This area has some amazing nearshore fishing for a variety of species such as tarpon, grouper, snapper, kingfish and more.
Bokeelia, FL
Out of Bokeelia, Florida, anglers are close to Boca Grande Pass, which is a natural inlet in Florida that connects Charlotte Harbor to the Gulf of Mexico. This area is one of the most famous fishing spots to target large tarpon. There are plenty of other species of fish that you can target nearshore out here as well.
Matlacha, FL
Matlacha, Florida is located perfectly for anglers who want to get in their boat and stay close to fish the protected inshore waters for a variety of fish. To get into the Gulf of Mexico, you have to go a little further, however, plenty of anglers launch out of Matlacha and make the runs out to run along the beaches of the Gulf. The Boca Grande Pass is a further drive, but worth it for the amazing tarpon migration every spring. You can also head south and go through the Sanibel Causeway to run the beaches of Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel Island and Captiva Island.
St James City, FL
St. James City is located at the southern part of Pine Island. It is a far boat ride to get to the Boca Grande Pass from here, so most anglers down here will usually choose to stay closer and run out through the Sanibel Causeway or through the gap between the islands of Sanibel, Captiva and Cayo Costa.
Nearshore Reefs & Wrecks
The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission has a great website that allows you to see reefs and wrecks on a map. Their Interactive Map Viewer is awesome, so feel free to check that out if you’re looking to structure fish the nearshore or offshore waters off of this part of Southwest Florida.
https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/artificial-reefs/locate/
Some of the types of fish you may be targeting on the reefs and wrecks are snapper, grouper, king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, amberjack, cobia, sharks, hogfish, tripletail, jack crevalle, barracuda and more.
