Know your target

Redfish fishing around Tampa Bay

Redfish root for crabs and shrimp along Tampa Bay oyster edges, mangroves and shallow grass flats. Rising water brings these bottom feeders within casting range of Pinellas and Hillsborough shorelines, especially in fall.

Also known as: Red drum

Harvest status today: Open (as of Oct 26, 2026)

Season: Tampa Bay region: open year-roundSlot: Not less than 18" and no more than 27" total lengthBag: 1 fish per person; 2 fish vessel limit (Tampa Bay region)

Redfish, side view — Photo: U.S. Food and Drug Administration (Reference Standard Sequence Library) · Public domain (U.S. government work) · Source

FWC regulations (Tampa Bay region)

Season	Tampa Bay region: open year-round
Slot/size limit	Not less than 18" and no more than 27" total length
Bag limit	1 fish per person; 2 fish vessel limit (Tampa Bay region)
Special rules	4 fish per person transport limit when traveling on land away from a fishing site Must remain in whole condition until landed ashore No spearing, gigging or snatch hooking; no multiple hooks with live or dead natural bait Commercial harvest prohibited

Source: FWC: Red Drum · Checked Oct 2026

“Checked” is the dataset reference date.

Regulations change; always confirm with FWC.

Fishing license: who needs one

When they're biting

Best months and baits are general guidance, not official.

JanGood

FebGood

MarPeak

AprPeak

MayGood

JunGood

JulGood

AugPeak

SepPeak

OctPeakThis month

NovPeak

DecGood

Swipe or scroll the table to see all months. General guidance: 0 = Rare, 1 = Fair, 2 = Good, 3 = Peak. Current month: Oct. Harvest status as of 2026-10-26 (America/New_York), at build time.

Month-by-month shore fishing guide
Species	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	OctThis month	Nov	Dec
Redfish	Good	Good	Peak	Peak	Good	Good	Good	Peak	Peak	Peak	Peak	Good

winter: On sunny afternoons, fish shrimp slowly beside oyster edges and sheltered shallow flats after the water has warmed.
spring: Cast weedless spoons across flooded grass and place shrimp along mangroves on the incoming tide.
summer: Fish early along shaded mangrove margins, then soak cut mullet near the outer edge as shallow water heats.
fall: Search shallow bay shorelines for mullet activity and fan-cast nearby with spoons or scented soft plastics.

Top baits

Best months and baits are general guidance, not official.

live

Live shrimp
Small live blue crabs

cut

Cut mullet
Cut ladyfish
Blue crab halves

artificial

Gold weedless spoon
3 inch scented shrimp soft plastic
Weedless paddletail

Image credits

How to catch

General guidance; adapt tackle to conditions and follow current rules.

Hook: 2/0-4/0 inline circle hook
Leader: 20-30 lb fluorocarbon
Weight: 1/4-1 oz sliding egg sinker
Rig: Fish-finder/Carolina rig: run an egg sinker above a swivel, then use an 18-24 inch leader to keep shrimp or cut bait close to the bottom.
Technique: Place bait just outside oysters or mangrove roots and let scent work without repeatedly recasting. Retrieve a weedless spoon slowly enough to stay above grass.
Best tide: Incoming tide through high water along mangroves; first outgoing along draining flats
Time of day: First light in summer; warmer afternoon water in winter

Cast beyond shallow fish rather than dropping bait on them.
Keep bait off oyster tops to reduce snags and leader cuts.
Support heavy fish horizontally with wet hands before release.

Where to go

Habitat suggestions, subject to access. Check each spot's status before going.

Philippe Park Shoreline Mangroves and oysters give redfish a crustacean-feeding edge to probe with shrimp on rising water. Open
E.G. Simmons Conservation Park Shoreline Eastern bay mangrove shoreline and canals suit cut-mullet presentations where water drains from cover. Open
Boca Ciega Millennium Park Shoreline Boca Ciega mangroves and flats offer shallow feeding habitat for weedless spoons. Open
Courtney Campbell Causeway — Clearwater Trail Shoreline Upper Old Tampa Bay flats and rocks provide edges for bottom baits without needing a long offshore cast. Call ahead
Safety Harbor — Fire Marshal Dick Brock Memorial Pier Rebuilt pier over upper Old Tampa Bay flats; ladyfish and trout chase bait on moving tides, sheepshead hang on pilings in winter. Open
Weedon Island Preserve Fishing Pier Pier over shallow grass flats and mangroves; trout and snook feed on bait pushed by the tide. Open
Dunedin Causeway Causeway bridges over St. Joseph Sound; sheepshead on the bridge pilings in winter, trout and reds on the grass flats beside the roadway. Open
Fred Howard Park — Causeway and Beach Causeway rock and grass flats to the Gulf beach; wade the flats for trout and reds, fish the causeway rocks for sheepshead. Open
Wall Springs Park Pier Pier over the St. Joseph Sound backwater flats where trout and reds feed on the tide. Open
Fort De Soto Park — East Beach Bay-side beach facing lower Tampa Bay grass flats; wade for trout and reds on a moving tide. Call ahead
Bay Vista Park Pier Pier at the south tip of St. Petersburg facing lower Tampa Bay flats; trout and ladyfish on moving tides. Call ahead
Jungle Prada Park Pier Pier into Boca Ciega Bay grass flats; trout and reds feed near the pier edges on incoming tides. Call ahead
R.E. Olds Park Fishing Pier Pier at the very top of Old Tampa Bay; shallow brackish flats where ladyfish, trout and snook feed when the tide is moving. Open
Upper Tampa Bay Conservation Park Mangrove creek mouths and bay banks; County calls these banks some of its best saltwater shore fishing for snook, redfish and trout. Open
Williams Park (Alafia River at U.S. 41) Alafia River shoreline by the U.S. 41 bridge; snook stage on the bridge shadows and tarpon roll up the river in summer. Open
Riverview Civic Center Fishing Pier (Alafia River) Pier on the tidal Alafia River upstream of the bay; snook and jacks follow bait in the brackish water, especially on the outgoing tide. Open
Ruskin Commongood Park Pier Small pier on the Ruskin Inlet near the Little Manatee River; snook and reds use the mangrove and dock edges. Call ahead
Domino Park Fishing Pier (Little Manatee River) Pier on Mill Bayou off the Little Manatee River; snook and reds move through the tidal river shallows. Open