Inshore, anglers have a lot of options with Estero Bay, the Pine Island Sound, several passes and all of the other backwaters to fish nearby. Some of the popular fish to catch inshore are snook, redfish, sea trout and tarpon. However, there are so many more fish that you can catch here.
Fish Estero Bay
Estero Bay is an estuary that is located on the inside of Fort Myers Beach, so it is protected from the Gulf of Mexico. It is a long, shallow bay and it is very popular among anglers. You can target snook, redfish, trout, sheepshead, mangrove snapper and many other species of fish in the bay.
Fish the Big Carlos Pass
The Big Carlos Pass connects Estero Bay with the Gulf of Mexico. This pass is awesome because it can be fished from shore as well as from boat. During the peak tourism season, this area may have quite a few anglers and boats fishing in the area. Anglers catch snook, trout, redfish, sheepshead, sharks and many other species of fish in the pass and on both sides of the pass.
Fish San Carlos Bay
San Carlos Bay is located in between Fort Myers Beach and the Sanibel Causeway. This is a popular bay to fish, however, the Causeway definitely gets a lot more of the attention. It is a large bridge and it is one of the best spots to fish in this area. There will almost always be something worth catching around the causeway. While this is a popular spot for boaters, you can also fish several areas from shore as well. Most anglers come here to target snapper, grouper, snook, redfish, sharks and more.
Sanibel Island / Captiva Island
The inshore fishing in the waters around Captiva & Sanibel Islands offers anglers some of the best inshore fishing opportunities in the entire state of Florida. Some of the popular fish to catch inshore are snook, redfish, sea trout and tarpon, however there are so many more fish that you can catch here. The Pine Island Sound is located between Pine Island and the islands of Captiva & Sanibel. This area is protected from the Gulf, so you can experience some awesome fishing in relatively calm water. The Pine Island Sound has numerous grass flats and islands to fish. There are some awesome mangrove areas to fish as well for snook, redfish, snapper and many other fish too.
We have an entire website dedicated to fishing Captiva / Sanibel Island. Learn more on our Captiva / Sanibel Island Fishing Home Page.
Pine Island
The inshore fishing in the waters around Pine Island offers anglers some of the best inshore fishing opportunities in the entire state of Florida. Some of the popular fish to catch inshore are snook, redfish, sea trout and tarpon, however there are so many more fish that you can catch here. This area has tons of mangroves to fish to go along with some awesome flats, canals, docks and bridges. The hardest thing to do here is to eliminate water to fish because everything looks so good. You won’t catch fish in every spot, but you if you understand how to fish inshore waters, you should have a blast fishing this area. Some of the other fish you may catch inshore are sheepshead, ladyfish, pompano and jack crevalle.
We have an entire website dedicated to fishing Pine Island. Learn more on our Pine Island Fishing Home Page.
