Anna Maria Island Fishing Report July 9, 2025
Increase in fresh water changes fishing patterns in backcountry waters
After several days of intermittent rain combined with heavy thunderstorms, Anna Maria Island anglers are anxious to get back on the water without having to look over their shoulder every so often to watch the horizon for storms.
With a more stable weather pattern in our near future, you can bet there will be some homework to be done before heading on the water. Fishing patterns will have changed due to vast amount of freshwater being release into our backcountry waters — especially in areas around the Manatee River.
Snook and redfish should be lingering along mangrove shorelines in the mouth of the Manatee River. These fish will temporarily move within the tolerable amounts of salinity needed to forage.
Spotted seatrout will follow suit. Trout will be found close to the beaches where deep grass flats and clean gulf waters create a refuge for them and the food they crave such as shiners, pinfish and other small fish and invertebrates.
Other species including ladyfish, mackerel and jack crevalle should be found in these areas, especially if bait schools are present.
This being said, plan accordingly and be able to adjust your pattern to find the bite you desire.
Moving into the Gulf of Mexico, waters with an acceptable degree of clarity should be welcoming anglers fishing reefs, wrecks and hard bottom areas.
Mangrove snapper are beginning to gather in these areas and numbers should increase as we approach the full moon July 10 and the weeks until the next moon August 9.
The arrival of hatch bait is also a factor in this bite, which hopefully we will see sooner than later.
For those venturing to the depths of 100 feet or more, American red snapper season is in effect and producing daily limits for anglers willing to go deep. Red grouper are providing limits of fish in these depths as well as yellowtail and mangrove snapper. Finally, migrating species such as blackfin tuna are being found around the deeper wrecks.
On my Just Reel charters, catch-and-release snook fishing is proving to be good in a variety of areas.
As we settle into summer, many snook are migrating to the Gulf beaches to spawn. This can provide excellent catch-and-release action for anglers who wish to sight cast to fish. Large numbers are staging in the passes to feed prior to venturing out front to the beaches to spawn. This makes them quite targetable.
Spotted seatrout are being found most deeper grass flats. The size range of the trout is ranging slightly smaller than normal. I’m catching the larger trout, although plenty of smaller ones are mixed in. Mackerel and jack crevalle are mixed in with this bite, which adds some variety.
Finally, I’m seeing small schools of mangrove snapper gathering on the flats and around docks in the back water. This is a promising site that snapper season is getting near.
