UTERFlounder fishing in Tampa Bay
In Tampa Bay, flounder peak April–May and October–November and are around year-round, spawning in November, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. October: Staging on the sand edges at the passes.
Staging on the sand edges at the passes.
Flounder in Tampa Bay, month by month
- JanuaryAroundSheepshead on every piling; trout deep; reds in the canals. Shrimp on the Skyway and bridge pilings for sheepshead; slow jigs in the holes and canals; snook stacked in the warm canals and the power-plant outflow.
- FebruaryAround
- MarchArriving
- AprilPeak
- MayPeak
- JuneAround
- JulyAround
- AugustAround
- SeptemberArriving
- OctoberPeakStaging on the sand edges at the passes.
- NovemberSpawningRunning out through the passes — drag a jig or mud minnow down the sand edges. Fall closure — check MyFWC.
- DecemberAroundWinter sets up: sheepshead, drum, trout in the holes. Pilings and reefs for sheepshead, deep holes and canals for trout and reds, drum on the flats with crab. The first fronts push fish to the outflows.
Where to fish flounder near Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Tampa
Florida's biggest open-water estuary, ringed with grass flats, mangrove islands, oyster bars and the Skyway's endless pilings, then the barrier-island passes — Johns, Pass-a-Grille, Longboat, New Pass, Big Sarasota, Venice — and a dense field of artificial reefs a few miles off the beach.
Fish Scouter charts 883 dock / pilings, 46 pass / inlet, 34 beach / surf spots in the Tampa Bay & Sarasota map area — the kinds flounder hold on.
What to use for flounder
- Mud minnows (killifish)Lip-hooked on a jig head or a 1/0 hook dragged along the bottom — the flounder bait.
- 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.
- 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.
- Leader20–30 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook1/0–2/0
- Jig head1/4–1/2 oz
- Braid10–20 lb
Feeds in 54–82°F water, best at 60–75°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch flounder in Tampa Bay?
Peak season is April–May and October–November, with fish spawning in November (often a closed or catch-and-release window — check the rule). Flounder are here year-round. October: Staging on the sand edges at the passes.
Where do flounder hold in Tampa Bay?
Look on channel edge, dock / pilings, pass / inlet, beach / surf — around Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Tampa, Bradenton, Sarasota, Venice.
What is the best bait for flounder in Tampa Bay?
Live bait: mud minnows (killifish), finger mullet, live shrimp, pinfish. Mud minnows (killifish): Lip-hooked on a jig head or a 1/0 hook dragged along the bottom — the flounder bait. Tackle: leader 20–30 lb fluorocarbon, hook 1/0–2/0, jig head 1/4–1/2 oz, braid 10–20 lb.
What are the rules for flounder in Tampa Bay?
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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All about flounder · Tampa Bay & Sarasota, the whole year