St. Petersburg
fishing charters
Top Fishing Charters in St. Pete
St. Petersburg, FL
Gause Built Bay Boat for charter in St. Pete!
St. Petersburg, FL
45' Motor Yacht in Saint Petersburg, Florida!
A St. Pete Fishing Charter Can Be Great Fun
St. Pete is a town that seems custom-made for all kinds of fishing. Between the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the enticing shallows of Tampa Bay, you're never far from a great fishing spot. To get you ready for your St. Pete fishing charter, we've put together a guide to some of the best fishing in St. Pete.
Fishing in St Pete
For your fishing charter in St. Pete, we recommend setting sail from St. Pete Beach, just south of the city.
Fishing from St. Pete Beach
Before setting sail on your fishing charter, explore your fishing options at St. Pete Beach. Walking through knee-deep water, casting as you go, is an effective way to catch everything from snook to flounder. Wade fishing is ideal for beginners and veterans alike, especially at St. Pete Beach.
Learn more
Deep-Sea Fishing from the Boat
St. Pete is ideally located for deep-sea fishing. St. Pete and Clearwater make up a peninsula, with Tampa Bay to the east and the Gulf of Mexico to the west. Sail your St Pete fishing charter to any of these deep waters for some spectacular fishing.
Learn more
Fishing the Flats
You don't want to miss flats fishing for some amazing catches of redfish, snook, and trout. It can be really thrilling to pull in a tarpon in the shallow water. Everywhere around the iconic Skyway Bridge, the fishing is truly incredible.
Learn moreBest Places to Fish in St. Pete
Take a look at three of the best places to fish in St. Pete.
Fish Around the Sunshine Skyway Bridge
The Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge stretches between St. Pete and Terra Cerra. Fish below the bridge from your St. Pete fishing charter in the Gulf of Mexico on the west side or from Tampa Bay on the east side.
Learn more
Year-Round Offshore Fishing
You can sail your St. Pete fishing charter into the deeper waters of the Gulf of Mexico in an hour or two. Out there you will find plenty of big amberjack, grouper, and snapper. There are even some blackfin tuna lurking about 30 miles offshore.
Learn more
Visit Weedon Island
Weedon Island has one of the most scenic fishing piers in Florida. Set in the stunning Weedon Island Preserve, this secluded spot is surrounded by mangroves and shallow backwaters. You can fish here for sheepshead, jacks, and monster snook.
Learn moreHow to Fish in St. Pete, Florida
If you have decided to charter a fishing boat in St. Pete, here are three important things to consider first.
Type of Fishing
Select the type of fishing you want to do. This is an important first step so that you can find out what type of equipment you will need.
Bait and Tackle
Be sure to get the right type of bait and tackle you will need for the type of fishing you will be doing. You can visit local bait and tackle shops, or look for other help online.
Fishing Licenses
You may need to get a license or you may not need to. If you do need to get one, Florida fishing licenses can be bought from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission online or at some sporting goods stores or other retailers that sell hunting and fishing equipment.
Types of Fish in St. Pete
When you go fishing in St. Pete, here are a few of the most common types of fish you are likely to catch.
Spotted Seatrout
Seatrout can often be found in the grass flats near the shore. Seatrout are ambush feeders that conceal themselves well in grass beds by lying perfectly still in camouflage. A light tackle fishing charter can easily pull in large numbers of trout on a single excursion.
Redfish
Redfish live in a wide variety of environments around St. Pete and they can also usually be caught just on light tackle. Redfish are often bottom feeders (see their downward-facing mouths) who prefer eating crabs and shrimp.
Snook
Mangroves, fallen trees, bridges, rock outcrops, sandbars, grass flats, reefs, wrecks, and jetties can create the types of conditions that snook like. They are ambush feeders that wait for fish and crustaceans to pass by before pouncing on them.
Top Types of Fishing in St Pete, Florida
There are lots of fish in the St. Pete area, which makes it ideal for all kinds of fishing. Here are three types of fishing you might want to try.
Deep-Sea Fishing on Your St. Pete Fishing Charter
No matter what type of boat you choose to charter, spend the afternoon in St. Pete with a few lines in the deep water off the coast.
Coastal Fishing near Merry Pier
Drop anchor from your St. Pete fishing charter near Merry Pier, a local favorite dock that is licensed for pier fishing. The main catches are inshore species like sheepshead, flounder, and speckled trout.
Fishing at Fort DeSoto Park
Fish around the huge Gulf Pier, and you can expect to catch big Spanish mackerel, sheepshead, flounder, snook, and many more. The waters around the Bay Pier are better for pompano, redfish, permit, or trout.
St. Pete, Florida Fishing Seasons
If you have decided to charter a boat in St. Pete, you'll find the fishing to be amazing. Here’s a quick look at what you can expect during the different months of the year.
January
January brings the coldest water temperatures of the year to St Pete, but it can still be a good month to fish for species like trout and snook.
February
During February, you can sometimes go fishing deeper for sheepshead, redfish, black drum, or even flounder if the water is cold enough.
March
All across Florida, March is known as the start of the tarpon season. Tarpon is an impressive fish that can reach 200 pounds. They can usually be caught around the many piers in the St Pete area.
April
April is a great time for some offshore fishing, but you might also consider the flats. Redfish and snook of all sizes can be found all over the flats during this month.
May
May can be a good time to haul in some big snook because they are plentiful at this time of year. There are also large schools of trout resting in the deeper grassy edges of the water.
June
June can also be a good month to catch snook. It is also a good time to find big schools of bull redfish in the shallower waters near St. Pete.
July
During July, the schools of tarpon can be extremely big. This makes July an excellent time to do some tarpon fishing.
August
August can also be good for catching bull redfish in the shallow waters. Also, there are lots of sharks in the water this month, and they can be quite easy to catch.
September
The offshore bottom fishing is ideal during September. Look for schools of dorado near your boat. Amberjack fishing can also be popular in the deeper waters.
October
October is a pleasant time to be out at sea because there is light fishing pressure and excellent weather. It is one of those months when it can be hard to decide which species to fish for because there are so many fish in the sea.
November
November is a suitable time to catch redfish and snook on the flats, as well as some plump trout.
December
Redfish is the most common catch during December. You might also attract black drum, sheepshead, snook, and flounder.
Featured in