Reference
Seasonal calendars, boat ramp lists, and quick-reference info you can come back to.
19 Guides.
GPS numbers for 40+ artificial reefs off Sarasota, Bradenton and Englewood — kayak bay reefs in 7 ft, Army tanks in 65 ft, plus all three county programs.
Sarasota Bay's ~170 resident bottlenose dolphins, studied since 1970 — where to see them, how they feed, and the 50-yard law that keeps them wild.
See manatees near Sarasota Nov–Mar: Warm Mineral Springs Creek (125+ animals), Phillippi Creek, Myakka River, plus TECO Apollo Beach and Blue Spring day trips.
Five rivers near Sarasota — Manatee, Braden, Myakka, Peace, and Phillippi Creek — winter snook holes, juvenile tarpon canals, and every launch ramp.
2026 fishing tournament dates for Sarasota, Boca Grande & SWFL: Sarasota Slam June 6 weigh-in, World's Richest Tarpon May 13-14, CCA STAR, kingfish classics.
April is Sarasota's peak pelagic month: Spanish mackerel fill the passes, kings peak on the reefs, cobia ride the rays, pompano peak. Snook open thru Apr 30.
Sarasota fishing in August — dawn, dusk & dark tactics for 88°F water: mangrove snapper on the reefs, dock-light snook, and the first fall kings late month.
Sarasota fishing in December — sheepshead gather on structure, redfish pod up for winter sight fishing, tripletail ride the trap lines. Snook closes Dec 1.
February is Sarasota's sheepshead peak — 4–8 lb spawners on the Venice jetties and nearshore reefs. Plus winter redfish, trout, tripletail. Water 60–66°F.
January fishing in Sarasota: redfish schools on negative low tides, sheepshead on structure, trout in 4–8 ft, tripletail on trap buoys. Water temps 58–66°F.
Sarasota fishing in July — late-run tarpon, the mangrove snapper spawn in 30–50 ft, closed-season snook in the passes, and the dawn-dusk-dark heat pattern.
June is peak tarpon in Sarasota — beach schools at dawn, hill-tide pass fish, 100 lb averages. Plus spawning snook in the passes and the first snapper stack-up.
Snook harvest opens March 1 in Sarasota. Spanish mackerel and pompano runs arrive as water passes 68°F, trout go prime, kings and cobia show. The switch month.
May brings the tarpon migration to Sarasota's beaches and Boca Grande Pass. Snook closes May 1 and stacks in the passes; cobia, mackerel and trout stay strong.
Sarasota fishing in November — snook open through Nov 30, redfish schools on the bars, trout thick on deep grass, pompano and tripletail building. Uncrowded.
Sarasota fishing in October — redfish schools 50–200 strong, the year's best keeper snook window, peak Spanish mackerel, and tripletail back on Oct 15.
Sarasota fishing in September 2026 — snook harvest reopens Sept 1 (28–33" slot) and Gulf gag grouper opens the same day. Where the fall bite starts.
All six passes from Longboat Pass to Boca Grande — currents, shoaling warnings, snook and tarpon timing, and shore access at every inlet, updated 2026.
Venice, FL is the Shark Tooth Capital of the World. Where to find megalodon teeth — Caspersen Beach, the offshore Boneyard, and the Peace River — plus the geology, gear, and $5 fossil permit.