Best Time & Tides to Catch Big Redfish (All Explained)
Redfish are one of the most sought-after gamefish in inshore saltwater locations. Knowing when to fish for redfish based on time of day and tidal situation can make a huge difference between success and going home skunked.
What is the best time of day to catch redfish? The best time of day to catch redfish in shallow water bays is early morning when the water is cooler and midday is best for redfish in deeper water like bridges, jetties, and wrecks to escape the hotter water inshore.
The tide plays a huge factor as high tide will push redfish into the shallows to feed in the rich flooded bays and into channels as tide is receding to feed before the water dries up forcing redfish into deeper water.
There will always be exceptions to the pattern and some redfish do their own thing, but this is a good general pattern for most redfish. For a complete breakdown of the best times & seasons to catch redfish in Florida, please check out this helpful guide I wrote.
I know this is a bit random, but if you ever wanted to go on a guided or chartered fishing trip in freshwater or saltwater, you should check out Fishing Booker. They are the leading database of certified and professional fishing guides at the guaranteed lowest prices.
They have countless listings for such dream destinations as the Florida Keys, Corpus Christi, Great Lakes, San Diego, Central America, Montana, and many more. Click here to visit Fishing Booker and book your trip of a lifetime at very affordable prices.
Water temperature is a critical factor in your success catching redfish. Check out this complete guide to the best water temperatures to catch redfish I wrote. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish Cape Hatteras, please check out this helpful article I wrote.
Redfish Daily Movement Patterns
Redfish will make daily migrations during the warmer months into the shallows to feed. When the air is cool in the early morning, redfish will head into the shallows to feed on shrimp, crabs, and juvenile baitfish.
This occurs from dawn until mid-morning when the tide is cooperating on most days. As the air temperature skyrockets by midday, redfish will back off the shallows and into deeper, cooler water. Not only is this water more comfortable to redfish but that is where the best food sources will be.
The tide does play a big role in the daily movements of redfish, especially those in shallower water. We will cover the tides in great detail in the section but just know that high tides pushed redfish into the shallows and low tide pulls them out of the shallows.
For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish Port Aransas, please check out this helpful article I wrote.
High Tide vs. Low Tide
The changing tides play a big role in where redfish are and what times of day they are most active hunting. At high tide, redfish will flood into the shallows to hunt.
These areas were dried out just hours before and any crab or mollusk that remained was buried deep underground.
Once the tide returned, these creatures all emerged from the sand and are moving about. Furthermore, small fish will flood into these shallow areas. Redfish go in to gorge on the abundance of food items.
While the tide is high, redfish can freely feed in the shallows. The ebbing tide though will pull redfish back into selected deeper water.
Redfish often funnel into the channel(s) where water drawing out of the shallows will move through. This is the biggest “bang for your buck” for redfish since any bait being drawn back to the deeper water will likely pass by their faces.
They will remain here trying to feed until the fading water eventually forces them into deeper water. Pay close attention to the tide and tidal schedule for the day.
When redfish push into the channels as water draws out of the shallows, that is a great place to catch redfish that are very predictably bunched up.
If you want to learn what are the best fighting fish to catch to include saltwater and freshwater, please check out this helpful article I wrote. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in South Padre Island, please check out this complete guide I wrote.
Best Times of the Day
You can catch redfish all day and into the night. Redfish, just like any other predatory fish, will feed when food is available and can be caught. But there are definitely specific time windows when redfish bite more and can be more reliably caught by anglers.
The best time of day to catch redfish is in the morning before the sun heats up the shallows and in the afternoon off in deeper water features like jetties, wrecks, and bridges.
Redfish funnel back into deeper water in the afternoon because it is both cooler and holds more bait than the shallows. Tides also play a big role in the movement of redfish.
Reread the section above about tides and their effects on redfish action because that is probably the most important topic in the article.
Redfish Locations During Day
Morning
In the morning under cooler conditions and reduced light, redfish will often draw into the shallow bays and flats to hunt abundant prey.
The cooler temperatures make it more comfortable for redfish to swim and the reduced light gives redfish perhaps a decided tactical advantage over their prey with their superior eyesight and senses.
Redfish will remain in the shallows until the direct overhead sunlight makes it too harsh for redfish swimming in shallow waters or until the ebbing tide forces redfish to leave for deeper water.
Midday
During the middle of the day, conditions in shallow water become a lot harsher. Direct overhead sun is bright and hot. Furthermore, it is often low tide in the middle of the day meaning the shallows are completely void of water.
Redfish instead push back into deeper water. Look for big redfish in deeper water near wrecks, jetties, or bridge pillars. Bigger fish will be in deeper water and will readily hit live bait, cut bait, or lures. Refish will remain in deeper water until the sun starts to drop in the afternoon sky.
If you ever want to fish Charleston, this helpful article I wrote on the best times to fish Charleston will really help you out.
Evening & Night
Later in the evening, some redfish will push back into shallower water and while others will remain associated with deeper water. The air temperatures will be dropping and the light will be greatly reduced.
Many redfish will push into shallow water to hunt in the evening for nocturnal prey items. The redfish that remain deeper are usually bigger ones.
Hunting can remain really good well into the night but smaller redfish run a bigger risk of becoming prey themselves to nocturnal reef sharks. Big redfish can too but it takes a bigger shark typically to eat a big bull redfish.
Fishing for Redfish at Night
You can absolutely catch redfish at night. A lot of anglers target them around jetties and wrecks. The trick to catching big redfish at night is slowing way down.
Redfish can operate at night but they will have a harder time locating food and avoiding sharks in the darkness. Slow your approach way down.
Lures, especially jigs, work well but I recommend going live bait or cut bait. Make sure to let the baits soak longer and give redfish more time to locate the bait.
The nighttime can be an awesome time to catch big bull redfish without a ton of pressure from other boats, but you really have to feed them bait they can actually find in the darkness.
Best Season for Redfish Action
You can catch redfish all year so check your state’s resources or bait shops to learn when redfish bite best in your local waters. A lot of anglers target redfish in summer. There is an abundance of juvenile baitfish and shrimp for redfish to eat.
You have to remember that a whole bunch of different species gave birth to the next generation in the spring months and now the waters are teaming with small fish as well as shrimp and crabs. The summer is a great time to fish. To catch big bull redfish, late summer and early fall is best.
Late summer and early fall is when bull redfish show up to deeper locations like jetties, wrecks, and bridges. It can be a great time to catch some fish for bragging rights. I like the early fall for the biggest redfish myself.
For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish Mobile, Alabama, please check out this helpful article I wrote. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Texas for redfish, please check out this helpful article I wrote. Click here to see a breakdown of the best times for seatrout.
