Redfish
Sciaenops ocellatus
Thermal window
—
Present, not peak. This tide stage (outgoing) matches how they hunt.
Florida SE: typically 18–27 in, 1/person, 2/vessel. Harvest banned in federal waters. Keys backcountry, not oceanside. Boca Harbor yes.
Florida · Boca Grande / Charlotte Harbor
Redfish should be the day — sit the falling pass and the first harbor drains; this is current water.
The pass. Migratory tarpon stack in Boca Grande Pass in spring. Charlotte Harbor and Gasparilla hold snook and reds. NOAA 8725577 is the pass clock (predictions). Water temp is Fort Myers 8725520 — there is no live well at the inlet.
- ⚠ This brief is for 2027-01-23, not this morning. Wind is a forecast. Observed water versus the table is a today-only instrument.
- ⚠ Charlotte Harbor / Southwest snook harvest is typically closed May 1–Sep 30 and Dec 1–end of Feb. Verify FWC.
Forecast
medium confidence
Forecast brief for Saturday, January 23. Back to this morning
Morning line
Boca Grande 8.1 on Saturday, January 23. 7 mph WSW. Clear. YOLO day is Thursday, August 27. Scores are 1–10, not a bite.
outgoing · -0.62 ft · drag or hover for the clockNOAA tide gauge 8725577 · Port Boca Grande, Charlotte Harbor · ft MLLW · not a weather buoy
Wind
OPEN-METEO
From WSW · gust 8
Sky
OPEN-METEO
Clear
Clear
A 20% shower chance is not a cancel. A soaker is.
Moon
99% lit
Full
spring range · 99%
Water
No gauge
Water
—
Today’s range 2.5 ft
outgoing
-0.62 ft MLLW
Clock
NOAA 8725577
- LowSat 7:37 AM · -0.64
- HighSat 2:32 PM · 0.74
- LowSat 6:20 PM · 0.47
- HighSun 12:54 AM · 1.64
- LowSun 8:11 AM · -0.44
Monthly YOLO day
Thursday, August 27 · 8.5
Best remaining dry day this month with a real wind forecast. full · spring · tide range ~1.7 ft · wind to 9 mph · Thunderstorms · 67%
Next two weeks
Pulling the 14-day strip…
Where
This pip is that mark on this tide — not the day on the ring.
- 7.7
Boca Grande Pass
pass jetty · public structure · deep
The pass. NOAA 8725577 is the clock. Spring tarpon stack here. Current is the whole fishery — not a wade, not a skinny skiff.
- — pass jetty on a outgoing tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Redfish.
skiffstructurespinfly - 7.4
Cayo Costa / Boca Grande side
sand dropoff · public structure · mid
State park shoreline south of the pass. Beach and bar. Park rules, not a private cut.
- — sand dropoff on a outgoing tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Redfish.
skiffwadespinfly - 6.4
Gasparilla Sound
grass flat · public structure · mid
Harbor grass inside the pass. Reds and snook. Do not invent a hole — this is the sound.
- — grass flat on a outgoing tide is a workable match.
- — In-play: Redfish.
skiffkayakflyspin - 5.7
FL - Pine Island Sound via Matlacha
grass flat · saved map · skinny
Iconic sound flats: reds, snook, tarpon lanes. · flats · GULF ATLAS! - FISH
- — grass flat on a outgoing tide is a workable match.
skiffkayakwadeflyspin
When
When is moving water in a good hour — not the day. Today’s ring mixes the best mark, the lead fish, and the best window, then taxes the sky. A strong incoming can sit under a weak day if the wind or the fish is off. Calendar cells are a third recipe: range, moon, and the day’s forecast.
Incoming water
10.0Sat 9:00 AM → Sat 4:00 PM
Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.
Outgoing water
10.0Sat 4:00 PM → Sat 8:00 PM
Moving water in the right part of the day.
Incoming water
8.1Sat 8:00 PM → Sun 3:00 AM
Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.
Outgoing water
8.1Sun 2:00 AM → Sun 10:00 AM
Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.
Incoming water
10.0Sun 9:00 AM → Sun 5:00 PM
Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.
Launch and beach access
County and state ramps near this water. FKNMS no-take is Keys-only, on the legal list.
Placida / Gasparilla public ramps
Charlotte County
Harbor side of the Boca desk. The Pass is a run south from here.
Official sourceCayo Costa State Park
Florida State Parks
Barrier island south of Boca Grande Pass. Boat or ferry. Park rules.
Official source
Legal water
No-take and closed water cited to the agency that owns it. Only the Keys box is FKNMS.
No FKNMS polygon in this box. Mainland Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Mexico, and the Bahamas are not Keys sanctuary closures.
Why — and who
- — Tide is outgoing from NOAA 8725577 Port Boca Grande, Charlotte Harbor.
- — Clear. Sky is workable.
- — Wind 7 mph WSW. Castable. Sight-fishing is on if the sun is out.
- — Full moon — spring tide range. Marsh and passes usually want the extra current of a spring.
6.6
Tarpon
Megalops atlanticus
Thermal window
—
Off-season here. This tide stage (outgoing) matches how they hunt.
Florida: catch-and-release. Fish over 40 in must stay in the water. One harvest tag/year only for a potential IGFA record.
Mangrove / gray snapper
Lutjanus griseus
Thermal window
—
Off-season here. This tide stage (outgoing) matches how they hunt.
Florida: typically 10 in, inside the snapper aggregate. Verify FWC.
Snook
Centropomus undecimalis
Thermal window
—
Closed to harvest — still swims, do not keep. Off-season here. This tide stage (outgoing) matches how they hunt.
Region matters. SE/Atlantic (Jupiter, Biscayne): typically 28–32 in, 1/day, closed Dec 15–Jan 31 and June 1–Aug 31. Charlotte Harbor / Southwest (Boca Grande): typically 28–33 in, closed Dec 1–end of Feb and May 1–Sep 30. Snook permit required. Verify FWC.
Great barracuda
Sphyraena barracuda
Thermal window
—
Bycatch and beach noise — not the reason you came. Present, not peak. This tide stage (outgoing) matches how they hunt.
Generally unregulated. Ciguatera risk rises with size. Do not keep a big one for the table.
Jack crevalle
Caranx hippos
Thermal window
—
Bycatch and beach noise — not the reason you came. Off-season here. This tide stage (outgoing) matches how they hunt.
Generally unregulated. Still, do not leave a pile.
Regs citedFWC saltwater recreational · current FWC regional rules · rolls in 7 days. Snook closures are regional. Boca Grande is not Jupiter. Verify FWC before you keep one.