Sarasota inshore fishing spots

Drift a moving tide over 2 to 8 ft grass; spring and fall, mornings.

Find it. The grass flats west of the Ringling Museum / Ca d Zan on the east shore.

• Seatrout
• Pompano
• Spanish mackerel
• Ladyfish

Moving tide; summer snook, winter sheepshead on the pilings.

Find it. The drawbridge between Longboat Key and City Island (by Mote aquarium).

Heads up. Fish the bay side of the bridge only. Do not run out the pass.

• Snook
• Sheepshead
• Mangrove snapper
• Pompano
• Flounder

Incoming tide for clean water, mornings; strong current, fish the edges.

Find it. Inside the wide pass between south Lido and the north tip of Siesta Key.

Heads up. Strong current. Stay bay side; novices fish edges or near slack.

• Snook
• Sheepshead
• Redfish
• Trout
• Flounder

Low incoming tide; reds school the south side. Year-round.

Find it. Mile-long bar across the north bay from Longbar Point.

Heads up. Very shallow. Idle in from the south.

• Redfish
• Seatrout
• Snook

Night for snook on a moving tide; winter to spring sheepshead.

Find it. The high-span bridge from downtown to Bird Key / St Armands.

Heads up. Fish the fender pilings, never in the marked channel.

• Snook
• Sheepshead
• Mangrove snapper
• Jack

High tide to reach the shallows; productive year-round.

Find it. West side of the bay behind mid-Longboat Key; white shoal marker at the entrance.

• Snook
• Redfish
• Seatrout

Drift 4 to 8 ft grass on any moving tide; spring to fall.

Find it. Large flat in the west-central bay, behind south Longboat Key.

• Seatrout
• Spanish mackerel
• Pompano
• Ladyfish

Night on lighted docks, moving tide, summer. Day: drift the flat off the mooring field.

Find it. The anchored-sailboat mooring field off Marina Jack downtown.

Heads up. Do not tie to or cast onto private docks.

• Snook
• Juvenile tarpon
• Seatrout
• Redfish

Anchor up-current on a moving tide; winter to spring for sheepshead. No surface marker, GPS needed.

Find it. Open bay about 1 mi off the east shore, WSW of Stephens Point.

• Mangrove snapper
• Sheepshead
• Flounder
• Trout
• Jack

Cooler months, warm afternoons on a high tide. Closest spot to the ramp.

Find it. First mangrove bayou north of Whitaker Gateway Park on the mainland shore.

• Snook
• Jack
• Mangrove snapper
• Juvenile tarpon

Moving tide, especially outgoing; first light; winter for sheepshead.

Find it. The two rock walls where the inlet meets the Gulf; North Jetty Fish Camp on the right.

Heads up. Stay inside the rock tips. Strong current on the outgoing tide.

• Snook
• Redfish
• Sheepshead
• Mangrove snapper
• Pompano
• Tarpon (spring)

Night, any moving tide; productive year-round. Idle, keep casting distance off docks.

Find it. Lit docks along the ICW between Snake Island and the Albee Rd bridge (Pops at the north end).

Heads up. Do not tie to or cast onto private docks.

• Snook
• Tarpon (summer)
• Seatrout
• Mangrove snapper

Moving tide around the edges; early, before the sandbar crowd.

Find it. The island right inside the inlet, north side of the channel.

• Snook
• Redfish
• Mangrove snapper
• Seatrout

Summer midday shade under docks; night lights; higher tide.

Find it. Residential docks between the ramp and the first drawbridge.

• Snook
• Sheepshead
• Mangrove snapper
• Black drum
• Jack

Morning incoming tide near mangrove and oyster edges; spring and fall.

Find it. Open bay northeast of the inlet, east of the ICW toward the US 41 bridge.

• Seatrout
• Redfish
• Snook
• Flounder

Winter to spring sheepshead; cold fronts push snook up the creek.

Find it. First drawbridge southeast of Roberts Bay; Hatchett Creek joins near US 41.

• Sheepshead
• Black drum
• Snook
• Mangrove snapper

Higher tide over the grass; morning; spring and fall.

Find it. Shallow bay north of the Albee Rd bridge, behind the Casey Key homes.

• Seatrout
• Redfish
• Snook

Winter and early spring sheepshead; night for snook on shadow lines.

Find it. The downtown Venice Ave drawbridge over the ICW canal.

• Sheepshead
• Mangrove snapper
• Black drum
• Snook

Moving tide, best incoming, early morning; snook stack Mar to Nov.

Find it. The rock wall at the SW corner of the bay with North Jetty Fish Camp behind it.

Heads up. Stay inside the rocks. Strong inlet current on the outgoing tide.

• Snook
• Redfish
• Mangrove snapper
• Sheepshead
• Pompano
• Tarpon (May to Jul)

Moving tide; snook at night on the main light; sheepshead late winter to spring.

Find it. The drawbridge just south of the ramp, visible from the dock.

• Snook
• Sheepshead
• Mangrove snapper
• Jack

Incoming tide; night for snook; late winter to spring for snapper and sheepshead.

Find it. The old one-lane swing bridge about 4 mi north up the ICW; oyster island on the NE side.

• Snook (trophy)
• Mangrove snapper
• Sheepshead
• Redfish
• Juvenile tarpon

Higher incoming tide, first 3 hrs of light; winter trout in the shallows.

Find it. The shallow bay NW of the ramp, between Casey Key homes and the ICW.

Heads up. Resident manatees; idle with care.

• Seatrout
• Redfish
• Snook
• Pompano

High tide against the mangroves; lower incoming over oyster edges; shrimp year-round.

Find it. The low mangrove islands in the middle of the open bay due east of the ramp.

• Redfish
• Snook
• Seatrout
• Black drum
• Flounder

Moving tide on the ICW-side drop; go early, it is a party bar by 10am.

Find it. The small tree island just inside the inlet at the ICW T-junction.

• Seatrout
• Redfish
• Snook
• Mangrove snapper

Night only, moving tide, summer; drift the lighted docks.

Find it. Lit private docks on the west side heading north up the ICW.

Heads up. Never tie to private docks.

• Snook
• Seatrout
• Juvenile tarpon

Spring and fall prime; popping cork over grass between the channel and Casey Key shore.

Find it. The wide bay between the ICW markers and the backs of Casey Key houses.

• Seatrout (gator)
• Pompano
• Jack
• Bluefish
• Redfish

Winter cold snaps push snook up the creek; low light; the deeper bends.

Find it. The marked channel leaving the NE corner of Dona Bay toward the US 41 bridges.

• Snook
• Juvenile tarpon
• Mangrove snapper
• Black drum

Moving tide; low tide concentrates fish in the potholes; morning.

Find it. Straight out from the ramp, sand holes in the grass before the ICW markers.

• Seatrout
• Sheepshead
• Snook
• Redfish
• Mangrove snapper

Outgoing tide, freeline a greenback; year-round, best fall to winter and summer snook.

Find it. The channel inside the pass running toward Englewood Beach, lined with bars and docks.

Heads up. Shifting shoals since Milton. Stay inside; never run the pass.

• Snook
• Redfish
• Sheepshead
• Seatrout

Moving tide either way; night for snook. Anything moving up the ICW passes here.

Find it. The only drawbridge south of the ramp, with old fishing piers flanking it.

• Snook
• Seatrout
• Sheepshead
• Mangrove snapper
• Spanish mackerel
• Pompano

Outgoing tide, freelined pinfish or shrimp; spring to summer snook.

Find it. The sandbar-and-island maze where the pass channel meets the ICW; Stump Pass Marina east.

Heads up. Shifting shoals. Stay inside; do not run out the pass.

• Snook
• Redfish
• Mangrove snapper
• Flounder
• Sheepshead
• Pompano

Higher tide for the bar edges; falling tide at the creek mouth.

Find it. The long T-shaped Ainger Pier marks the creek mouth just south of the bridge.

• Redfish
• Snook
• Seatrout
• Flounder
• Sheepshead
• Black drum

Drift the edges on a moving tide; spring and fall.

Find it. The mangrove islands flanking the ICW markers northwest of the ramp.

• Seatrout
• Redfish
• Ladyfish
• Jack

Incoming tide over 2 to 4 ft grass; day for trout, night for snook.

Find it. The northern drawbridge, about 4 mi NW up the ICW.

• Seatrout
• Sheepshead
• Mangrove snapper
• Snook

Winter warm-water refuge; higher tide to reach; dawn and dusk.

Find it. Creek opening on the east shore at the bay north end, near Lemon Bay Park.

• Snook
• Jack
• Juvenile tarpon
• Snapper

Winter, when creeks hold snook as the bay cools; moving water on mangrove edges.

Find it. The creek winding inland right beside the launch park.

• Snook
• Mangrove snapper
• Juvenile tarpon
• Jack

Night, outgoing tide; bait flows past the light.

Find it. Lit residential docks along the ICW south of Tom Adams Bridge.

Heads up. Do not tie to or cast onto private docks.

• Snook
• Mangrove snapper
• Seatrout
• Ladyfish