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Old Tampa Bay

Tampa, Hillsborough County, FL

😁 Moderate
Partly cloudy · 69°F · Feels 69°
Marine Chart
Solar
Sunrise
07:11 AM
Sunset
07:53 PM
Water Temp.
Temp. Fº
69 Fº
Temp. Cº
21 Cº
Wind
Speed
17 mph
Direction
ENE
UV Index
Strength
1
Level
Low
Tide Chart
Solunar Forecast
Waning Crescent · 40% illuminated

Hourly Fishing Activity

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Peak
Good
Slow
Poor

Feeding Windows

Major
6:06 AM
to
8:06 AM
Major
6:30 PM
to
8:30 PM
Minor
1:21 AM
to
2:21 AM
Minor
11:53 AM
to
12:53 PM
🌕 Moon Rise
1:51 AM
🌑 Moon Set
12:23 PM
☀️ Sun Rise
6:12 AM
🌅 Sun Set
6:52 PM

Local Fishing Resource

Tampa Bay Fishing Cheat Sheet

Free

Everything you need to fish one of Florida's greatest inshore fisheries

What's Inside

Species Breakdown
Best Seasons
Tides & Timing
Bait & Tackle
Where to Fish
Gear Picks
🐟 Snook 🐟 Tarpon 🐟 Redfish 🐟 Seatrout 🐟 Sheepshead
Open the Tampa Bay Area Cheat Sheet

Fish Species in This Area

Common Snook

Common Snook

Centropomus undecimalis

Spring Summer
Common
Up to 55.1 inches
Inshore, Mangroves, Estuaries
Family: Centropomidae

Prized sport fish found around mangroves and inlets. Sensitive to cold temperatures.

Local Notes: Ambush prey from mangrove edges on high tides throughout Old Tampa Bay. Switch to shallow grass flat edges on the fall.

Red Drum

Red Drum

Sciaenops ocellatus

Year Round
Common
Up to 59.1 inches
Inshore, Estuaries, Surf zones
Family: Sciaenidae

Popular game fish with distinctive black spot near tail. Found in shallow coastal waters.

Local Notes: Patrol the shallow flats and shorelines of Old Tampa Bay. Sight-fish tailing reds on low tide with gold spoons or D.O.A. Shrimp.

Spotted Seatrout

Spotted Seatrout

Cynoscion nebulosus

Year Round
Common
Up to 35.8 inches
Inshore, Grass flats, Estuaries
Family: Sciaenidae

Popular inshore species with distinctive spots. Found over grass flats and sandy bottoms.

Local Notes: Dominate the grass flats throughout Old Tampa Bay. DOA Shrimp, CAL jigs, and live pilchards over the flat edges at first light.

Black Drum

Black Drum

Pogonias cromis

Fall Winter
Occasional
Up to 66.9 inches
Inshore, Oyster bars, Estuaries
Family: Sciaenidae

Large drum species found in estuaries. Can reach impressive sizes.

Local Notes: Root around oyster bars and shell beds in Old Tampa Bay. Shrimp or crab on bottom in 3–6 ft of water.

Florida Pompano

Florida Pompano

Trachinotus carolinus

Fall Spring
Occasional
Up to 25.2 inches
Surf zones, Sandy beaches
Family: Carangidae

Excellent eating fish found in surf. Silver body with yellow fins.

Local Notes: Roam the sandy potholes and flats of Old Tampa Bay in cooler months. Quarter-ounce jigs tipped with shrimp.

Mangrove Snapper

Mangrove Snapper

Lutjanus griseus

Year Round
Occasional
Up to 22 inches
Inshore, Mangroves, Reefs
Family: Lutjanidae

Versatile species found from mangroves to offshore reefs. Excellent eating.

Local Notes: Hold tight to mangrove roots, docks, and any structure in Old Tampa Bay. Live shrimp on light fluorocarbon.

Sheepshead

Sheepshead

Archosargus probatocephalus

Fall Spring
Occasional
Up to 35.8 inches
Inshore, Docks, Structures
Family: Sparidae

Bottom feeder with strong teeth. Found around structures and pilings.

Local Notes: Work oyster bars, crab trap floats, and dock pilings throughout Old Tampa Bay. Fiddler crabs are best.

Tarpon

Tarpon

Megalops atlanticus

Spring Summer
Occasional
Up to 98.4 inches
Inshore, Offshore, Nearshore
Family: Megalopidae

Large powerful fish known for spectacular jumps. Migrates along Florida coast.

Local Notes: Roll through Old Tampa Bay on their way to spawning aggregations. Sight-fish rolling fish with crabs or swimbaits.