Anna Maria Island Fishing Report June 4, 2025
Just Reel Fishing Charters
Beat the heat for comfort and hookups
With water temperatures hovering in the upper 80s in the Gulf of Mexico and up to 90 degrees on the shallow flats in the inshore waters, you can bet planning on getting out on the water early is on the minds of Anna Maria Island anglers and probably will be throughout the summer.
When fishing inshore on the flats, it’s definitely advantageous to get out there early when the fish are more apt to feed before the water temperatures climb too high for them to be active.
You’ll want to look for other factors such as good tidal flow where clean, clear water exists to find the best action.
I’m starting to see decent-sized clumps of Lyngbya slowly starting to float on the surface which is an indicator that water temps are high.
Gumbo —
as we call it —
can pull oxygen out of the water when in the shallows, which in turn will cause fish to vacate the area. This, combined with a discoloration of the water caused by the gumbo is far from the perfect recipe to find fish. So, if you notice these conditions on your flats fishing excursions, it’s probably best to move on until you can find better water. You’ll probably notice you’ll find better action too. Areas congested with gumbo will appear to be void of all sea life, including birds, manatees, and even mullet. And if those animals are gone, you can bet the fish you’re targeting will be gone, too.
To alleviate this problem, many anglers are moving into the Gulf of Mexico to target fish. Catch-and-release snook are starting to appear in the shallows along the Gulf beaches and in the passes, which makes them quite targetable as they can be seen and cast to.
Spotted seatrout and redfish are being found in the same areas and in the passes where clean water and good tidal flow are found.
Of course, if you’re fishing the beaches you’ll want to be there early before the sun bathers and swimmers arrive as they will definitely get in your way, so plan accordingly.
And for those of you fishing offshore in the Gulf, you may find yourself venturing to slightly deeper water where cooler temperatures exist. Bottom fishing for grouper and snapper is a good idea in these conditions and can be quite good. You may also encounter pelagics such as cobia, kingfish and blackfin tuna if you find the right reefs and wrecks to drop your baits over.
If you’re fishing in the heat, don’t forget to have plenty of water or other liquids to drink to stay hydrated. That heat is no joke so take it seriously. Cover up as much as you can and try to have some shade to retreat to from time to time as dehydration can ruin your day and it’s hard to recover from.
On my Just Reel charters, I’m trying to fish the early morning tides to beat the heat, which is proving to be quite good.
Spotted sea trout are cooperating over deep grass flats where clean, clear water exists, as well as some tidal movement.
Free-lining live shiners in these areas yields plenty of slot-sized trout, as well as a variety of other species, including Spanish mackerel ladyfish, bluefish, jack crevalle and small sharks. Mangrove snapper are appearing on some of the flats which adds another species to put in the cooler.
Targeting redfish and catch-and-release snook is an option, although with water temps on the flats close to 90 degrees timing is everything to determine how good the bite will be. Finding the right amount of tidal flow combined with clean water to coincide with fish that want to feed is key to fishing success.
