Jacksonville fishing calendar
What’s biting each month, and the best months to book.
Plan your Jacksonville fishing trip with our month-by-month calendar for redfish, spotted seatrout, flounder, sheepshead, black drum and king mackerel. Peak means the best fishing of the year, Good means steady fishing and Fair means possible but slower.
When is the best time to fish in Jacksonville?
The best fishing in Jacksonville is Mar–Jun and Oct–Nov, when redfish, spotted seatrout, flounder, sheepshead and black drum are at their peak. There is something to catch all year: winter is best for redfish, sheepshead and black drum; spring is best for redfish, spotted seatrout and sheepshead; summer is best for king mackerel, mahi-mahi and snapper & sea bass; fall is best for redfish, spotted seatrout and flounder.
- Winter (Dec–Feb): best for redfish, sheepshead and black drum; also spotted seatrout and snapper & sea bass.
- Spring (Mar–May): best for redfish, spotted seatrout, sheepshead and black drum; also flounder and snapper & sea bass.
- Summer (Jun–Aug): best for king mackerel, mahi-mahi and snapper & sea bass; also redfish, spotted seatrout and flounder.
- Fall (Sep–Nov): best for redfish, spotted seatrout, flounder and king mackerel; also sheepshead, black drum and snapper & sea bass.
Jacksonville fishing calendar by month
How good the fishing is for each fish, month by month. Tap a fish for our full guide.
- Peak best fishing of the year
- Good steady fishing
- Fair possible, but slower
- – slow, out of season or closed
| Fish | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inshore | ||||||||||||
| Redfish | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Good | Good | Good | Good | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak |
| Spotted seatrout | Good | Good | Peak | Peak | Peak | Good | Good | Good | Good | Peak | Peak | Good |
| Flounder | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Peak | Peak | Peak | Fair |
| Sheepshead | Peak | Peak | Peak | Good | Fair | Fair | Good | Peak | ||||
| Black drum | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Peak |
| Offshore | ||||||||||||
| King mackerel (kingfish) | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Good | Fair |
| Cobia | Good | Peak | Peak | Good | Fair | Fair | ||||||
| Mahi-mahi (dolphin) | Fair | Peak | Peak | Peak | Good | Fair | ||||||
| Snapper & sea bass (reef) | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Peak | Peak | Peak | Good | Good | Good | Good |
Seasons, size limits and bag limits change every year: see FWC saltwater rules and FWC freshwater rules. Snook and some other fish are catch-and-release in closed months.
What’s biting each month in Jacksonville
Swipe to see every month →
January
Peak Redfish, Sheepshead and Black drum
Good Spotted seatrout and Snapper & sea bass (reef)
February
Peak Redfish, Sheepshead and Black drum
Good Spotted seatrout and Snapper & sea bass (reef)
March
Peak Redfish, Spotted seatrout, Sheepshead and Black drum
Good Cobia and Snapper & sea bass (reef)
April
Peak Redfish, Spotted seatrout, Black drum and Cobia
Good Flounder, Sheepshead, King mackerel (kingfish) and Snapper & sea bass (reef)
May
Peak Spotted seatrout, King mackerel (kingfish), Cobia and Mahi-mahi (dolphin)
Good Redfish, Flounder, Black drum and Snapper & sea bass (reef)
June
Peak King mackerel (kingfish), Mahi-mahi (dolphin) and Snapper & sea bass (reef)
Good Redfish, Spotted seatrout, Flounder and Cobia
July
Peak King mackerel (kingfish), Mahi-mahi (dolphin) and Snapper & sea bass (reef)
Good Redfish, Spotted seatrout and Flounder
August
Peak King mackerel (kingfish) and Snapper & sea bass (reef)
Good Redfish, Spotted seatrout, Flounder and Mahi-mahi (dolphin)
September
Peak Redfish, Flounder and King mackerel (kingfish)
Good Spotted seatrout and Snapper & sea bass (reef)
October
Peak Redfish, Spotted seatrout, Flounder and King mackerel (kingfish)
Good Black drum and Snapper & sea bass (reef)
November
Peak Redfish, Spotted seatrout and Flounder
Good Sheepshead, Black drum, King mackerel (kingfish) and Snapper & sea bass (reef)
December
Peak Redfish, Sheepshead and Black drum
Good Spotted seatrout and Snapper & sea bass (reef)
Best months for each fish in Jacksonville
- Redfish: best Sep–Apr; good all year.
- Spotted seatrout: best Mar–May and Oct–Nov; good all year.
- Flounder: best Sep–Nov; good Apr–Nov.
- Sheepshead: best Dec–Mar; good Nov–Apr.
- Black drum: best Dec–Apr; good Oct–May.
- King mackerel (kingfish): best May–Oct; good Apr–Nov.
- Cobia: best Apr–May; good Mar–Jun.
- Mahi-mahi (dolphin): best May–Jul; good May–Aug.
- Snapper & sea bass (reef): best Jun–Aug; good all year.
Reviews from Jacksonville trips
5.013 reviews
Wow, what a great experience!!!
Wow, what a great experience!!! Captain Peter was cool, calm, and super knowledgeable. We caught over 25 fish over a couple of hours. I will be definitely be hiring him again!!! We had an awesome time on the water.
Chris Mills · July 2024
Bass fishing
Got to fish with Capt David this morning.. great Capt!!! Put us on the fish almost immediately and kept us on them just about the whole trip…. We really enjoyed spending the morning with him. My son was really looking forward to this trip and Capt David delivered in every way. Already looking…
Rob Connor · May 2024
Awesome people
The guides are awesome people to spend a day on the water with. From the conversations to their experience on the water they had us on fish within 25 min of take off I highly recommend to anyone.
Donald Riley · January 2024
Highly recommend
Highly recommend booking a trip with Capt Ken as a bass guide. My 5 year old son Logan and I had an awesome afternoon fishing with Captain Ken. Logan caught 10 fish in 2.5 hours! Thank you again Ken!
Cody Espeaig · December 2023
Awesome experience!!!
Captain Ken did an awesome job getting us on fish. We bought the four dozen shiners which I think they give us a few extra shiners. We caught 30 to 40 bass and a few gar was a lot of fun. Was my kids first time Bass Fishing on a boat
Jess Day · October 2023
Best bass among the 42
Captain Ken is the best! My son and I caught our personal best bass among the 42 fish we caught on our morning trip. My son’s fish was 6lb 12oz. He was extremely happy! Ken is very knowledgeable about fishing and also shared a great deal about why Rodman Reservoir produces trophy bass so well. In…
Dave Barry · May 2023
What a trip!
What a trip! David our guide put us on the fish within minutes! Kept us on them too! Highly recommend booking a trip, brought my elderly grandpa who doesn’t get around all to well , David was more than accommodating and patient with that. Definitely look forward to fishing with them on my next annual trip to Florida.
Tyler Brown · April 2023
Great trip
My son and I fish a lot back home in Tn. We were not interested in sightseeing so while the rest of the family went there we booked a 6 hr trip for this morning to fish. Meet up with Ken at the boat ramp very nice and friendly guy. He took us out and showed us how they catch bass here in Florida…
Jeff Mullins · March 2023
We had an awesome 4hr trip
We had an awesome 4hr trip out with Peter this morning. My 10yr son and I had never done any bass fishing before being from New Zealand but Peter obviously knew what he was doing and made it super easy to learn the new techniques.
Aaron Bennett · January 2023
Very knowledgeable
We had Captain Ken as our guide for our party of four. He was very knowledgeable and had us on fish right away. He was very helpful and you can tell he enjoys his job. I highly recommend these guys and will definitely be back!
Eric Hensley · December 2022
Awesome experience
Had an awesome experience with Bass Online bass guides! Capt Ken our captain was friendly and knowledgeable and put in 110% effort to make sure we caught as many fish as we could (we caught 20 bass). Would highly recommend!
Tara Boeshore · November 2022
Brilliant with him!
My 9 year old son has never fished before. Peter T was brilliant with him. Very Patient and explained everything and answered all Alfies Questions. We caught 21 fish between us and my boy caught more than me. And the biggest of the day. A 4 1/2 lb Bass. We caught a Catfish as well and lost multiple…
Peter White · October 2022
Jacksonville fishing calendar FAQ
When is the best time to fish in Jacksonville?
The best fishing in Jacksonville is Mar–Jun and Oct–Nov, when redfish, spotted seatrout, flounder, sheepshead and black drum are at their peak. There is something to catch all year: winter is best for redfish, sheepshead and black drum; spring is best for redfish, spotted seatrout and sheepshead; summer is best for king mackerel, mahi-mahi and snapper & sea bass; fall is best for redfish, spotted seatrout and flounder.
What fish are biting in Jacksonville in winter?
From December to February, redfish, sheepshead and black drum are at their best, and spotted seatrout and snapper & sea bass are good. Pick calm days between cold fronts.
What fish are biting in Jacksonville in summer?
From June to August, king mackerel, mahi-mahi and snapper & sea bass are at their best, and redfish, spotted seatrout, flounder and cobia are good. Book an early start to beat the heat and afternoon storms.
What is the best month for redfish in Jacksonville?
Redfish fishing in Jacksonville is best Sep–Apr, and good all year.
When is the best time for king mackerel in Jacksonville?
King mackerel (kingfish) fishing in Jacksonville is best May–Oct, and good Apr–Nov.
Do fishing seasons and limits apply in Jacksonville?
Yes. Some fish have closed seasons, size limits and bag limits that change from year to year. Months marked “–” on this calendar are slow, out of season or usually closed. Your captain follows the current rules; check the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) for this year’s dates.
How do I book a fishing trip in Jacksonville?
Pick your trip and date on the Jacksonville fishing charters page and book online with a local captain. Free cancellation up to 72 hours before your trip, and a full refund or free reschedule if the captain cancels for weather. Questions? Call or text (407) 392-4593.