edges of the flats, where it drops off a bit, or you can find them around river mouths all day long.
Recommended Fishing Charters in Jacksonville
These Jacksonville-based charters have earned great reviews from anglers and will offer you a tremendous service. The captains are knowledgeable, friendly, and are sure to put you on fish. By clicking the links below, you will be taken to the charter’s respective profile on Fishing Booker where you can read reviews, learn more about the charter, view photos, and book online at the best rate.
| Recommended Fishing Charters | Type of Fishing Offered |
| Hooker Charters & Guide Service (Jacksonville) | Backcountry, Inshore, Offshore |
| MisStress Sportfishing Charters (St. Augustine) | Inshore, Offshore, Big Game |
| First City Fishing Charters (St. Augustine) | Inshore, Offshore, Big Game |
| Great White Charters (St. Augustine) | Inshore & Offshore |
| Backwater Fishing Adventures (Jacksonville) | Backcountry & Inshore |
For a complete breakdown of the best seasons to catch redfish in Florida, please check out this helpful article I wrote. For a complete breakdown of the best seasons to fish in Florida, please check out this helpful article I wrote. For a complete breakdown of the best time to fish St. Augustine, please read this helpful article I wrote.
Best Seasons to Book a Charter
For inshore fishing, spring and fall are great times to book a charter, they can target specific species for you, but also can target almost anything as there is a much bigger variety of fish inshore during these times.
For offshore and deep-sea fishing, you can’t go wrong booking around these times as well, but the winter is a great time to catch tuna, snapper, grouper, and other fish that are commonly found on deep wrecks.
Best Time of Day to Fish Jacksonville
If you’re looking to catch the most fish, dawn or dusk are your best bets to catch a lot of fish. Drum, trout, cobia, and mackerel will be closer to shore and more accessible to you. Most fish love these times because of the cooler water temps.
During midday, don’t get discouraged, you can still find plenty of fish by the cover and in deeper water. The fish will be a little warier during midday, but as the evening rolls around, they’ll move back shallower and start to feed again.
Tidal Impacts on Jacksonville Fishing
As tides rise, they bring baitfish closer to shore, which brings bigger fish closer to shore as well. While tides are rising, fishing by river mouths is extremely good, as the predators will have two sources of food coming from different directions.
As tides recede, it will be more difficult to find fish, but is still possible. You’ll want to try casting by drop-offs and deeper holes with plenty of cover.
Whatever the tide is, it’s important to fish spots that look like they’ll hold fish, if it’s low tide, it may not be the best idea to cast into a 2-foot hole that you can see that there are no fish in. High tide brings in a variety of different bait and fresh, clean water, making it better than low tide.
Best Fishing Spots in Jacksonville: Best Times to Fish
Nassau Sound (inshore)
The Nassau Sound is home to the state record flounder and a variety of other fish from redfish to tarpon. The area is similar to a flats area and can be one of the most productive spots in the area.
The time of day that is most productive is the evening, you won’t have to worry about water temperatures creeping up, and sometimes the fishing gets better as the night goes on.
St. Johns River Mouth/Huguenot Memorial Park (inshore)
You can’t go wrong with fishing the rivers that go with these spots as well. You’ll find a variety of species from redfish, trout, snapper, and striped bass.
Usually, fish will be running in the rivers during spring and fall, as the water temperature is relatively low. As the water warms up, some will move out into the sound and into deeper water, going shallower during dawn and dusk.
Stockton Park (St. Johns River)
This spot is located just south of Jacksonville, where the river gets wider, on Ortega Island. Along with gorgeous views, the fishing is great here. You’ll commonly find striped bass, largemouth bass, snook, redfish, flounder, and catfish.
The St. Johns River has both saltwater and freshwater spots and fish, making it one of the most diverse inland waterways in the state.
This is a great spot to catch a ton of different fish without putting in too much work. Usually, jigging a shrimp around structure early in the day will produce a lot of fish.
Nassau Sound Fishing Bridge
As mentioned before, Nassau Sound is a great fishing spot, what makes it even better is that it has some of the best shore access out of any other spot.
This bridge spans a full mile, is only accessible to pedestrians, is close to the water, and produces a ton of fish. You’ll want to head to this spot at dusk or dawn, fish will move out from under the bridge and start roaming the flats for food.
Off-shore
Generally speaking, if you’re going offshore, you’re going to have a charter. Your captain will probably look for offshore wrecks, reefs, and other deep-water structures. All these spots will hold lots of fish, making offshore fishing a great option for a variety of fish.
Affect of Rain & Tropical Storms on Fishing in Jacksonville
Tropical storms bring a lot of wind and water, making fishing undesirable before and soon after a storm. Fish will be scattered and a lot jumpier in shallow water. In the days leading up to a Tropical Storm on the Atlantic coast, Jacksonville will be hit by powerful winds and rain, making fishing difficult.
Shortly after the storm, waters will be high, making fish harder to consistently track and pushing them into deeper, clearer water.
Night Fishing in Jacksonville
Night fishing in Jacksonville can be a great time if you’re prepared with the right equipment. If you’re fishing from shore, you’ll want powerful lights, somewhat heavy tackle, and plenty of caffeine, because the fishing will want to make you stay up all night long.
Usually, shrimp is a go-to bait because you can target a variety of species at the same time and shrimp has a strong enough smell for fish to find it at night.
Some good night fishing spots include under bridges, piers, and surf fishing at Jacksonville beach or Nassau Sound.
If you’re fishing from a boat, powerful lights and tackle are still a must-have, and fishing the flats can be very productive as the water temperature is lower and fish are going to be more active.
Shore & Surf Fishing in Jacksonville
Jacksonville offers a great variety of fishing spots from shore. Boasting 22 miles of beaches, 40 miles of the Intracoastal Waterway, and a huge stretch of the St. Johns River. You can find plenty of piers and beaches to fish from not too far away from Jacksonville.
There’s also the Nassau Sound fishing bridge, as mentioned before in the article. You’ll want to be equipped with a sturdy setup, either a surf set up or a strong spinning combo. Generally, surf rods are longer than normal rods, about 10 ft, making it easier to cast far out into the surf.
If you’re planning on fishing the rivers or small inlets, usually a 7–8-foot rod will do just fine. Your gear will vary on the species, these setups are recommended if you’re using a bait that a variety of species will like.
There are plenty of species to be caught from shore including kingfish, redfish, black drum, shark, and snook.
Freshwater Fishing for Bass in Jacksonville
One of the most sought-after freshwater species in the country, largemouth bass are generally more active around dawn and dusk, slowing down during mid-day as the water temp rises. In the morning, you can find them cruising around weed lines looking for food, during midday, you can find them under docks, trees, in the weeds, or any other kind of shady area.
Around dusk is one of the best times to catch huge largemouth, they are a lot more active and are hungry. Largemouth Bass love going for soft plastics (Worms, minnow imitations, etc.) but can also be caught using spinnerbaits, frogs, buzz baits, and skirted jigs.
Largemouth bass love the shade during most times of the day, so you can expect to find them around docks, bridges, weed lines, and other structure. You can also try sight fishing the areas between these spots, looking for bass that are moving from one spot to another. In normal conditions, largemouth bass tend to hang around these areas or on humps further out from shore.
For a complete breakdown of the best fishing times for St. Petersburg & Tampa, please check out this helpful article I wrote. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish Daytona Beach, please check out this helpful article I wrote. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Fernandina Beach, please check out this helpful article I wrote.
