Species at Johns Pass
Snook
ambush bait flushed out passes on falling tide
Redfish
reds work shallow flats; bull schools push in fall
Spotted seatrout
first light over grass; gators on deep flats in winter
Tarpon
pass migration stacks once water hits 75F; peak May-Jun
Sheepshead
winter spawn stacks on pilings; picks crabs at easy current
Mangrove snapper
warm water moves them shallow; dusk-into-dark feed
Black drum
winter staple rooting crabs on bottom structure
Flounder
fall migration stacks them on sandy bottom transitions
Spanish mackerel
clean moving water on bait schools, daylight blitz
Pompano
cool-season run; rides incoming over sand for sandfleas
Jack crevalle
chaos on moving water busting bait pods
Ladyfish
warm-season schools chase shrimp on current edges
Gag grouper
fall cooldown pulls keepers onto shallow nearshore rock
Cobia
spring nearshore run; sight-fish singles on the surface
What's biting at Johns Pass, month by month
| January | Redfish, Spotted seatrout, Sheepshead, Black drum |
|---|---|
| February | Redfish, Spotted seatrout, Sheepshead, Black drum, Pompano |
| March | Redfish, Spotted seatrout, Sheepshead, Black drum, Spanish mackerel, Pompano, Jack crevalle, Cobia |
| April | Snook, Redfish, Spotted seatrout, Tarpon, Sheepshead, Black drum, Spanish mackerel, Pompano, Jack crevalle, Cobia |
| May | Snook, Redfish, Spotted seatrout, Tarpon, Mangrove snapper, Spanish mackerel, Pompano, Jack crevalle, Ladyfish, Cobia |
| June | Snook, Redfish, Tarpon, Mangrove snapper, Jack crevalle, Ladyfish |
| July | Snook, Redfish, Tarpon, Mangrove snapper, Jack crevalle, Ladyfish |
| August | Snook, Redfish, Tarpon, Mangrove snapper, Jack crevalle, Ladyfish |
| September | Snook, Redfish, Tarpon, Mangrove snapper, Flounder, Spanish mackerel, Jack crevalle, Ladyfish |
| October | Snook, Redfish, Flounder, Spanish mackerel, Jack crevalle, Ladyfish, Gag grouper, Cobia |
| November | Redfish, Spotted seatrout, Flounder, Spanish mackerel, Pompano, Jack crevalle, Gag grouper, Cobia |
| December | Redfish, Spotted seatrout, Sheepshead, Black drum, Flounder, Pompano, Gag grouper |
Typical seasons for this stretch of coast — a warm or late year shifts them by a few weeks. The live forecast scores today's actual conditions.
Coastal runs that pass Johns Pass
These species travel the coast with the seasons, so they show up on a schedule rather than living here year-round.
Redfish (red drum)
bull-red fall surf run cascades by latitude: Mid-Atl Sep–Oct → FL Oct–Nov → Gulf Nov–Dec
Pompano
the strongest, cleanest cascade we have — FL Treasure Coast winter run; Gulf spring run hits Pensacola ~April
Cobia
E→W run (separate stock): Tampa/Charlotte Harbor (Mar) → Destin → Gulf Shores → Pensacola → MS/LA. Sight-fished at the surface
Spanish mackerel
Gulf stock — E→W in spring (FL Gulf → AL/MS → TX), back E→S in fall
King mackerel
Gulf stock — splits in fall: eastern group back down FL, western group W down the TX coast
Mullet
THE keystone bait — the resident snook/tarpon/jacks gorge the moment it arrives
How Johns Pass fishes
Open water lies to the west-southwest of Johns Pass. A wind out of the west-southwest is onshore here — it stacks swell and chop into the mouth and pushes stirred-up water inshore, while an east-northeast wind flattens the surface and tends to clean it up.
Tide is the clock: moving water pulls bait through the mouth, and the turns around slack are when most of the roster feeds hardest.
Tides here are read from NOAA station 8726533 at 27.7850, -82.7817 — see it on NOAA CO-OPS.
Shops & partners near Johns Pass
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Common questions about Johns Pass
- What fish can you catch at Johns Pass?
- Snook, Redfish, Spotted seatrout, Tarpon, Sheepshead, Mangrove snapper, Black drum, Flounder, Spanish mackerel, Pompano, Jack crevalle, Ladyfish and 2 more. Each has its own season, preferred tide and water-temperature window at Johns Pass.
- When is the best time to fish Johns Pass?
- April and May have the most species in season (10 of 14) — Snook, Redfish, Spotted seatrout, Tarpon, Sheepshead, Black drum, Spanish mackerel, Pompano. Seasons shift by a few weeks in a warm or late year.
- What tide is best for fishing Johns Pass?
- 10 of the 14 species here feed best on moving water. Moving water is what pulls bait through the mouth, so the hours either side of a tide change usually beat dead slack.
- Which wind is bad for Johns Pass?
- Open water lies to the west-southwest, so a west-southwest wind is onshore — it stacks swell and chop into the mouth and pushes dirty water inshore. An east-northeast wind flattens and cleans it up.
- Do migrating fish run past Johns Pass?
- Yes — Redfish (red drum) (southbound Sep–Nov); Pompano (southbound Oct–Dec · northbound Feb–May); Cobia (westbound Mar–May); Spanish mackerel (westbound Feb–Jun · eastbound Sep–Nov); King mackerel (northbound Mar–Sep · westbound Oct–Dec); Mullet (southbound Sep–Nov). These travel the coast with the seasons rather than living here year-round.
- Where are the tides for Johns Pass measured?
- NOAA CO-OPS station 8726533, at 27.7850, -82.7817. What Inlet? scores the live tide, current, solunar and weather for that station.
Inlets near Johns Pass
- Pass-a-Grille Beach
- Bay Aristocrat Village, Old Tampa Bay
- Safety Harbor, Old Tampa Bay
- Dunedin, St. Joseph Sound
- Gandy Bridge, Old Tampa Bay
- Apollo Beach, Hillsborough Bay
- Davis Island, Hillsborough Bay
- Cortez, Sarasota Bay
Fishing a different inlet today? Every one has its own species roster and bite pattern.
Browse every inlet in Florida, or the full inlet directory.