The Sunshine State has enough fishing to keep you going all season. As one of the premier spots for fishing in the entire world, Florida has no shortage of rivers, lakes, and inlets for you to cast into. If you’re making the trek to the southeast, you might even find that you’ve got too many choices between all the best places to fish in Florida.
Well, that’s what we’re here today to help you with. In this post, we’re going to talk about the best places to fish in Florida. We’ll go over five breathtaking destinations and tell you why you should spend your time there.
Of course, there’s an abundance of great fishing here, so you can’t go wrong. Allow us to point you in the right direction so your next fishing trip can be one to remember.
1. Lake Okeechobee
Lake Okeechobee is the largest lake in Florida. At a whopping 730 square miles, you could get lost on this thing for days without scratching the surface. It also happens to be one of the best lakes for bass fishing in the state, and likely the entire country.
The lake itself is calm and serene, perfect for taking a boat out on. Or, if you’re more inclined to stay onshore, you’ve also got some of the best shoreline fishing in Florida available to you. Our recommendation is to partake in a healthy mixture of on and offshore bass fishing.
There are several lakeside resorts and campsites all around, so you can really make a weekend of it. If you need to charter a boat, there are options that suit any price range. Okeechobee is a regular feature of major bass fishing tournaments, so you won’t be short on amenities here.
2. Destin
You can’t make a list of Florida’s best fishing spots without including Destin. As its name implies, Destin is the primo destination for red snapper, kingfish, amberjack, and cobia in the world. The 1,000s of visiting anglers per year have turned this coastal fishing town into something to behold and the home of the Destin Fishing Rodeo.
Perfectly situated beside both the Gulf of Mexico and the East Pass, Destin is great for both offshore and inshore fishing. Along the offshore seabed, there are 400 different waypoints with artificial reefs that will give you an amazing yield. The further out you go, the more varied your potential catches will be.
Inshore, you’ve got some really great spots for kayak and surf fishing. You don’t have to head deep into the Gulf to find redfish, speckled trout, flounder, black drum, and seasonal fish like Spanish mackerel and pompano.
Destin is one of the best spots for well-rounded anglers that want a little bit of everything.
3. Marco Island
For a truly breathtaking backdrop, a visit to Marco Island off of Florida’s southwest coast is going to be in order. You’ll see schools of redfish, speckled trout, and ladyfish out on the wave-laden waters of the Gulf. There’s great deep-sea fishing, where you might haul in tuna, mahi-mahi, or wahoo.
The island is full of affordable charters to take you out on the water and once you’re tired out from the deep-sea stuff, head inland to do some light tackle and fly fishing.
Marco Island has a lot of perks, the main one being that there’s no hustle and bustle like you’d find in Key West or Destin. It’s just you, the scenery, and the fish.
4. Tampa
Let’s leave south Florida for a moment and head up to Tampa. The northern part of Florida doesn’t always get as much pop as the south, especially when it comes to world-class fishing, but in fact, Tampa has just that. It’s a popular spot among anglers that are looking for some great inshore fishing.
You’ll find loads of redfish, black drum, and spotted seatrout along the coastline, but that’s just the beginning. The waters around Tampa are rife with fly fishing opportunities and tarpon that literally jump out of the water.
Inland fishing is what most anglers go towards in Tampa, but if you’re around for multiple days, it’s worth exploring offshore as well. You’ll find an array of fish (king mackerel, mahi-mahi, snapper) if you spend enough time out on the water.
Something great about Tampa is that it’s also one of America’s up-and-coming cities. You’ll find loads of great restaurants, bars, shows, and sporting events happening year-round, so there’ll never be a dull moment.
5. Stuart
Stuart is actually known as the “sailfish capital of the world”, but it’s also teeming with snook. Not only is this a great place to catch a wide variety of fish, but it’s also a picturesque destination that offers a lot in the way of nature and walking trails.
Since it’s located so close to the gulf stream (only 10 miles), you can take a charter for a full or half-day and encounter some big-time fish. If you go out far enough, you’ll find wahoo, sailfish, and mahi-mahi, in abundance. A full-day excursion might get you up close and personal with some blue marlin, yellow tuna, and billfish.
There are lots of options for inland fishing as well. Of course, you could take a trip to “sailfish alley”, where you might land 10 sailfish in a single outing (with a good charter). Other spots, like the Indian River Lagoon, St. Lucie, and Sewall Point, will have lots of bonefish, tarpon, snook, trout, and flounder, among others.
Just A Few Of The Best Places To Fish In Florida
These are just a few of the best places to fish in Florida to get you started. As soon as you dig in a little further, you’ll find dozens more that sound just as enticing.
What’s for sure is that you can’t go wrong with any of these as your next fishing destination. All of them are fruitful, beautiful, and have a huge variety of fish, great charters, and even better scenery. Florida really is one of the best places in the world to be an angler.
Gulf Stream Boat Club has one of the fastest-growing fleets of fishing boats in South Florida. Register with us today and start planning your next fishing trip.