Fishing the Bradenton Area in the Spring
| Month | Avg. Air Temps °F (Hi/Lo) |
| March | 78° / 57° |
| April | 83° / 61° |
| May | 88° / 67° |
The spring brings warmer waters and more fish into waters around Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key and in Tampa Bay. As waters warm up, the fishing improves for a variety of fish species as many fish will start migrating into this area. Anglers catch plenty of redfish, sheepshead, sea trout, flounder, whiting and black drum to go along with bluefish, tarpon, cobia, pompano, jacks and sharks. Nearshore and offshore anglers target snapper, grouper and other bottom species near the reefs and wrecks.
Fishing the Bradenton Area in the Summer
| Month | Avg. Air Temps °F (Hi/Lo) |
| June | 91° / 72° |
| July | 92° / 74° |
| August | 92° / 74° |
In the summer, fishing is in full swing in the area. Inshore, expect to see the usual redfish, sea trout, flounder, black drum and sheepshead plus migratory species such as tarpon, snook, jacks, pompano and more. Tarpon and snook get a lot of attention in the summer. The red snapper season is also very popular in the summer.
Fishing the Bradenton Area in the Fall
| Month | Avg. Air Temps °F (Hi/Lo) |
| September | 90° / 73° |
| October | 85° / 66° |
| November | 79° / 59° |
As the water temperatures cool in the fall, the bite stays strong in this area for so many different species of fish. You can catch many of the migratory species into October, but as water temperatures cool off into November, the migratory species are limited. As waters cool in November, most anglers still have success fishing for the resident fish, so plan on catching redfish, black drum, sheepshead, trout and flounder to go along with grouper and snapper offshore.
Fishing the Bradenton Area in the Winter
| Month | Avg. Air Temps °F (Hi/Lo) |
| December | 74° / 54° |
| January | 72° / 50° |
| February | 75° / 53° |
The cooler winter months provide tougher fishing when the cold fronts move through. The winds also blow more in the winter, but with the mild winters, there are still plenty of great days to get out on the water during the winter months.
This is the time of year to target redfish, sheepshead, flounder and trout inshore. Some of the backcountry areas can hold some of the best fishing during the winter months, so don’t rule out some of the shallower backcountry areas from December through February. Nearshore and offshore, anglers target snapper, grouper and many other fish too.
