Best Water Temperatures for Redfish Fishing (Complete Guide)
Redfish are very sensitive to weather or environmental changes around them. Water temperature can play a huge role in determining where they move to and how willing they are to bite.
Redfish prefer a temperature range of 70° to 90°F. When temperatures drop below 70°F, redfish may relocate to warmer water, and when temperatures drop below 52°F, they may stop feeding altogether.
| Water Temperature (°F) | Quality of Redfish Fishing |
| Below 40 °F | Very unlikely to ever find redfish in this water temperature range. Fishing will be terrible. |
| 41-51 °F | Redfish will be very sluggish. You will need to be precise with your bait placement. |
| 51-60 °F | Fishing will improve as water temps increase. On the upper end of water temp, fishing can be good. |
| 61-68 °F | Ideal water temperature range for redfish. Redfish will be schooling and bite will be good. |
| 69-73 °F | Redfish will stop schooling but the bite can still be good. |
| Above 74 °F | Redfish will disperse out of shallow water and head deeper. Fishing will be good in deeper water. |
Redfish are happiest when the water’s salinity ranges from 27 to 32. For example, if the water is too salty, the redfish may migrate to a more palatable salinity or stop feeding. While most redfish eat on the bottom, they will also take lures and artificial bait.
If you want to learn which water temperatures fish bite best, I recommend strongly you check out this helpful guide I wrote. In it, you’ll learn the optimum water temperatures for bass, pike, walleye, trout, catfish, saltwater species, and many others. Click here to learn the best water temperatures for fishing.
For a complete breakdown of the best times & seasons to catch redfish in Florida, please check out this helpful guide I wrote.
Is Water Temperature a Big Factor in Redfish Fishing?
Water temperature is a big factor in redfish fishing. Redfish move their location based on water temperatures. They can begin biting when water temperatures hit the mid 50’s and they come out of their holes.
Since redfish are bottom feeders, they often hide during the colder months of the year in holes in the lowest sections of the water.
They often stop feeding during these months and it will be nearly impossible to reel in a redfish. Because redfish are so reliant on water temperature, let’s go over the best season to catch redfish.
Redfish Fishing by Water Temperature
40-51 degrees
Below 40 degrees, redfish will be virtually nonexistent. They stop biting completely when temperatures hit the low 50’s and will not be enticed by any food unless it walks right into their mouth.
I wouldn’t recommend fishing when temperatures are this cold unless you’re planning a real adventure with lots of fish.
51-60 degrees
As the water begins to warm, redfish begin to come out of hiding and often move to marshes or shallower water. It gets tricky when the water is at this temperature because many fish are coming out for the warming of the spring.
Since redfish are bottom feeders and spend most of their time in the lowest regions of the water, you will have to navigate past other fish to get to the redfish.
Mullet, pilchards, greenies, and pogies are the finest baitfish to use in the spring. Although redfish consume shellfish and crabs, they prefer to eat the simplest prey.
If you can’t find any live bait, you can use dead bait instead. There is no promise you’ll make it past the bluefish though, as they will be hungry, and sitting right on top of the redfish.
61-68 degrees
This is the ideal range for catching redfish. This is in late spring to early summer when the temperatures are just beginning to rise. In the summer, early mornings are the optimum time to fish for redfish since high temperatures cut off the redfish bite after the morning hours.
If you can locate the schools before the sun rises, you may have a fantastic few hours of fishing before the bite dries up due to the high sky and scorching summer heat.
If you want to catch more redfish, knowing the best time of day is critical. Please check out this helpful article I wrote on the best tide and time of day to catch big redfish.
69-73 degrees
As temperatures rise above 69, redfish begin to spread and stop traveling in schools. Once they migrate away from each other, it makes it difficult to catch them and again requires more patience.
When temperatures are in the 70’s, I recommend going out first thing in the morning, before the water has time to heat up to the extremes.
Don’t get me wrong though, redfish will still be active when the water is hovering around the 70-degree mark. It just won’t be as easy to find them.
Above 74 degrees
Above 74 degrees, the redfish disappear. While it is easier to catch them than it is when temperatures are below 50, it will still be a challenge. Redfish will be in the deepest sections of the water, and oftentimes in holes that are anywhere from 8 to 20 feet deep.
Depending on your day, I recommend bringing a logbook and logging where you find redfish. When summer temperatures are at their peak, logging where you find the fish will make it easier for you the next time.
For a complete breakdown of the best redfish destinations & spots in Lousiana, check out this helpful guide I wrote. If fishing in Texas, this helpful article will show you the best redfish spots in Texas.
Seasonal Water Temperature Guide for Redfish
Winter
Winter is the toughest season to catch redfish. This is because redfish stop biting when the waters hit the low 50s. While you still have the possibility in early/late winter to reel in a few redfish, it will take some serious patience.
There are usually more redfish in the marsh throughout the months of January and February, especially on colder days, usually in deep holes. In particular, early in the morning, if the temperature is low, the redfish like to stay in deep holes from 8 to 22 feet deep in these areas.
As the weather warms up in January and February, I prefer to look for deep holes that are near shallow-water flats, since the redfish will move out of the deep holes and start eating on the flats.
The best time of day to catch redfish during the winter is in the late afternoon when the sun has had the entire day to warm up the water.
Spring
Redfish are known to bite in as low of water temperatures as 58 degrees. Drum bites are more constant when water temperatures approach 60 degrees. As spring approaches, anglers should also be on the lookout for flowers, which should come as no surprise.
As a child, my mother used to say, “April rains bring May flowers,” and in this instance, they also brought redfish. When wisteria and dogwoods are in bloom, we know that the drums are in the area.
Keep numerous lines in the water even if a redfish is already on. Redfish travel in schools, especially during the spring when the water temperatures are right around 60’s and high 50’s.
Even though it’s difficult to keep the lines untangled, excellent communication and collaboration pay off in the form of several fish being reeled into the boat.
Summer
When the peak of summer hits, many redfish flee to cooler water. Redfish go towards the mangroves in search of shelter from the scorching summer heat.
Many healthy and active redfish prey along the best mangrove shorelines that are deep or have an undercut bank. In the mangroves, I like to fish at the incoming tide, although the outgoing tide may also be profitable.
It is best to fish in the early morning or overnight when the water isn’t as hot. When the water hits its peak temperatures, redfish will often suffer from a lack of oxygen, as hotter water has less, and won’t be as inclined to bite.
Fall
To locate deeper, more sheltered waters, redfish move out of warm-water flats in the fall as water temperatures drop to the mid-to-low-seventies. This occurs commonly around river and stream mouths as well as deep cuts and points.
During the summer, reds will often feed on the flats as large loners, in couples or triples, or in schools of smaller fish. When the water cools, they go within and concentrate in more restricted places in preparation for spawning, searching for warmer water in deeper holes.
You can predict patterns in their behavior when there are more fish in a smaller space. Reds cluster along inshore cuts and ledges, relying on the tidal flow to deliver food to them rather than searching for it.
Redfish eat shrimp, crabs, mullet, and mud minnows, which are funneled into limited feeding areas by the shorelines and ledges of channels and bars.
Fall is the best time to catch redfish, as they usually breed by late summer and start traveling in large schools.
Does air temperature impact redfish fishing?
Water temperature and air temperature are directly related. Because of this, air temperature has a strong impact on redfish fishing. One of the most important things to consider while fishing for redfish is how they react to colder temperatures.
Because the temperature in these regions drops fast in response to the outside temperature, redfish frequently abandon shallow water.
As a result, nearly all inshore fish species will migrate to deeper water, where water temperatures will not decrease as fast as in shallow seas.
Checking your local weather to understand the air temperature, barometric pressure, and wind speeds during the last 24 hours is one of the first things to do before heading out on the water.
In the face of a cold front, these factors can have a big influence on how, when, and where fish migrate. Listen to both inshore and offshore reports to see if there are any fresh prospects that you might have overlooked. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in South Padre Island, please check out this complete guide I wrote.
Best Air Temperature for Redfish
The best air temperature for catching redfish is in the mid 70’s. This will allow the water temperature to be right around 65 and above.
Redfish are bottom feeders who utilize their downward-facing mouth to look for crabs and shrimp on the bottom, but they will also take fake and lure bait.
The Red Drum likes temperatures between 70 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit and will seek warmer waters if temperatures fall below 52 degrees.
I recommend fishing for redfish at night. Redfish may be caught at any time of day or night. Slowing down is the key to catching large redfish at night.
Even while redfish can hunt at night, they will have tougher difficulty finding food and evading sharks in the dark. Slow down your approach to a crawl.
How cold is too cold for redfish fishing?
Redfish become hard to find when temperatures get lower than 52 degrees. Once the water hits these low temperatures, the redfish retreat into 8 to 22-foot deep holes. Once they migrate into these holes, they only leave to feed once a day or less.
When temperatures begin to drop below 50, redfish may not even feed at all. Once it hits the point where they do not feed, I recommend waiting a few days, or for a change in weather, before starting to fishing again.
If you ever want to fish Charleston, this helpful article I wrote on the best times to fish Charleston will really help you out.
How Hot is Too Hot for Redfish Fishing?
In hot weather — 90 degrees or higher — capturing redfish is similar to catching speckled trout. To find redfish before 9 a.m., you must get out on the lake early or fish late in the day.
Redfish will be deep in the water and hide down in cooler waters. You won’t find any in shallow water, but you may find some under the shaded mangroves.
When searching in the mangroves, redfish often look for the deepest shaded inlets possible, so you should do the same. Once you find them, especially if there are baitfish there, you will surely be in luck.
When we’re fishing for redfish, we’re more concerned with locating the baitfish than with finding the reds. I like to search for a large school of rain minnows, pogies, or mullet, as this is what redfish would be looking to feed on.
I may go back to the same place where I found and caught redfish in the morning, but I might not locate a school of minnows or redfish there in the afternoon, since the minnows and redfish may have moved.
In the mornings, I either go along the coast looking for bait with our large motor or fish in the marsh with our trolling motor. The redfish will usually be there if I discover bait. We always look for the bait first while fishing for redfish.
Storms & Weather Changes: Impact on Redfish Fishing
Indeed, fishing in the summer and early fall is all about weather systems and getting out on the lake on those beautiful days right before and after a major storm passes through. Before a front, the bite is turned on by crashing barometric pressure.
Then, once the storm has passed, the water quality improves, baitfish return to their regular haunts, and game fish resume their hunting, sometimes after many days of being unable to find food.
The same phenomenon happens in seawater. Big tides push into coastal marshes days before a severe storm arrives, yet redfish are eating heavily.
Coastal marsh water with a higher salt content attracts a variety of marine fish, including large bluefish, Spanish mackerel, enormous sharks, sea trout, redfish, and flounder. The fishing is amazing and the redfish will be out on the prowl.
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 slow and constant decrease in barometric pressure that increases as the main body of the system approaches at the time the skies are clouding up 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, despite the fact that lightning and heavy showers on the water’s surface may make it difficult to fish.
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. For a complete breakdown of the best water temperature for tuna fishing, check out this article. For a complete breakdown of the best water temperature for surf fishing, check out this article. For a complete breakdown of the best water temperature for tarpon fishing, check out this article. Click here to see a breakdown of the best times for seatrout.
