Anna Maria Island Fishing Report September 3, 2025
Freshwater, fish flush from Manatee River
After several days of substantial rainfall, Anna Maria Island anglers are finally getting back on the water to find a bite.
Much of the waters surrounding AMI are dark resembling iced tea due to the mass amount of freshwater flowing out of the Manatee River into Anna Maria Sound.
But don’t fret, this scenario could yield some good redfish action as well as some good snook fishing.
Many reds and snook that reside in the Manatee River will most likely be moving out into Tampa Bay as they search for waters with slightly higher salinity levels than what is now present in the river.
Areas such as Terra Ceia Bay, Perico Bay and Anna Maria Sound are great staging point for these fish, especially during the full moon flood tides we should experience directly before and after the full moon on Sept. 7.
The higher than normal tides could produce some good shallow-water fishing along mangrove edges and shallow grass flats adjacent to the mouth of the river.
As for spotted seatrout, they may be found on these flats, although you may find better conditions closer to the gulf beaches where deep grass flats and structure exists. This could be due to salinity levels or the simple fact that the bait schools are located in these areas.
You should also find other predators around bait schools, such as Spanish mackerel, jack crevalle, and lady fish.
When looking for a bite, you may also want to check around the nearshore reefs. Mangrove snapper will have moved out into the gulf to escape the high levels of freshwater mixing into the waters of Tampa Bay and surrounding inshore waters.
Ultimately, there’s plenty of fishing to do as long as you’re willing to brave the heat and get out there and do your homework.
As with any major weather event, the bite will change, but that’s what keeps us interested, right?
On my Just Reel charters I am catching mangrove snapper in between the tides.
Free-lining live shiners with the addition of a split shot leads to plenty of action on these feisty snappers. Most are 12-14 inches with a few larger examples mixed in. Spotted seatrout are hanging around the deeper grass flats on the western portions of Tampa Bay. Slot-size fish are slightly harder to come by, although I anticipate seeing a new wave of fish after the full moon.
Targeting snook along the beaches and passes is yielding decent action when using live baits such as shiners or pinfish. Linesiders are also present along some select mangrove edges but seem less motivated to bite compared to the fish along the beaches.
