UTERSnook fishing in The Treasure Coast
In The Treasure Coast, snook peak April–November and are around year-round, spawning in May–August, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. April: Big fish in Jupiter, St. Lucie, Fort Pierce and Sebastian inlets.
Mullet run peak: snook hanging below the bait, popping mullet off the bottom of the school.
Snook in The Treasure Coast, month by month
- JanuaryAroundIn the St. Lucie, Loxahatchee and the residential canals; deep inlet holes.
- FebruaryAroundSnook opens; pompano in the surf; kings and cobia nearshore. Snook harvest opens the 1st at the inlets and bridges; pompano run the beach; kings and cobia on the reef and wrecks.
- MarchArrivingMoving to the inlets.
- AprilPeakBig fish in Jupiter, St. Lucie, Fort Pierce and Sebastian inlets.
- MaySpawningThe big spring snook stack in the inlets — the most famous snook spawn in Florida. Check MyFWC for the closed season.
- JuneSpawningSpawning in the inlets and along the beach trough; dawn on the sand.
- JulySpawningStill spawning; the inlet outgoing at night.
- AugustSpawningFish staying through August on the Atlantic side.
- SeptemberPeakThe mullet run — the best beach snook of the year.
- OctoberPeakMullet run peak: snook hanging below the bait, popping mullet off the bottom of the school.
- NovemberPeakMoving into the rivers.
- DecemberAroundSnook closes mid-month; sheepshead, drum and pompano take over. Last snook harvest to the 14th; sheepshead and drum on the bridges, pompano on the beach, trout in the deeper lagoon holes.
Where to fish snook near Boca Raton, Jupiter, Stuart
The inlets and the Intracoastal behind them, the southern Indian River Lagoon's grass flats and spoil islands, the St. Lucie and Loxahatchee rivers, the beaches, and a reef line that comes within a mile of the sand from Jupiter south.
Fish Scouter charts 349 dock / pilings, 217 mangrove shoreline, 48 beach / surf, 22 bridge, 7 pass / inlet spots in the Palm Beach & the Treasure Coast map area — the kinds snook hold on.
What to use for snook
- 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.
- PinfishHooked through the back ahead of the dorsal on a 2/0 to 4/0 circle hook; the small ones free-lined, the big ones on a fish-finder rig.
- Finger mulletLip-hooked on a 2/0 to 4/0 circle hook and free-lined, or on a fish-finder rig in the surf. Cut mullet on the bottom for redfish and drum.
- Live shrimpUnder a popping cork or free-lined, hooked under the horn on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook; on a jig head for the bottom. The universal inshore bait.
- CroakersHooked through the back on a 2/0 to 3/0 circle hook, free-lined or on a Carolina rig — big trout and redfish can't leave them alone.
- Leader30–50 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook1/0–5/0
- Jig head1/4–1/2 oz
- Braid15–30 lb
Feeds in 68–90°F water, best at 74–86°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch snook in The Treasure Coast?
Peak season is April–November, with fish spawning in May–August (often a closed or catch-and-release window — check the rule). Snook are here year-round. April: Big fish in Jupiter, St. Lucie, Fort Pierce and Sebastian inlets.
Where do snook hold in The Treasure Coast?
Look on pass / inlet, dock / pilings, mangrove shoreline, beach / surf, bridge, channel edge — around Boca Raton, Jupiter, Stuart, Fort Pierce, Vero Beach, Sebastian.
What is the best bait for snook in The Treasure Coast?
Live bait: pilchards (whitebait), pinfish, finger mullet, live shrimp. 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. Tackle: leader 30–50 lb fluorocarbon, hook 1/0–5/0, jig head 1/4–1/2 oz, braid 15–30 lb.
What are the rules for snook in The Treasure Coast?
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/.
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