Best Times & Seasons to Fish Panama City (Complete Guide)
Panama City is one of the most popular spring break and summer fun destinations in America but it is also home to some of the best fishing in Florida. Knowing the best fishing seasons can really ramp up your success.
The best time to fish Panama City is summer for mahi mahi, sailfish, wahoo, amberjack, tarpon, red snapper, and cobia. Summer through mid-fall is best to catch king mackerel, tripletail, and blacktip sharks. Flounder and redfish are caught year-round in Panama City coastal waters.
| Fish Species | Best Seasons to Fish in Panama City, FL |
| Mahi Mahi | July through September |
| Sailfish | July through September |
| Wahoo | July through September |
| Amberjack | June through August |
| Tarpon | May through August |
| Redfish | Year-round |
| Flounder | Year-round |
| Tripletail | April to October |
| Blacktip Sharks | April to October |
| King Mackerel | May to October |
| Red Snapper | May to August |
| Cobia | May and June |
| Jack Crevalle | March to September |
The whole Florida Panhandle is known for its fishing. The St. Andrews Bay waters near PCB include the Emerald Coast’sCoast’s most extensive seagrass bed system. With hundreds of nearshore reefs and access to the Gulf of Mexico’s deep waters, there’s no end to what you can do here.
With such a broad range of fishing areas, it’s no wonder that fishing at Panama City Beach yields a diverse assortment of species. In the bay alone, there are approximately 3,000 distinct animal species.
To learn everything about saltwater fishing charters in Florida to include charters, tips, seasons, and tactics, check out this helpful site.
Best Time to Fish Panama City
In the grand scheme of things, there’s never a poor time to cast in Panama City Beach—excellent fishing possibilities abound all year. You may target various coveted species throughout the year, including redfish, speckled trout, bonito, sheepshead, vermillion snapper, and grouper.
As a variety of fish move into the warmed-up waters here in the spring and, on the other side of the season, stage for outgoing migration, the spring through fall season offers the broadest and varied chances. Cobia schools off the beaches in the springtime are a big lure. Tarpon appear in late spring and early summer, frequently near the shores; later in the season, they migrate to the bays.
Spring and summer catches include king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, jack crevalle, and Pompano; amberjack, grouper, and snapper are brought in from the wrecks where they gather. In the summer and fall, marlin, sailfish, tuna, mahi-mahi, and wahoo are fished offshore (and occasionally nearshore).
There are flounder possibilities all year, but the best is in the fall when these flatfish congregate in great numbers via passages and cuts on their way to the ocean.
Recommended Fishing Charters in Panama City
These Panama City-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 |
| Florida Panhandle Charters | Inshore & Offshore |
| PCB Water Adventures | Inshore & Offshore |
| Sheila Marie Charters | Inshore & Offshore |
| Old Town Charters | Inshore & Offshore |
| Capt. Sully Charters | Inshore & Offshore |
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.
Best Time of Day to Fish in Panama City
The majority of fish have nighttime eating patterns. When the fish are close to shore, the low light will give additional shelter for them to hide. Because the darkness saves energy and makes it easier for larger predatory fish to surprise smaller prey, you may expect to capture several larger fish while surf fishing during this time. Also, during the low light hours, the beach is generally calm and peaceful, making the fish feel more at ease approaching the shore to eat.
When the waters are cold in late fall, winter, or early spring, nighttime fishing is ineffective. I recommend fishing in the late afternoon when the water is cold and in the early morning to dusk when it is hot.
To learn the best seasons to fish Florida, please check out this helpful article I wrote.
Best Seasons for Panama City’s Top 5 Fishing Spots
Russell-Fields Pier: The Gulf Coast’s most enormous fishing pier reaches out over 1,500 feet into the water, drawing a variety of inshore and nearshore species found nowhere else. It is best during all seasons and all times of day (great at night as well). Get your waders ready, since this is the best spot in PCB for a swim. Prepare to catch redfish, both large and tiny, as well as a variety of other coastal species. This is best for spring and fall fishing, although it can be futile all year round.
St. Andrews State Park: If you prefer jetty fishing, come here and fish the rocks and beaches. When the fish come close to shore, try nearshore throwing Gulf-side, or turn inshore all year. Jetty fishing is excellent at night.
The Gulf of Mexico: Yes, we are aware that we are cheating a little! However, you can’t go wrong with a trip to the Gulf, from the nearshore reefs to the offshore oil rigs. Anglers of all types are welcome.
St. Andrews Bay Network: It’s hard to pick just one of the bays and lagoons around PCB since they’re all so beautiful. Take a ride on all of them and catch some fish in style,
Panama City Species Breakdown: Best Time
Year-round redfish
All Gulf Coast guides target redfish as a “standard” species. The redfish is our go-to species since it fights fiercely and is typically willing to participate! The smaller juvenile Redfish may be found in the St. Andrews Bay system’s back bays and flats.
In contrast, the more enormous breeding population can be found in and around the more profound passages. Most redfish anglers target the Panama City Pass, one of the most common places to find these redfish. These “pass” redfish are known as “bulls”. They may weigh anywhere from 10 to 30 pounds.
To learn the best times of the year to catch redfish in Florida, please check out this helpful article I wrote.
Tarpon season runs from May to August.
In the Panama City Beach region, our Panhandle Tarpon population is seasonal and migratory. As the water temperature rises in the spring, the tarpon moves inshore. As the fish begin to assemble, their pre-spawn behaviors and patterns emerge. Our beach bay boats in Panama City catch tarpon by sight fishing the migrating schools that swim and congregate along our beaches.
We use both light tackle and fly fishing to catch these fish. The tarpon fishing at Panama City Beach is world-class, and our bay boats are ideal for this sort of sight fishing. With “towers” affixed to the center console, your guide can identify migrating fish from afar and prepare the fisherman for the “shot.”
To learn the best times of the year to catch tarpon in Florida, please check out this helpful article I wrote.
Cobia is available from April to May.
This shark-like fish, also known as “Lemonfish” by locals, makes its migratory appearance along the Panama City Beaches in early spring. Cobia fishing is usually done by cruising the sandbars and looking for the west-swimming fish visually. Cobia swims near the surface and tends to migrate westward.
Anglers use a variety of lures, baits, and flies to induce a bite once they’ve been seen, and everyone has their own unique approach and style. Locals and captains throughout the Panhandle go Cobia crazy in the spring, waiting for the first fish to show up. Cobia is one of the most delicious eating fish to have graced the Panama Beach shores.
From Jack Crevalle: March through September
In the early spring, Jack Crevalle makes an appearance on Panama City’s shallow beaches. The jacks migrate inshore from their wintering wrecks to chase the returning mullet on the sandbars. Hundreds of jacks, weighing between 15-20 pounds, may be found in typical spring schools of jacks.
A Jack Crevalle is one of the most challenging fish to catch, pound for pound. I recommend targeting the jacks with surface plugs and flies; a surface presentation is the most effective and enjoyable way to tempt a jack to attack. In the spring, Bay boat guides run the shallow sandbars from their center console towers, looking for vast schools of fish.
The Red Snapper: May through August
The red snapper is one of the Gulf of Mexico’s typical reef/wreck species known as the “King of Table Fare”. The Florida Fisheries Department has focused a lot of attention on the Red Snapper in recent years; regulatory battles and overharvest have been linked to the species.
While the local fishing fleet generally only targets these fish during the “kill” season (June 1 to July 15), local guides have successfully practiced catching and releasing these species for years.
May to October: King Mackerel
The King Mackerel is a long-time favorite among North Florida charter captains. It is one of the largest and quickest of the mackerel family, weighing in at 30-40 pounds. They’re known as “smokers” because they’re both hot on the reel and tasty in a wood smoker. Live chum, trolling, or live bait with spinning tackle can all be used to catch King Mackerel.
April to October: Blacktip Shark
The Blacktip is a fantastic game fish that needs more attention from fishermen. It is an infrequently sought species. My favorite approach is to “stake out” or cruise the clear water beaches in search of cruising sharks, after which anglers cast a baited lure or fly in their path.
When caught, the Blacktip puts on a spectacular display of leaps and reel-melting runs. These powerful game fish may be found in abundance on Panama City Beach.
Best Trippletail Season is From April to October
These odd fish are on the “Locals Favorite” list for table fare, a delicate, flaky white fish that is difficult to surpass. Trippletail is a rare species that is typically discovered by chance. When particularly hunting these fish, guides check crab-trap buoys and other debris in the probable areas.
Trippletais have an odd habit of floating on their side on the water’s surface. They employ this strategy to get tiny baitfish and shrimp to take refuge in their bodies.
To learn the best times of the year to catch mahi mahi in Florida, please check out this helpful article I wrote.
Panama City Fishing & Tidal Impacts
In general, fishing is best when the tide is flowing, that is, when the wave is in the middle of its cycle, rather than when the tide is at its lowest or highest point when the water is “slack.” When the water is moving, snappers and many other fish species get more agitated. With a sluggish or high water flow, however, the fish biting slows down. It makes it logical to schedule fishing expeditions to coincide with the tides.
Tides also impact deep-sea fishing, controlling where the fish keep their structure and concentrate food in circular water motions that result in a tiny whirlpool and deeper nutrient-rich water being forced to the top. In shallow seas, bays, estuaries, and harbors, as well as around islands and reefs that “push” the tide through narrow channels, the wave has the most influence.
Storms and Panama City fishing
A low-pressure warm front rides up over the top of a high-pressure cold front as a storm system approaches, causing condensation to develop in the form of clouds. There is a slight and constant decrease in barometric pressure that increases as the main body of the system approach when the skies are cloudy and right through to the conclusion of the storm.
Rain, winds, and occasional thunder and lightning occur along the frontal line as the main body of the storm strikes and travels through the area. As the storm progresses, the pressure continues to fall until it reaches its lowest point. The fishing should be decent the entire time. However, lightning and heavy showers on the water’s surface may make it difficult to fish.
Is Winter Fishing Bad or Good in Panama City?
While winter fishing isn’t as lucrative as summer, spring, or fall fishing, Panama City still offers a variety of species to catch in the winter. Inshore waters provide a nursery for immature fish and attract older saltwater species for seasonal hunting and feeding and a warmer haven during the winter.
The numerous arms of the St. Andrew Bay complex, including the East Bay, North Bay, and West Bay, and its tributary rivers and bayous, are included in these inshore stretches. Panama City Pass, which connects these coastal waters to the open Gulf, provides significant fish highways and hangouts.
Night Fishing in Panama City
Night fishing in Panama City can be lucrative. When the smaller fish come out to feed, so do many more significant, more competitive species. Anglers have a high chance of catching bigger prey during the night. I recommend casting close to shore where you know there is enough light for fish to see while still being a lowlight situation.
Best Times and Seasons for Shore/Surf Fishing
With 27 miles of white sand beaches bordering the Gulf of Mexico, it’s no surprise that shore fishing is popular here. There’sThere’s plenty of room for anglers of all moods to get their fill of fishing, whether they’re on a crowded beach or seeking a private location. Set up camp for the day with your own gear or rent some from one of the many baits and tackle stores.
With access to the coastal bays and nearshore seas, surf fishing may also be quite rewarding. The typical suspects will be biting in the calmer waters. Still, fishing on the Gulf side will expose you to a wider variety of species. You’ll not only go after Spanish Mackerel, but you’ll also go after Pompano when they show up in their schools. Sharks are also a possibility, with some lost Cobia and Amberjack showing up on the end of a line every now and again.
Best Times: Booking Charters in Panama City
The best season to go
There are great charters that leave out of Panama City. While spring and summer months are usually the busiest, I recommend going in the fall when the crowds clear and the fishing is still excellent. During the fall, many of the species (amberjack or flounder) will be migrating south, as they previously migrated north. You will have the same opportunities with less competition.
Morning vs. Afternoon
Depending on the season, the time of day will vary based on what you are fishing. If you heed my advice and go during the fall months, the afternoon is the better time for fishing when the waters are cold. If temperatures rise, go in the morning or after sunset.
Charters for half-day, full-day, and multi-day trips
The difference between the length of a charter depends on what you are looking for. Go for a multi-day charter if you’re looking for the most catches, the biggest fish, and often the most opportunities. However, these are more expensive, and you will be spending most of your time fishing. If you had planned a family trip, this would not be ideal.
The full-day trip is the perfect middle ground, in my opinion. Enough time to familiarize yourself with the waters while leaving you free to explore the rest of your journey independently. The half-day trip is best for those on a budget or who only have a short time on their hands. You will get a feel for the Panamanian waters while only being on the water for a few hours.
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