Best Times & Seasons to Catch Florida Redfish (Easy Guide)
Redfish are one of the most sought-after gamefish in Florida nearshore waters. If you’re planning a fishing trip to the sunshine state, you’ll need to know when the best time is to catch the redfish in Florida.
The best season to catch redfish in Florida is in the late summer and early fall months. During these months you are more likely to land a big bull red, though there’s plenty of redfish to be caught during other parts of the year as well.
| Region of Florida | Best Time to Catch Redfish |
| Florida Keys | Great year-round fishery. The best month is October as water begins cooling. |
| Gulf Coast | High tides in October in lagoons and mangrove islands are best. Fall is prime season. |
| Central Coast (Atlantic) | The best season for redfish is late summer & mid-fall in grassy flats. |
| Southern Florida | August & September are particularly good in Tampa Bay area grass flats. |
During the summer, the larger redfish, called bull reds, come up from the deeper waters to the shoreline and can be found along jetties and bridges around this time. Redfish can be found year-round in many areas of Florida but their peak seasons will vary depending on location.
Best Time to Fish for Redfish in Florida
The best time to fish for redfish in Florida is between the months of September and November as cooling water brings mature redfish into the shallows to feed and spawn. Fishing is best before and after the redfish spawn. When the waters begin to cool towards the end of August, redrum will make their way inshore.
Females, who can often lay up to 3 million eggs in one spawning season, are likely to be found in creeks and inlets inshore.
Plus, likely from exhausting so much energy when spawning, the redfish go into a feeding frenzy, making any and all baits optional and likely to land a big redrum.
The best baits to use during this time would be live baitfish, such as pinfish and pilchards. As the waters cool, even more, shrimp and crab become the go-to bait of choice for many.
For a complete breakdown of the best times & seasons for Florida fishing (freshwater & saltwater), please check out this helpful guide I wrote. If you want to learn the best time of day to catch redfish, then you need to check out this complete guide I wrote.
I also just finished writing a complete breakdown of the best water temperatures for redfish fishing. I strongly recommend you check it out so you can better pattern these finicky fish.
Recommended Redfish Charters in Florida
These Florida-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 | Location in Florida |
| Maximus Fishing Charters | Destin, FL |
| MM Charters | Englewood, FL |
| Captain Jay Get Reelin’ | Fort Myers Beach, FL |
| Wet Lines Fishing | Clearwater, FL |
| Indigenous Charters | Fort Myers, FL |
| Florida Panhandle Charters | Panama City Beach, FL |
Seasonal Breakdown for Redfish in Florida
Redfish can be found all year round on both sides of the sunshine state, up and down each coast. In this section of the article, we are going to look at what times are best in each region of Florida and what season is best for redfish fishing in Florida.
The best months to fish for redfish in Florida are between September and November. The worse time to fish for redfish in Florida is the late winter months as most of the water around the state is too cold for them to comfortably stay.
Florida Keys Redfish
Because of the milder climate, redfish stay in the waters around the Florida Keys all year round. That being said, the best month to fish for redfish in the Keys is October as the spawn tends to start later in the season here as the waters cool down to the right temp for spawning.
Gulf Coast
The best redfish fishing on the Gulf Coast of Florida is had during the month of October. When fishing on the Gulf Coast, head towards the lagoons and mangrove islands as this is where you’ll find the largest population of redfish in the area.
High tide is the best tide to fish for redfish. When the tide is up the redfish are pushed from the murky waters and into the flats to find their prey.
To learn the best seasons to fish in Panama City, please check out this helpful article I wrote.
Central Florida
The grassy flats of central Florida, especially in the eastern part of the state, have earned it the unofficial redfish capital of the world; redfish fishing here is excellent all year round. This is especially true in Mosquito Lagoon where redfish live here all year without migrating elsewhere.
The best time of the year to fish for redfish here is during the summer months and into early fall when the spawn begins. During this time the redfish will go slightly offshore. Once the cooler weather of winter comes they make their way back into the lagoons seeking warmer water.
For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish Smyrna Beach, please check out this helpful article I wrote. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish Jacksonville, please check out this helpful article I wrote.
Southern Florida
Red drum will often start being prominent in the southern region of the state starting in early August. As spawn hits in full swing you’ll start seeing the more mature fish live the deeper waters and come inshore.
On a clear day in the Tampa Bay flats during the late summer you can get a redfish to hit on just about anything, from live bait to topwater lures; nothing beats seeing the bull redfish swallow your bait whole and feeling that aggressive run on the line.
To learn the best times to fish in the Everglades, please check out this helpful article I wrote.
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 Catch Redfish in Florida
The best time of day to catch redfish in Florida is during the early morning and late evening hours, especially during the hot summer months.
However, they like to be in the cooler waters when feeding and, as they love being in the shallows, the summer sun heats those waters up quickly.
If fishing for them in the late morning or early afternoon you are likely to find them hiding under the mangroves or other structure where the shade keeps the waters cool.
By Season
Spring
As the waters start to warm from the cooler winter weather, the redfish action begins to heat up as well. The warmer waters bring the bait fish out in larger numbers which send the redfish, hungry from the winter, into a feeding frenzy.
The tactics change in the springtime, though, as the water is extremely clear most of the time. This allows more light to penetrate the waters giving the redfish excellent vision to see their prey as well as their predators; this makes them extra spookish.
During the springtime, the best month to fish for redfish is March before the spring storms and rain become an everyday occurrence.
This is when the water is at its calmest and you’re able to navigate smoothly into the flats. There’s nothing that beats seeing a school of redfish tailing in the shallow flats as they hunt down their prey.
Slow and sure is the tactic to use, being careful not to scare the school of redfish away. Even the slightest knock against the boat can send the school swimming for deeper, safer waters. As mentioned before, though, spring brings with it the stormy season in Florida.
Though we’ll look at it in depth later, storms can wreak havoc on the redfish fishing and make for an extremely long day on the water.
Summer
When and where to fish during the summer months is going to rely heavily on the tide. The best thing about summer, though, is that high tide is at its highest during the summer in Florida as the moon is at its closest to that area of the globe.
Though redfish fishing in Florida is great throughout the entire summer season, the best time to fish redfish in the summer is August and into September as the spawning season gets underway.
For the best chance at success during the summer, you’ll want to go either in the early morning or late afternoon, dawn or dusk. Though redfish will generally feed all day these hours tend to be when their activity is at its highest.
Their prey fish are active during this time, plus they feel safer as their predators have a harder time seeing them before the sun is fully up. That’s why they will hunt more during these low-light times.
Late summer is also when the spawn starts for redfish in many parts of the state. If you are able to schedule your fishing trip for this time of the year you will have an experience of a lifetime. Double-digit landings are not rare when redfish are in spawn mode.
That being said, the worse time to plan a redfish fishing trip in the summer is before and after a storm moves through. They are extremely aware of the barometric pressure, so storm fronts tend to send them for deeper waters.
The worse tides for redfish fishing are during low tides as they are much harder to spot fish when not in the grassy flats or mangroves.
Check out this guide for a complete breakdown of the best nighttime baits for redfish.
Fall
The beginning of fall brings with it the end of spawning season and what is considered to be the absolute best time to fish for redfish in Florida.
October is the best month, by far, for redfish fishing in Florida. Not only has the water cooled down back to a more comfortable level, but they are in a feeding frenzy to replenish their energy from an intense spawn.
What makes October even better is the mature, bigger bulls tend to show up in droves. The biggest mistake many make, though, when fishing redfish in the fall, is to go straight to the summer hotspots.
The best places to search for in the fall is the point in the flats where the shallow water meets the deep, as well as any river and creek inlets. You’ll want to especially look for any sort of structure near the shallow, but still deep, waters.
As the fall progresses and the water cools way down, the fish slow down, too. In fact, many redfish will simply sit on the edge of the current flow and wait for the current to bring the baitfish to them.
That makes the tidal changes the best time to fish for redfish in the fall, and the change from high tide to low tide to be the optimal time to go.
The worse time to fish redfish in the fall is towards the end of fall into the winter. By this time the fish are more lethargic and not wanting to expend any energy whatsoever.
Winter
Though there are still redfish to be had, winter is the worse time of the year for redfish in Florida. As the waters cool, those fish who have stayed behind are moving extremely slow. Some will even go days without eating.
Plus, the prey fish have mostly all moved to the south to warmer waters, that being said, there are some good conditions that can make wintertime excellent redfish time. During the winter, redfish will seek out structure where they can stay safe without moving much.
Also, they will always seek out the warmer water which, during the winter, occurs in the shallows as the sun is at its highest during the day. On a sunny day in the winter you will almost always spot some redfish hanging out around mangroves, using them for cover.
When you see this, have some baitfish with you. You’ll want to chum the water with these baitfish as the redfish haven’t seen them in several weeks by this time. This will send them into a feeding frenzy.
Is Night Fishing for Redfish in Florida Any Good?
The simple answer is yes, night fishing for redfish in Florida is good, especially during the summer months.
During the summer months, the water is cooler at nighttime, so many anglers find lots of success during these times. That being said, there are some things to remember when night fishing for reds.
Their eyesight at night, while not terrible, isn’t very good either. This means they tend to slow way down at night to avoid becoming prey to sharks and other bigger fish. That means you, too, have to slow down at night. Also, you’ll want to go for live bait as much as possible.
While lures can work at times, live bait is best as it allows for natural movement the redfish are listening and watching for. If possible, try to find a school of small baitfish from the region you’re fishing in as this is likely to be the bait the redfish in that area are searching for that night.
Also, when fishing for redfish at night in Florida, you are likely to find them in inlets, around jetties, and other shallower water. The flats where they frequent during the day are likely to be either dry or too shallow for the redfish to swim in.
When night fishing for redfish in Florida, be sure to keep an eye on the moon cycle. Full moon night fishing during the summer makes for some of the best redfish fishing of the year as the extra light and cooler water makes them extremely active and aggressive.
For a complete breakdown of the best time to fish Cocoa Beach, please check out this helpful article.
Impacts Storms & Hurricanes have on Redfish Fishing
We’ve touched on it somewhat throughout the article, but I wanted to look at the impact storms have on redfish in Florida.
Redfish are extremely sensitive to the barometric pressure changes prior to a storm coming through. This will cause them to go to deeper waters where they feel safe until the pressure comes back up. But that’s not the only reason storms are back for redfish fishing.
Redfish love the calm, clear waters of the grassy flats for hunting as this is where their favorite prey likes to be. Storms coming in cause debris and other contaminants to come to the top from the bottom of the waters, making the water cloudy.
The fish will still be there, they’ll just be much harder to spot and catch. Then, as the storms come through, the fish will again move to deeper waters.
Hurricanes have their own unique impact on fishing in Florida as they tend to change the landscape, both above and below the water’s surface. This can make what was once a hotspot barren in terms of redfish hanging out.
For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Naples, 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. 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 Texas for redfish, please check out this helpful article I wrote. For a complete breakdown of the best times to catch redfish in Mississippi, check out this helpful guide. For a complete breakdown of tidal impacts on redfish in Florida, check out this guide.
