Weekly report · Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay fishing report: week of October 5, 2026
Published October 5, 2026 · 85°F water, a stormy midweek, and bigger tides toward Saturday's new moon.
Tampa Bay's water is still about 85°F, warm enough that snook, tarpon, mangrove snapper, tripletail and permit are all in their comfort range. Expect showers and thunderstorms most days through Friday with light east winds, then a drier, breezier weekend as the tides build toward Saturday's new moon. Snook harvest is open, and flounder harvest closes Oct. 15.
This week's conditions
NOAA's gauges read 84.6°F at Clearwater Beach and 84.9°F at St. Petersburg on Monday evening, so the bay is still summer-warm. The National Weather Service calls for showers and thunderstorms every day from Tuesday through Friday, with highs in the low to mid 80s and east winds around 5 to 10 knots that keep the bay to a light chop. The weekend looks drier, with only isolated to scattered storms, highs near 86°F and a southeast breeze around 12 mph. The new moon on Saturday, Oct. 10, brings bigger tides late in the week: Clearwater Beach's high tops 3.1 feet late Saturday night. Timing shifts across the bay, too. On Monday the morning high reached Clearwater Beach at 7:36 AM, two hours before St. Petersburg.
Water temperature
| Clearwater Beach | 84.6°F Mon, Oct 5, 6:36 PM |
|---|---|
| St. Petersburg | 84.9°F Mon, Oct 5, 6:36 PM |
Tides at St. Petersburg
| Day | High | Low |
|---|---|---|
| Mon, Oct 5 | 9:36 AM (2.4 ft) | 5:45 PM (0.3 ft) |
| Tue, Oct 6 | 1:15 AM (1.9 ft) 11:15 AM (2.4 ft) | 5:10 AM (1.5 ft) 6:32 PM (0.4 ft) |
| Wed, Oct 7 | 1:20 AM (2.0 ft) 12:28 PM (2.4 ft) | 6:16 AM (1.2 ft) 7:08 PM (0.6 ft) |
| Thu, Oct 8 | 1:29 AM (2.1 ft) 1:25 PM (2.4 ft) | 7:08 AM (0.9 ft) 7:37 PM (0.8 ft) |
| Fri, Oct 9 | 1:38 AM (2.2 ft) 2:15 PM (2.3 ft) | 7:53 AM (0.7 ft) 8:01 PM (1.1 ft) |
| Sat, Oct 10 | 1:49 AM (2.4 ft) 3:03 PM (2.2 ft) | 8:35 AM (0.5 ft) 8:24 PM (1.3 ft) |
| Sun, Oct 11 | 2:05 AM (2.5 ft) 3:51 PM (2.1 ft) | 9:14 AM (0.3 ft) 8:43 PM (1.4 ft) |
NOAA predictions (feet above mean lower low water). Tide times shift by hours between the Gulf beaches and the upper bay.
Forecast for St. Petersburg
| Day | Forecast | Wind | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | E 7 mph | 85°F |
| Wednesday | Showers And Thunderstorms | SE 8 mph | 82°F |
| Thursday | Showers And Thunderstorms | ENE 7 to 10 mph | 83°F |
| Friday | Showers And Thunderstorms | ESE 6 to 9 mph | 84°F |
| Saturday | Isolated Showers And Thunderstorms | SE 12 mph | 86°F |
| Sunday | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | SSE 12 mph | 86°F |
| Columbus Day | Scattered Rain Showers | SSW 8 mph | 86°F |
Moon: new moon Sat, Oct 10.
Fish to target this week
- Snook: At about 85°F the water sits at the top of snook's typical 70-85°F comfort range, October is one of their active months around the Gulf, and harvest is open in the Tampa Bay region through November.
- Tripletail: In their 70-85°F comfort range, and October is one of their peak months around the Gulf.
- Mangrove Snapper: Comfortably inside their 72-86°F range, though their peak months around the Gulf, May through September, have just ended.
- Tarpon: The water is in tarpon's 75-88°F comfort range, but October is past their peak months around the Gulf.
- Redfish: The water is still a few degrees above redfish's typical 60-82°F comfort range, but they're caught year-round here. The slot is 18-27 inches.
- Flounder: October is a peak month for flounder, but this is the last full week to keep one: harvest closes Oct. 15.
Seasons and limits
Snook harvest is open in the Tampa Bay region (March-April and September-November): the slot is 28-33 inches total length, one per harvester, and you need a snook permit. Flounder harvest is closed Oct. 15 through Nov. 30, so this is the last full week to keep one; the minimum size is 14 inches, with 5 per harvester. Redfish stay open year-round with an 18-27 inch slot, one per harvester and no more than two per vessel in the Tampa Bay region.
Not legal advice. These are Florida's Gulf-zone limits (Tampa Bay region where FWC sets regional rules), checked against FWC on July 1, 2026. Limits change by region, gear and date — confirm on MyFWC.com before you keep a fish.
Red tide
FWC took 14 samples around the bay over the last two weeks, and none showed red tide above background levels.
14 FWC samples in the last 14 days, none above background levels.
Tip of the week
Thunderstorms are most likely in the afternoons through Friday, so the mornings are the safer window. Late in the week, as the tides grow toward the new moon, use the tide station nearest where you fish: on Monday the high came two hours earlier at Clearwater Beach than at St. Petersburg.
Log your catches free Florida Gulf limits
Questions
Is snook season open in Tampa Bay right now?
Yes. In the Tampa Bay region, snook harvest is open March through April and September through November, so it's open this week. The slot is 28-33 inches total length, one per harvester, and a snook permit is required. Confirm current rules on MyFWC.com.
What is the water temperature in Tampa Bay this week?
About 85°F. NOAA's gauges read 84.6°F at Clearwater Beach and 84.9°F at St. Petersburg on Monday evening, Oct. 5, 2026.
When does flounder season close in Florida?
Flounder harvest is closed Oct. 15 through Nov. 30 in Florida's Gulf waters. Until then the minimum size is 14 inches, with 5 per harvester.
About this report
Built every Monday from public data: NOAA tide predictions and water temperatures, the National Weather Service forecasts for St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay waters, FWC red tide samples, and the same FWC limits and species temperature ranges the Newbreeds app uses. The written summary is generated by AI from those numbers. It's a conditions outlook, not a catch report, and it's not for navigation.