Florida has some of the finest and most diverse fisheries worldwide, from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Coast and throughout the Keys. The Sunshine State has everything. We have curated a list of the best saltwater fishing spots in Florida to help you decide where to check next.
There are several excellent fishing areas in this state where marlins, wahoos, mackerels, amber jackets, and sailfish can be caught. Love fishing for saltwater? Whether you like to fish from a boat or pier, gamefish, or dinner, Florida fishing for saltwater has what you want.
Best Saltwater Fishing Spots In Florida
Florida is the ultimate blueprint for the design of the ultimate saltwater fishing destination. Why? Because of its geographical position, reefs, wrecks, estuary, bays, inlets, and rivers are open to the Gulf Stream. Also, they allow fishing for everything from bonefish to billfish-all on the same day if desired. Here are some of the best saltwater fishing spots in Florida!
Boca Grande
Here is one of the best saltwater fishing spots in Florida! There are dozens of species in all our bays, flats, and passes. Also, this increases the excitement of fishing, as you never know what could hit your bait. This is the cornerstone of this baitfish environmental powerhouse.
A wide variety of gamefish require an abundance of smaller baitfish for feed, so a strong, balanced ecosystem can be created and maintained. The way we start most of our days is to smell and throw a cast net for live bait. All of them are large numbers here, from whiteback to greenbacks, pilchard, and mullet to pinfish and crabs. It’s more than a good fishing place. It’s the best.
There’s plenty for the family to do from shopping, golf, and water sports to great restaurants and dining while chasing silver-loving kings and family members.
Fort Myers Beach
It is situated on the island of Estero south of the islands of Sanibel and Captiva. The gulf side of Estero Bay is a barrier with Lover’s Key in the south. This creates saltwater and brackish water refuge for a wide variety of species of fish.
The Estero Bay Preserve Park opened in 1966 and was the first aquatic preserve in Florida if you are looking for an ‘Old Florida’ adventure. The best of both worlds can be found here. The bay does not see much pressure, and countless places do not see many fishers all year round.
A good technical skip that can access some of the hinterland areas could lead you to fisheries that remember past years. The beachside restaurants and bars are casual and modern. This makes it a great place to enjoy some time at the beach and fishing on holiday.
Sanibel Island
It is to the south of Captiva Island, the famous Blind Pass and the South end of Pine Island. Sanibel is one of best saltwater fishing spots in florida and offers great fishing to the Caloosahatchee from the Gulf side beaches to the port. Most of the island is a national preserve for wildlife and is known as the world shelling capital.
Many regard this as a vast sanctuary that does not see as much pressure as neighbors. This makes some great places for snook and redfish fishing, while the family enjoys white sand beaches and seashells. If you want everything in one area together, look no further than Lighthouse Beach.
A fishing pier and the renowned Sanibel Lighthouse are located here, which is 98 meters high and great for the children to explore—built in the late 1800s to mark the entrance of ships to Punta Rassa to San Carlos Bay.
There is even a four-mile Indigo Trail connected to the Wildlife Education Boardwalk. There is plenty to see and do here with fast access to some great peacock bass fishing.
Longboat Key
The Sarasota Bay Barrier Island is loaded with snook, redfish, and trout. A lot of resorts and hotels are located along the beach. Big breeder snook runs the summer BC snook run along 12 miles of beaches.
If you want to chill with a rod in the sand all day, the flounder, whitewash, pompan, and ladyfish will keep you busy. This is one of the best places in the state if you follow fresh fillets. In the inside flats near passes to the north and south, whitebait (pilchards) is plentiful for those with the best chum and a cast net.
The bridge between Longboat Pass and Bradenton Beach is a hotspot for fishers from the shore. Anna Maria Island is a short cast north of the Pass, which offers a pier and a historic pier for Rod and Reel. Both are famous for the year-round bite and big sheepskin in winter.
Sarasota
With more points of interest than just anywhere else in South Florida, this is one of the best places for fishing on the Gulf Coast. Freshwater and Saltwater fishers will find many great places to shoot at the trophy. Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium is the habitat for a wealth of marine animals.
Myakka River State Park is a bass fishing top selection and is only 9 miles east of the I-75. The river is excellent for kayaking or canoeing and leads to Upper Myakka Lake. You ‘re going to find airboat and walking tours with 58 square miles of wetlands and scenic canopy. Also, a scenic walk will take you to a haven for one of the world’s largest groups of alligators.
The Centennial Park and Boat Ramp is the most popular place for saltwater fishers to launch a boat. From there, head west to the bait flats for a short distance.
If you want to go a little north, bait near the Skyway Bridge is almost guaranteed. This is a smaller town south of Tampa Bay, and it has more culture and things to do than the majority can fit in a week’s journey.
Lido Key Beach
The place for those who want to enjoy the finer part of Sarasota is home to a small collection of luxury hotels and resorts. St Armands Circle is located right within this key island barrier. Shopping and great restaurants surround the center of the small park. Inshore and offshore excursions are popular with guests leaving Marina Jack every day.
Fishing in an air-conditioned cabin for kingfish, tuna, and mahi-mahi, while spending a day on the Gulf of Mexico is hard to beat. There is a shallow boulder jetty marking the end of the public beach. This is a great place to wet a line in the area with a lot of live bait attracting predators.
This also creates wildlife habitat and thus a perfect destination for snorkeling. Depending on the tide, the whole way to the submerged section at the tip of the jetty is typically shallow. Beginners and children will find it a convenient place to learn. South Lido Key Park with paddleboarding through the mangrove, kayaking & bird watching is the southernmost tip of the key.
Siesta Key
It is the number one beach on more lists than any other is famous all over the world for white powder sand. There are a few bars, shopping areas, and restaurants offering great nightlife and fun times. You will find plenty here for fishers who want to hire a charter guide for a day of fishing. Crescent Beach provides Rock Point.
You will find here a spot that holds fish in holes between the rocks, and you will find a little wade out in a renowned territory. Children love to explore and climb rocks. It is a truly unique place to take the family while crocheting some challenging fish. It’s also a very romantic sunset location, with many photographers listed as their first pick for a postcard shot.
Big Pass is a long pass with a lot of structure on the floor holding fish. The connecting bridges to the mainland are Stickney Point and North Key Bridges. These are popular both for land-based and vessel fishers.
In the shadows of the bridge, the night bite is usually hot. Turtle Beach Lagoon has a lovely park with a children’s playground and a pier. There’s also a section of the lagoon where you will find some big predatory fish waiting for suspicious whitebait to the embassy.
Punta Gurda
Where the rivers Myakka, Peace River, and Charlotte Harbor meet. This offers fantastic access to several main pitches for an inshore slam. Laishley Park has a marina where you can start your boat and Downtown Bait, and Tackle is home. You can take the train from there to El Jobean Bridge, 41 bridges, Boca Grande Pass, Pineland, Turtle Bay, etc.
The list of holes is quite extensive, making this one of Florida’s top choices. We love the city with its charm and picturesque atmosphere. There are several excellent hotels and restaurants within walking distance.
With so many manufacturing locations around the area, you’ll have the opportunity to hire a guide your first day out at least. You can stay here easily for more than a week and not even near every honey hole that this place has to offer.
Final Words
Islands, beaches, and even rocky coastal areas are good fishing outcomes whether you take a bait on the ground or cast a snook or reds hunting troughs for chewable parallel to a beach.
Florida is one of the top deep sea and saltwater fishing locations in the world. It has waters rich in history and a wealth of marine creatures. In the fishing towns and cities of this state, the facilities available are world-class and will more than suffice to meet your group’s needs.
