Spanish mackerel fishing in Charlotte Harbor

In Charlotte Harbor, Spanish mackerel peak April–May and October–November and are around March–January, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. October: Fall run back on the beaches and passes.

Now · October

Peak

Fall run back on the beaches and passes.

Spanish mackerel in Charlotte Harbor, month by month

JanuaryAround
FebruaryNot here
MarchArrivingOutside the passes on the bait.
AprilPeak
MayPeak
JuneAround
JulyAround
AugustAround
SeptemberArrivingReds school up big in the harbor; the bait run begins. Schooling redfish — a hundred at a time — on the harbor bars and the sound flats. Snook on the mangroves with the mullet; tarpon back in the harbor on the bait.
OctoberPeakFall run back on the beaches and passes.
NovemberPeak
DecemberAround

Where to fish Spanish mackerel near Englewood, Boca Grande, Punta Gorda

Boca Grande Pass and the mangrove sounds behind it — Charlotte Harbor, Pine Island Sound, Matlacha, the Caloosahatchee, Estero Bay — miles of mangrove shoreline, oyster bars, sand holes in the grass, and long barrier-island beaches from Gasparilla to Sanibel.

Structure it holds on

Artificial reefPass / inletBeach / surf

Towns and waters

EnglewoodBoca GrandePunta GordaPine IslandFort MyersNaples

Fish Scouter charts 254 artificial reef, 47 marker / buoy, 30 beach / surf, 17 pass / inlet spots in the Charlotte Harbor & the Islands map area — the kinds Spanish mackerel hold on.

What to use for Spanish mackerel

Glass minnows (bay anchovies)Thrown by the handful as chum for Spanish, trout and ladyfish, or several on a tiny hook.
Pilchards (whitebait)Free-lined or under a cork, hooked through the nose on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook. The one bait that catches everything inshore.
Threadfin herring (greenbacks)Nose-hooked on a circle hook and free-lined, or slow-trolled. Fragile — handle them wet and fast.
Spanish sardinesNose-hooked and free-lined in a chum slick, or slow-trolled on a stinger rig.

Leader30–40 lb fluorocarbon
Braid10–20 lb

Feeds in 64–84°F water, best at 68–78°F.

Questions anglers ask

When is the best time to catch Spanish mackerel in Charlotte Harbor?

Peak season is April–May and October–November. Spanish mackerel are in Charlotte Harbor March–January. October: Fall run back on the beaches and passes.

Where do Spanish mackerel hold in Charlotte Harbor?

Look on artificial reef, pass / inlet, beach / surf — around Englewood, Boca Grande, Punta Gorda, Pine Island, Fort Myers, Naples.

What is the best bait for Spanish mackerel in Charlotte Harbor?

Live bait: glass minnows (bay anchovies), pilchards (whitebait), threadfin herring (greenbacks), spanish sardines. Glass minnows (bay anchovies): Thrown by the handful as chum for Spanish, trout and ladyfish, or several on a tiny hook. Tackle: leader 30–40 lb fluorocarbon, braid 10–20 lb.

What are the rules for Spanish mackerel in Charlotte Harbor?

Size and bag limits and closed seasons are set by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and change — read the current rule at https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/ before you keep a fish. A licence is sold at https://myfwc.com/license/recreational/.

The current FWC rule →Open the app for today's Spanish mackerel read

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