Best Time of Year to Fish Near 30A and Santa Rosa Beach

Spring (March – May): The Best Sight-Fishing of the Year

Spring is my personal favorite time to fish Choctawhatchee Bay. As water temperatures climb from the low 60s into the mid-70s, redfish move out of the deeper winter haunts and onto the shallow grass flats in large numbers. The water is clear, the fish are aggressive, and the conditions are ideal for sight-fishing — watching for tailing redfish and making precise casts to individual fish.

Sheepshead are also excellent in early spring as they spawn around structure — the Mid-Bay Bridge and oyster bars produce outstanding sheepshead action in March and April. Pompano make their spring run through the bay in April and May, and a pompano on light tackle is one of the most fun fish in the bay.

The weather in spring is also ideal — warm but not hot, with lower humidity and generally calm winds in the morning. If you’re planning a vacation to 30A and want to fish, spring is an excellent choice.

Summer (June – August): Topwater Mornings and Afternoon Action

Summer fishing on Choctawhatchee Bay is all about timing. The first two hours of daylight — from about 30 minutes before sunrise until 8:00 AM — offer some of the most exciting topwater fishing of the year. Speckled trout stack up on the shallow grass flats and feed aggressively on the surface, and the explosive strikes on topwater plugs are something you don’t forget.

By mid-morning, the heat and boat traffic push fish into deeper water and under structure. Jack crevalle — one of the hardest-fighting fish in the bay, pound for pound — become increasingly active in summer and will absolutely destroy light tackle. Spanish mackerel make their summer run through the bay and provide fast, exciting action on small spoons and jigs.

Summer is also peak vacation season on 30A, which means more boat traffic on the water. Early morning departures are especially important in summer — both for the fishing and for the cooler temperatures.

Captain Trey’s Summer Tip

“Book the earliest departure time available in summer — 6:30 or 7:00 AM. The first two hours are magic on the grass flats. By 10 AM the sun is high, the fish go deep, and the heat becomes a factor. Early starts are the difference between a great summer trip and a slow one.”

Fall (September – November): The Best Six Weeks of the Year

If I had to pick the single best time to fish Choctawhatchee Bay, it would be October and early November. This is when the Flounder Run happens — the annual migration of flounder from the bay to the Gulf that creates the most concentrated and exciting inshore fishing of the year. Flounder stack up at the East Pass and along the Mid-Bay Bridge in numbers that can be extraordinary, and the action can be relentless.

Fall also brings the best bull redfish action of the year. Large schools of oversized redfish (over 27 inches, which must be released) congregate in the bay in September and October, and hooking into a 30-inch bull red is an experience that will make you want to come back every year.

The weather in fall is also exceptional — temperatures drop into the comfortable 70s, the humidity breaks, and the water clarity improves. Fall is, in my opinion, the best-kept secret on the 30A calendar. While the crowds are thinning out, the fishing is just hitting its peak.

Winter (December – February): Trophy Trout and Quiet Waters

Winter fishing on Choctawhatchee Bay is underrated. The crowds are gone, the water is clear, and the fish — particularly speckled trout — move into predictable deep-water locations that make them easier to target. The deep holes in Rocky Bayou and the channel edges throughout the bay hold large concentrations of trout in winter, and this is when the biggest trout of the year are caught.

Black drum and sheepshead are also excellent in winter, particularly around the Mid-Bay Bridge and other structure. These species are cold-water tolerant and feed actively even when the water temperature drops into the 50s.

Winter days on the water are shorter and the weather can be unpredictable, but on a calm, sunny winter day, Choctawhatchee Bay is as beautiful as it gets — and the fishing can be outstanding.