Best Times & Seasons to Fish Stuart, FL (Complete Guide)
Only a short drive from Miami, Stuart also offers amazing fishing that is nearly unrivaled in American waters. Knowing the best seasons to fish Stuart will make your trip one to remember.
While Stuart boasts truly great fishing all year round, the best times to fish Stuart is from April to October. The best season for Stuart fishing is the summer into early fall, though there are still great species to be caught in the winter, as the water stays relatively warm all year round.
| Species | Best Season to Fish in Stuart Waters |
| Barracuda | Year-round very good fishing. May & June are only down seasons. |
| Grouper | May through December are best for grouper fishing. |
| Sailfish | September through November & January through March are the best months. |
| Swordfish | August through November are the peak months for fishing. |
| Mahi Mahi | Spring & Fall are the best seasons for Mahi Mahi fishing. |
| Tarpon | May-July are the best months. |
Located about 100 miles north of Miami, Stuart is one of the lesser-known destinations on Florida’s Atlantic coast. While it may be less known, Stuart offers great fishing within its bays, the St Lucie River, and is only 45 minutes away from world-class bass fishing in Lake Okeechobee.
Stuart is also home to plenty of beaches scattered across its coast and also on Hutchinson Island, which is part of a thin strip of land that runs from Miami to Daytona Beach.
Fishing in Stuart is great, whether you are looking to stay inshore, or go offshore, you can find tons of fish in this area.
Best Time to Fish Stuart
If you are targeting a certain species, the timing of your trip can mean everything. Certain fish have different migration patterns and like different water temperatures, so not all fish will be available at the same time. So, you should try to book your trip based on the peak season for the species you are targeting.
If you aren’t targeting a specific species and would just like to catch as many fish as possible, the summer and early fall offer a wide variety of species. In these times, you can catch tarpon, sailfish, mackerel, grouper, and many more species.
Recommended Fishing Guides/Charters in Stuart
These Stuart-based charters have earned great reviews from anglers and will offer you a great service. The captains are knowledgeable and professional 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 |
| Flightline Fishing Charters | Stuart, FL |
| Harrison’s Chew Charters “Dirty 30” | Stuart, FL |
| D-n-T Charters | Stuart, FL |
| Crossroads Charter Fishing | Stuart, FL |
| Oh Boy Fishing | Stuart, FL |
| Florida Offshore Fishing Company | Stuart, FL |
| Uncharted Charters | Stuart, FL |
| Catch of the Day Charters | Stuart, FL |
| Mandalay Island Charters – Capt. Jeremy Neff | Stuart, FL |
| Salty Daze Fishing Adventures | Stuart, FL |
| Sea Stalker Charters – Stuart | Stuart, FL |
| Odysea Charters | Stuart, FL |
| EBtide Sportfishing | Stuart, FL |
Species of Stuart (Best Times & Seasons)
Grouper
Grouper are large, generally offshore fish, and there are over 150 species of grouper in Florida. Usually, grouper are active year-round, with their peak season being from January through August.
As for the time of day, grouper are much less picky compared to other fish but are more active during the morning.
Grouper like to feed on baitfish, most grouper like to feed on mullet and pinfish and other baitfish around that size, but if you want to catch a goliath grouper, you’ll need to use much larger bait and stronger, species-specific tackle.
Bait for goliath grouper is usually a 3-5lb fish. As for rigging the bait, make sure you have plenty of weight to get to the bottom and keep it there.
Grouper are mainly found on offshore reefs and wrecks, but can sometimes be found in open water as well. They will usually stick close to the bottom and cruise around the area in schools.
Blue & White Marlin
Blue marlin are available all year, but their peak season is from April through October. As for white marlin, they are only available from May through September.
The best time of day to target marlin is in the morning, but they are more dependent on tide than the time of day, with the best tide being high tide.
The most common way to fish for marlin is to troll either a live baitfish or troll a jig that looks like a baitfish. Ballyhoo are the most commonly used and have proved to be a very effective bait for both blue and white marlin.
Marlin are offshore, open water fish. This can make it hard to track them down, but not impossible. They like to live around areas that have strong, deepwater currents and can also be found in the open water areas between reefs and wrecks.
Dorado (Mahi-Mahi)
Fishing for dorado is open year-round in Florida. They are easily one of the most popular offshore species to target. Peak season runs in the summer, from April to August.
Dorado migrate quite a bit when compared to other fish, but once the water temperatures become steadier in the summer, they can be found all over the waters of Stuart.
Ballyhoo are the most common bait for dorado, ballyhoo are a slim, silvery baitfish that can be found everywhere in Florida. The most effective way to use ballyhoo is by trolling them, with a hook through the back to ensure hookup.
Like marlin, dorado are open water, offshore fish. They can be found around areas with lots of current because dorado like to use those currents almost like a highway when they migrate.
Shark
There are numerous species of shark in Florida, with the most common being bull, tiger, blacktip, lemon, and great white. The most commonly caught species are bull, tiger, and blacktips.
Shark can be found year-round, but are most commonly fished for during the summer months. You can still find them in the winter, fall, and spring, but they will move deeper to try to find warmer water.
Shark are carnivores, through and through. They will only bite on a meal that they think is worth their time. You should use large, live baitfish or big chunks of cut bait.
The most commonly used baits are chunks of bonito, mullet, or mackerel, but any large bait that is bloody and smelly should work.
Shark can be found in both inshore and offshore waters. When they are offshore, they can be found near reefs and wrecks, looking for food. While they are inshore, you can usually find them around deep drop-offs just outside of the surf.
During high tide is usually when they get closer to shore, but you can find them inshore all throughout the day, during the summer.
Snapper
Snapper are only available from the start of June to the end of July in Florida. This also happens to be their peak season, other than when they are spawning, which is a closed season.
The best time of day to target snapper is in the morning, or at high tide. During both of these times, the fish will be much more active and looking to feed.
Snapper like to eat baitfish and other animals found in the ocean. The most popular baits for snapper include pogies, squid, and strips of bonita.
You will need to have a rig set up with plenty of weight to be able to get to the bottom and keep it close to the bottom.
Snapper are offshore fish, while sometimes being found inshore. Most of the time, they will be feeding around offshore reefs and wrecks.
They usually stick to the lower part of the water column, but can sometimes be found in the middle as well. You can also find them in open water, but schools of snapper are going to gravitate towards structure.
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 if you want to create your combo.
Best Time of Day to Fish Stuart
Tidal Impacts on Stuart Fishing
Tides are a very important factor when it comes to ocean fishing, generally speaking, high tide is the best tide for fishing.
When high tide comes around, there is fresh, clean water being cycled through the area. This water is high in oxygen, which makes fish more active than normal.
The changing of tides also adds current to the water, and with high tide, that current can bring baitfish into water closer to shore, which brings gamefish into water closer to the shore as well.
Affect of Rain & Tropical Storms on Fishing in Stuart
As with most areas in Florida, Stuart is in an area that can get hit pretty hard by tropical storms. Being on the coast, the weather of Stuart can change rapidly, making it more important than ever to always check the weather before you go fishing.
Even if there is a tropical storm a couple of hundred miles down the coast, that storm can still send strong winds up to Stuart, making the fish more scattered and timid.
If there are heavy winds and rains, it is still possible to fish, but the day will be less enjoyable, as there will probably be fewer fish and rougher conditions than normal.
And finally, if there is a tropical storm about to go through Stuart, do not go fishing. Tropical storms can be devastating and no fish is worth risking your life for.
For a complete breakdown of the best time to catch mahi mahi in Florida, please check out this helpful article. For a complete breakdown of the best time to catch tarpon in Florida, please check out this helpful article. For a complete breakdown of the best time to fish in Smyrna Beach, please check out this helpful article.
For a complete breakdown of the best time to fish in Miami, please check out this helpful article. For a complete breakdown of the best time to fish in Ft Lauderdale, please check out this helpful article. For a complete breakdown of the best time to fish near Vero Beach, please check out this helpful article.
Night Fishing in Stuart
Stuart offers plenty of piers that are well lit, so you won’t have to worry about bringing extra gear with you if you plan on going to one of them. Even some of the beaches are well lit by artificial light, to the point you will only need a small light.
Fishing at night can be great, there are fewer crowds, and sometimes you can even catch more fish at night than during the day. Your approach should stay similar to your approach during the day, but fresh bait will almost always work better than artificial bait at night.
Shore & Surf Fishing in Stuart
Stuart has some great shore and surf fishing opportunities all over the area. It might be hard to decide on just one, so you can choose a few to fish from over the course of a couple of days and stay entertained the entire time. As for what you can catch, there are tons.
From snook to shark to snapper and plenty more, you will never know what’s on the end of your line until you bring it in, which only adds to the fun of shore fishing in the ocean. When shore or surf fishing, you should try to be on the water just before high tide and stay until the tide starts going down. High tide is the best tide to fish and the times surrounding it can be just as good.
Best Fishing Spots in Stuart
Surf/Shore Fishing
Stuart Beach
Stuart Beach is located across the Aquatic Preserve, straight ahead of the bridge. This beach looks out to the ocean and can hold a wide variety of fish, offshore fish aren’t common, but can also be found here. There are also spots that are either within walking distance of or a short drive from Stuart beach that holds plenty of fish as well.
Bathtub Reef Beach
Bathtub Reef Beach is located just south of Stuart Beach and offers great fishing on the Atlantic side, as well as in the aquatic preserve on the east side. On the east side, there is a large bay, and just south of that, 2 inlets that can produce tons of fish. Fishing the bay or inlets in the morning is a surefire way to get fish as there will be more fish moving into these areas during the morning.
Sandsprit Park
Sandsprit Park is located on the southwest side of Stuart, right on the St Lucie River. This spot is so good because it is located right where the river meets a larger part of the ocean. There is also the Manatee Pocket that connects to the ocean on the other side of the park. The spot has a small point to it and you are able to reach somewhat deep water, making it easier to target larger fish. Fish will flood the Manatee Pocket and the St Lucie River in the morning, but this spot is great all day long.
Inshore
St Lucie River
The St Lucie River is the most popular place to fish in Stuart. This wide river is home to every inshore species you can think of, with a few offshore species occasionally making an appearance as well. Fishing near the mouth of the river is always a good spot, you should try to work around the points and islands in the area. As for further inland, there is still great fishing, but species are a bit more limited.
Jensen Beach to Jupiter Inlet Aquatic Preserve
The Aquatic Preserve is located straight across from Stuart and offers some great inshore fishing. This spot gets much deeper than most inshore spots, attracting some offshore species like mackerel and snapper. There are multiple small bays within the area that can be very productive, but there are a couple of reefs located within the area that hold tons of fish.
Offshore
Stuart offers some great offshore fishing, almost year-round. Different species will be available, depending on the season, but there is always going to be an offshore species available to catch. Some of the more popular offshore species include tuna, marlin, sailfish, and grouper.
The best areas to fish while offshore include reefs and wrecks, which your charter captain should know how to get to. With offshore fishing, spots are harder to nail down as most fish will continuously move around for most of the year, not sticking to the same reef or wreck the whole time. With offshore fishing, you’ll most likely have a charter that will take care of spots, gear, and bait, making it so that you don’t need to worry about them.
For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Port Orange, please check out this helpful article.
Best Seasons to Book a Charter
As with the best time to fish Stuart, booking a charter will depend on what species you are going for and what that fish’s peak season is. Other factors to think about when booking a charter are how busy is the charter going to be and how busy the area will be.
Florida is a popular destination year-round, the weather is almost always nice when compared to other parts of the country, and there is great fishing there year-round. Some of the more popular times to go to Florida include the winter, spring break, and the summer.
This leaves little windows of opportunities where the fishing is great but the charters aren’t busy. A few times that do include those things are from March through May and August through October. During these times, plenty of fish are in season and hopefully, the area won’t be nearly as busy.
For a complete breakdown of the best time to fish Jupiter, please check out this helpful article. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Port Canaveral, please check out this helpful article. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Jensen Beach, please check out this helpful article.
