January: Big trout and redfish to 10-pounds can be caught on the flats and around the drop-offs for angler willing to commit to targeting these fish. They are a hit or miss opportunity if you want a large trout or red. School trout and smaller redfish are on the flats this month, along with small snook, lots of bluefish, ladyfish and jacks and pompano! If the ocean is calm, the big jacks may be out front, depending on the weather and migration pattern of that year. Some snook are on the docks at night.
February: If February is warm, the fishing can be red hot for pompano, bluefish, jacks and ladyfish just inside the inlet. Trout, snook and redfish can be caught on the grass flats from Stuart to Fort Pierce. Some snook are on the docks at night. The big jacks show up in the ocean this month. If it's calm, jack crevalle to 30-pounds or more will be schooling and daisy-chaining on the surface for a very visual casting experience. This is a great light tackle month.
March: Snook fishing improves dramatically around the bridges and docks after dark and before first light. Snook, trout and redfish are on the flats, along with bluefish, jacks, pompano and ladyfish. The big jacks are still out front-weather permitting, and some cobia may be encountered. This is a great light tackle month.
April: If warm weather and calm seas prevail, jacks to 38-pounds will be milling on the surface in schools of 40- to 400 fish. These are big bruisers that will put up a great battle on any tackle. Snook fishing picks up even more around the docks after dark, and on the flats as well. Trout and redfish are available on the grass flats, as are pompano, ladyfish, jacks and bluefish. Small tarpon to 20-pounds may move into the river by the end of the month.
May: The big jacks are still out in the ocean, and we piggy-back our search, also looking for the first of the migrating tarpon schools. Tarpon in the 40- to 60-pound class will be encountered early in the month, and larger fish will be showing up by the end of May. Snook fishing is excellent, whether on the docks or bridges at night, or on the seawalls at first light. Smaller snook can be caught on the flats, along with big trout and some redfish. Pompano, jacks and ladyfish are also on the flats this month.
June: This is one of the best months of the year for tarpon to 130-pounds or more. The fish are migrating through the area, stopping at the inlets at night. They are finning on the surface in pods of 10 to 100 fish, and can be caught on all forms of tackle. Snook fishing is excellent! Snook can be caught around the docks and bridges and in the inlet, with the best fishing conditions in the dark to through the first hour of daylight. Big jacks are still around, and cobia, little tunny and barracuda also make a showing. Trout and redfish are on the flats and around the spoil islands.
July: Calm seas and windless mornings often find tarpon rolling at the mouth of the St. Lucie and Fort Pierce Inlets. Tarpon from 50- to 120-pounds or more are also stationed along the beaches, while smaller fish in the 10- to 30-pound class inhabit the St. Lucie and Indian Rivers. Summertime snook season is at its peak, with schools of snook in the Inlets, along the beaches and under the dock lights at night. Trout fishing is very good on the flats of the Indian River, and up in some of the small basins of the St. Lucie River. Redfish are up and tailing on the flats at dawn and dusk, and can be encountered in pods of three to 30-fish throughout the day. If the seas are calm, we may run to the offshore buoys and shoals in search of great barracuda, cobia, and a host of other offshore species. There's also the possibility of permit.
August: Tarpon and snook are still on the beaches and in the inlets, and snook fishing around the docks and submerged spoil islands before first light can be world class. Trout and redfish are also available on the flats. Most of out August fishing takes place from the early morning hours to about 10 a.m., when the heat of the day and high sun slow the fishing. Dusk and nighttime are another good option! Juvenile tarpon to 30-pounds or more are readily available in the St. Lucie River. There's also the possibility of permit.
September: Snook season opens in September, so a lot of our clients like to focus on linesiders around the inlets and in the cuts of small channels. Snook are also on the seawalls at first light. Very good snook opportunities take place around the docks at night. Small tarpon remain available in the rivers, and larger tarpon can be found at the inlets and along the beaches if the weather permits. September can be rough or flat calm, depending on the tropical weather patterns. Trout and redfish opportunities are very good, particularly in the Indian River, and small snook are available around most of the discharge pipes of the mosquito impoundments. By late September, the mullet run will start, and everything from bluefish to jacks, snook, huge ladyfish and tarpon will be blasting these baits around the inlets and off the beaches.
October: The mullet run will be in full swing along the beaches and in the rivers this month. Tarpon and snook are the main targets, with both species available around the inlets and points in the rivers. Night fishing for snook is an excellent proposition. Bluefish, jacks and huge ladyfish are also chasing the mullet. Trout, snook and redfish are on the flats, along with some flounder and jacks. Juvenile tarpon to 20-pounds or more are still up in the St. Lucie River.
November: Early November may still push some mullet through the area, and the last of the big tarpon and even smaller tarpon activity is now available. Night fishing and fly fishing for snook around the docks and bridges is excellent, as is dawn fishing around the points of the St. Lucie River. Bluefish, jacks and big ladyfish are abundant by mid-November, and pompano start to show up on the flats in large schools. Trout, small snook and redfish can be caught on the flats throughout the day, along with schools of ladyfish and small jack crevalle.
December: Depending on the wind and temperature conditions, December can be a very good month to catch pompano, trout and redfish on the grass flats. Ladyfish, jack crevalle and pompano are also a popular fish to find on the flats this month. If the ocean is calm, the big jack crevalle may be showing by Christmas, with fish to 20-pounds or more daisy-chaining on the surface. Small snook are available on the docks and bridges at night.

 

Captain John Meskauskas
772-529-4484
info@stuartflyfishing.com