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Fishing Guide

Southwest Florida Fishing Guide

Snook, redfish, tarpon, grouper, and snapper, inshore and offshore in Lee, Collier, and Charlotte counties. Plus a reference guide for Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade below.

An angler holds a bright red snapper chest-high on a boat in open Gulf water
Red snapper, offshore Southwest Florida, June 2022. Photographs on this site are our own.
Southwest Florida

Start here

Licenses

What SWFL anglers actually need: resident shoreline license, non-resident short-term purchase, snook permit, Cape Coral canal rules.

Check licenses →
An angler lifts a mottled brown grouper at the boat rail in open Gulf water

Season Calendar

Gulf-region open/closed status and slot sizes for snook, redfish, tarpon, trout, snapper, and grouper.

Check seasons →
An angler holds a coppery-bronze redfish in a mangrove backwater

Species Guides

Snook, redfish, tarpon, trout, mangrove snapper, red snapper and gag grouper, where they hold, when they bite, and what to throw.

Pick a species →

Shore Spots

Where to fish from land in Lee, Collier, and Charlotte counties.

Find a spot →

Ramp and Parking Fees

Lee County beach, park and boat ramp parking fees in one table, with Punta Rassa 24, 48 and 72 hour rates and the annual pass.

See the fees →
Amberjack held up on an offshore boat

Photos

Forty-seven of Eric’s own SWFL catches, inshore and offshore, 2012 to 2025.

See the photos →

Cape Coral Canals

Canal fishing access and rules specific to Cape Coral's canal network.

Read the guide →
Before you fish: regulations change.

FWC (myfwc.com) is the only authority on current Florida fishing rules. Always verify size limits, bag limits, and seasons at myfwc.com before you keep anything.

Trip planning: for hourly fishing weather, tides, solunar tables and bite-time forecasts on one screen, the Fishbox fishing app covers maps, forecasts and species profiles for U.S. salt and fresh water. Partner link. Rules still come from FWC, not from any app.

East Coast Reference

Palm Beach, Broward & Miami-Dade

Our original hand-researched guide for the other coast. A different region from Southwest Florida above.

About sixteen fish laid out on a dock, mostly red snapper with several grouper

Seasonal Calendar

What's biting when: spawning windows and migration patterns by species, inshore/offshore/freshwater.

See the calendar →
An angler holds a large deep-bodied silver jack on a boat offshore

Techniques

Live bait vs artificial, drift vs anchor, kite fishing, sight casting the flats, bridge and canal fishing.

Read the techniques →
A wahoo, long and torpedo-shaped with a tall dorsal fin, held up at a dock

Knots

The working knot set. What each one is for, and clear text steps to tie it.

Learn the knots →
Three anglers displaying a dock catch of red snapper and grouper at golden hour

Where to Fish

26 public piers, jetties, bridges, and boat ramps across the three counties.

Find a spot →
An angler holds a large greater amberjack vertically on a boat offshore

Regulations

Size limits, bag limits, seasons, and license requirements. Every figure sourced directly from FWC.

Check regulations →

Card photographs in this section are our own, taken in Southwest Florida. The Gulf side, not the Atlantic pages they illustrate. The pages themselves are researched for Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade.