Where to find spotted seatrout
Grass flats with sand potholes in Florida Bay and the backcountry basins, in 2–6 ft of water; the channel edges and deeper basins in winter; around the bayside bridges and the Fills on a moving tide.
- Florida Bay backcountry · Backcountry
- Indian Key Fill shoreline & kayak flats · Shore & parks
When to go
Winter and early spring are peak, when cooler water brings the bigger trout onto the flats; fish year-round. First and last light on a rising tide is best; they feed through the day in winter and go deep in the summer heat.
Best window on the day: The incoming tide on the bayside at first or last light. Today's window and score are on the conditions page.
How to catch them
Drift the grass flats and cast a live shrimp under a popping cork, popping it every few seconds; a soft-plastic shrimp or paddle tail on a light jig head bounced through the potholes works as well, and a topwater plug at dawn draws the big ones. Light spinning tackle, hook and line or cast net only.
Bait & tackle
- Bait
- Live shrimp under a popping cork; live pilchards
- Lures
- Soft-plastic shrimp and paddle tails on 1/8–1/4 oz jig heads; topwater plugs at first light
- Tackle
- 7 ft light spinning rod, 2500–3000 reel, 10 lb braid
- Rig
- 2–3 ft of 15–20 lb fluorocarbon below a popping cork; #1–1/0 circle hook
shrimppilchardsoft swimbaittopwater plugbaitfish flyTackle setup →
Tips for your level
- The popping cork does the work: pop it, wait, pop it again; the trout comes to the noise and finds the shrimp.
- Drift with the wind across the flat so you cover new water with every cast.
- A trout's mouth is soft: a smooth, steady wind-up lands more fish than a hard strike.
Keeping one
Good: mild, soft white fillets, best eaten fresh. The park notes a mercury advisory for trout from northern Florida Bay.
Keep only what you will eat, within the limit, and release the rest in the water where you can.
Questions anglers ask
- What is the best bait for seatrout in Florida Bay?
- A live shrimp under a popping cork over a grass flat with potholes. Soft-plastic shrimp imitations on a light jig head are the artificial equivalent.