Boca Grande Fishing Report
Boca Grande•Venice •Ft Myers• Placida • Gasparilla • Englewood • Punta Gorda • Charlotte Harbor
Fishing Report
Captain Jeff Watkins offers tips, advice, and fishing reports from Charlotte Harbor and Boca Grande.
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Boca Grande Inshore and Offshore Fishing Charters: Spring 2026 Report
Boca Grande / Placida Fishing Report
March 2026 – Inshore & Offshore
Capt. Jeff Watkins – Anchors Away Charters
Fishing report Boca Grande, March is when things really start heating up both inshore and offshore here in Southwest Florida. Water temps are rising, bait is showing up, and fish are getting more active by the day. This is that transition into spring where you can have some really solid trips in a variety of ways.
Inshore Fishing Report
Inshore fishing around Boca Grande, Placida, and the Englewood area has been consistent, with things improving as we move through the month.
Redfish
Redfish have been holding in the backcountry, around mangroves, and in potholes. We’re still seeing some nice schools, especially on higher tides. As it warms up, they’ll start spreading out more across the flats.
Note: We practice catch and release on redfish.
Snook
Snook are starting to turn on with the warmer water. They’re holding around docks, oyster bars, and creek mouths, with the afternoon tides producing best.
Note: We also do not keep snook—catch and release only.
Trout, Snapper, Pompano & Sheepshead
If you’re looking to take fish home for dinner, we focus on species like:
- Spotted Seatrout
- Mangrove Snapper
- Pompano
- Sheepshead
Trout have been steady on the grass flats, and sheepshead are still thick around structure with the spawn going on. Snapper are starting to show better numbers, and pompano will mix in on the right tides.
Live shrimp under a cork, along with light tackle and artificials, have all been producing.
Offshore Fishing Report
For those wanting to get offshore, this is the time of year where we start seeing more consistent action when conditions allow. If you’re searching for Offshore Fishing SW Florida, this is a great window before the heavy summer traffic and heat.
Nearshore and offshore trips out of Boca Grande have been producing:
- Lane Snapper Nearshore/Offshore
- Mangrove Snapper Nearshore/Offshore
- Key West Grunts Nearshore
- Grouper Offshore
- Amberjack Offshore
- Sheepshead on structure Nearshore/Inshore
- A few early Cobia showing up Nearshore/Offshore
On the better weather days, we’ve been able to push farther out and find steady bottom fishing action. As we get into April, expect grouper offshore to become more of a target and pelagic action to increase.
Conditions & Outlook
Water temps are climbing into the low to mid 70s, and that’s what’s driving the bite both inshore and offshore. Strong moving tides have been key, and while we’ll still see the occasional front, the overall trend is upward.
Everything is lining up for a strong spring, and the fishing will only continue to improve from here.
Book Your Trip
Whether you’re looking for Boca Grande Fishing Charters, a family-friendly inshore trip, or heading offshore for bigger action, we’ve got you covered.
👉 Please see our trip details page to choose the right trip for you:
https://anchorsaway-charters.com/boca-grande-inshore-and-offshore-fishing-charters-trip-details/
👉 Book your trip online:
https://anchorsaway-charters.com/reservations/
Capt. Jeff Watkins
Anchors Away Charters
Boca Grande / Placida / Englewood, Florida
November 20th 2022
On This Boca Grande/Placida Fishing Report we are still recovering from Hurricane Ian and it will be ongoing for quite some time but everyone is making a lot of progress and we are slowly but surely getting back to normal. As expected after a major Hurricane we have some Red Tide https://mote.org/pages/florida-red-tide1 in the area with all the rain run off mainly inshore and on the beaches but still plenty of spots inshore to get away from it for some catch and release fishing as I don’t recommend harvesting any inshore fish to eat during this. Offshore we get far away from it in the deeper waters and bring back some great table fair.
We have been up & running for over a month now and the fishing has been great. Offshore on the 8 hour trips we’ve been catching plenty of delicious Snapper including Yellowtail , Gray, and Vermillion also some catch and release Red Grouper & Lane Snapper as both are closed until the first of the year. Gag Grouper & Triggerfish are open until Jan 1st 2023 and we have been getting a few of those as well. Cobia, Kingfish, and even a few Scamp Grouper have been making an appearance. We have been running the 8 hr offshore and we’ve been fishing 36-47 miles out. NO RED TIDE!! anywhere to be found out there. We’ve been mostly bottom fishing with live and cut bait has been the best producers dropped down on a chicken rig set up. With winter approaching and the water temps will start dropping the fishing will heat up even more and we can’t wait for some cooler weather as it’s been a long hot summer. Get your trip booked early so you don’t miss out . https://anchorsaway-charters.com/reservations/
November 20th 2022
Boca Grande/Placida Fishing Report -Inshore/Backcountry fishing in Boca Grande is on fire. We do have some red tide around but we can still get out and do some spectacular fishing. The Redfish really start to school up in big schools of sometimes 100’s of fish and then the fun starts. Anything from cut baits, live baits, & artificial baits like Johnson Gold Spoons, DOA Paddle Tails work great too.
Furthermore late October through the rest of the year is some of the best inshore fishing you will find. With the cooler weather and water temps dropping results in great fishing. The Speckled Sea Trout have also been steady action with mainly using Shrimp, and artificial baits. Snook are pretty much everywhere. With the bigger ones mainly on the docks close to the passes where the bait and current is plentiful. And last Tarpon !! we still have quite a few around, mainly the up river around the bridges and a few of the sand bars throughout the harbor. Doa Bait busters are my number one go to this time of year. Book today @https://anchorsaway-charters.com/reservations/
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