Best Times to Catch Snook in Florida (Complete Guide)

Florida is one of the best states for snook fishing drawing anglers from all across the nation chasing these bruisers. So what is the best time and season to catch snook in Florida?

The best time to fish for snook in Florida waters is spring and fall with the prime months being April and May as well as September and October. Winter will be your worst time to catch snook in Florida waters.

Snook can be found all around Florida’s coasts, on both the Gulf and Atlantic side. They are especially popular where freshwater meets saltwater, as snook are one of the few species of game fish that can tolerate both types of water. The best time to fish for snook in Florida is during the spring and fall seasons.

Best Time to Fish for Snook in Florida 

While snook fishing in Florida is great most of the year, there are certain times you may want to plan around as the likelihood of catching the most and biggest snook increases.

The best time to fish for snook in Florida is during the Spring and Fall months, with them peaking during April and May, then again in September and October. 

Snook are a very predictable species in their migratory patterns. And, while the southern portion of Florida may be a little bit behind the rest of the state, as the temps in the southern portion of the state take a little longer to drop, you can almost guarantee where and when snook will be moving. 

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.

Recommended Fishing Charters for Snook in Florida

These Florida-based charters that target snook and other popular gamefish 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.

• Wet Lines Fishing (Clearwater, FL)
• Big Daddy Sportfishing (St. Petersburg, FL)
• Strip Set Charters (Goodland, FL)
• Prime Time Fishing Charters (Holmes Beach, FL)
• Leisure Life Charters (St. Petersburg, FL)
• Hookin’ Ain’t Easy (St. Petersburg, FL)
• Ultimate Fishing Charters (St. Petersburg, FL)

Seasonal Breakdown for Snook in Florida

With each season comes a different level of activity for the snook in Florida. In this section, we’re going to break down which seasons are the best and which might be the worse season to fish snook in Florida. Also, we’re going to break down the regions of Florida to see when the best time for fishing snook is for each. 

One thing to keep in mind for each area would be the fact the Florida Fish and Wildlife regulate each region separately from the others. Be sure to check the regulations in the region you’re going to before heading out. 

Atlantic Coast

The shores of the Atlantic side of Florida offer some of the best snook fishing in the state. The best time to fish for snook along the Atlantic coast is early spring into the summer.

The best places to go would be where the cooler freshwater meets the warmer saltwater in the inlets and bays. As you go further down the coastline, the later in the spring the fishing peaks up. 

Sebastian Inlet is where some of the biggest fish in Florida come during the summer season. Another great spot for year-round snook fishing is near Fort Pierce. You’ll see many anglers along Vero Beach, especially during the summer months. 

For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish Smyrna Beach, please check out this helpful article I wrote.

Gulf Coast

Snook love the Gulf Coast of Florida, especially the southern edge. You’ll find them in abundance in the inshore waters here. The best time of the year to fish snook on the Gulf coast is also the late spring into the summer months. 

Fort Myers is likely the most popular place along the Gulf Coast for snook fishing, especially with Caloosahatchee River meeting the Gulf Waters.

The Islands off the coast of Fort Myers are especially popular for snook action, including Boca Grande’s flats and beaches. 

The Florida Keys are insanely popular for snook fishing all year round. They love the warmer climate and waters, making them stay in the flats longer than in northern parts of the state. The convergence of the Gulf and Atlantic Ocean also adds to the snook population here. 

Florida Keys

The best time to fish for snook in the Florida Keys is the warm summer months. Snook will have sought out the warmest waters, and none are better during the summer than the waters of the Keys.  You’ll find snook in abundance in the flats and be able to sight fish alongside tarpon and bonefish. 

South Florida/Miami/Everglades

The summer months and into late fall are the best times to fish snook in south Florida. The snook here love the warm water year-round which tend to grow some of the largest snook in the state.

The year-round availability of baitfish also allows this region to have some of the best snook fishing all year round. 

When snook fishing in South Florida, it doesn’t get any better than the Everglades. Also, you’ll notice several anglers fishing from the shore along Miami’s beaches during the summer tourist seasons. To learn the best times to fish in the Everglades, please check out this helpful article I wrote.

Best Time & Tide of Day to Catch Snook

The tide plays a major role in the best time to fish snook in Florida. Snook are an ambush predator, meaning they often sit under cover waiting for the best time to ambush their prey.

They also use the current to their advantage, positioning themselves around shoals and inlets as the current pushes baitfish to them.

This makes the best tide to catch snook in Florida to be an outgoing tide. This is especially true of the days around a new or full moon, as the tides are at their highest and the current is at its greatest. 

Snook are also more active in low-light conditions as they use the cover of darkness to their advantage when hunting. This makes early morning hours and late evening hours to be the best time of day to catch snook in Florida. 

To learn the best time to Florida for all species of fish, please check out this helpful article I wrote. 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.

Best Snook Fishing By Season (Florida Waters)

Spring

Spring offers some of the best snook fishing in Florida as they are migrating from their winter holdup in creeks and rivers and back to the flats and open water.

Also, the activity level is higher because they are trying to eat at much as possible for the summer spawning season and to make up for what they didn’t eat in the winter. 

As there are still some cold fronts that move through Florida in the Spring, the best time to fish snook in Florida during the spring season is April and into May.

This ensures the last cold fronts have moved through, warming the waters of the flats and inlets enough for the snook to come out. The worse time during the spring would be when a cold front comes through, so pay attention to the weather during your spring snook fishing trip in Florida. 

During the spring, live bait is going to be the best choice to use. If you must use artificial, diving plugs and soft plastics are best; try to match your lure’s color to that of the forage in the area you are in.

High tide is also the best time for snook fishing in the spring; you will find some of the greatest success along the mangroves.

Summer

Summer fishing for snook in Florida makes for a great adventure. During the months of July and August, you’ll find the snook leaving the backcountry waters in large numbers and head towards larger openings and passes. In fact, you might even catch the biggest snook of the year during the summer months.

There is one downfall, however, to fishing for snook in the summer in Florida, and that is the season is closed during July and August. This doesn’t mean you can’t catch them, but they are strictly caught and release during the spawning season. 

With that in mind, if you’re going after snook in the summer, you’ll want to head towards beaches close to inlets and structure as the snook spawn in the shallow waters of the beach.

Live bait is best with heavy tackle, especially when fishing the deeper parts of the passes and inlets where the current is the strongest. 

You will also have the ability to site fish along the beaches, especially immediately before the sun rises and after the sun sets in the morning. These are the best times of days to fish snook in Florida during the summer months.

Fall

Fall fishing for snook in Florida is just as productive as during the spring. During the fall, the snook are migrating back to the winter holds of the inland creeks and rivers, for the winter season. Shorter days also equal more time to fish while the bite is at its highest during the nighttime. 

Chumming is a technique often used in the Fall. Baitfish are especially easy to catch in the fall, so dropping a bunch of baitfish in the water around your line is a great way to attract the snook to the area.

The best conditions for fishing for snook in the fall are before and during a cold front. As the cold front starts, the snook will work their way through inlets and towards deeper waters in the rivers and canals. During these conditions, you could have fish on the line all day long.

Winter

Winter is likely the worse time of year to fish for snook in Florida. That’s not to say you won’t have some success, but when compared to the other seasons, winter snook fishing is not as productive. Also, in many Florida regions, the winter brings with it another season where they are strictly catch-and-release. 

During winter, the snook have migrated to the creeks, canals, and rivers. When fishing these areas, the deeper water is best. In these deeper waters, snook will often school together and essentially hang out for the season, coming out only to feed, and that’s only occasionally. 

Artificial lures are best during the winter as live baitfish will be extremely hard to find. You will want to use soft plastics and diving plugs. Jerk baits are also a great choice.

If you find a long, straight canal with deep waters down the middle, you might find trolling to be a better option. Just be sure to use heavy tackle when doing so. 

Is Night fishing for Snook in Florida Any Good?

Most anglers are accustomed to only fishing while the sun’s out and, for many species that would also be the best time to fish. However, when snook fishing in Florida, the best time of day to fish is often at night. Night fishing for snook allows for some major hookups, especially with bigger fish.

This goes back to what was mentioned earlier that snook love to hunt under the cover of darkness. In fact, they have adapted over the generations to see better at night because their favorite prey, shrimp, crabs, and mullet come out more at night as they feel it’s safer. 

The key to finding the snook at night is to go where there’s light or create your own. Artificial light sources, such as dock lights or lights from piers and bridges attract the smaller baitfish which attracts the snook. Also, bays and inlets are a favorite of snook at night as there is less fishing pressure during the nighttime.

You might even find great success around bridges and piers. Remember, though, that snook have excellent hearing so you will want to be as stealthy as possible when coming to a place you believe to have snook. Click here for a breakdown of the best times to catch snook in Texas.

Impacts Storms & Hurricanes have on Snook Fishing

Storms and hurricanes have a large impact on Snook fishing in Florida, especially the days following the storms. Snook are very sensitive to the temperatures of the waters they live in, which is also what makes their migratory patterns so predictable.

That being said, summer storms will often dump large amounts of cold rainwater into the shallow inlets and bays where snook love to hang out. This can cause them to seek out deeper, warmer waters until the water temperatures stabilize.

Perhaps, though, the biggest impact from storms and hurricanes on snook fishing is how they affect the water’s quality. Large amounts of contaminated runoff get poured into the waters during a storm.

Plus, debris is pushed up from the bottom as the currents are greatly increased during a storm.

This all combines for some poor water quality and clarity. This pushes the baitfish into deeper, cleaner waters which, in turn, causes the snook to follow suit. But, as is the case with all weather in Florida, it’s not long before conditions normalize and things get back to normal.

For a complete breakdown of the best fishing times for St. Petersburg & Tampa, please check out this helpful article I wrote.