Sanibel & Captiva Islands offer so much awesome inshore fishing opportunities for so many different species of fish. There is so much productive water to fish here that you should easily be able to go out and put something in the boat. Most anglers target snook, redfish, trout, snapper, sheepshead, grouper, sharks, jacks and more.
Inshore Waters
The bay side of these islands can still get rough in nasty weather, however, for most situations, there should be somewhere for you to fish without having to deal with big waves. Whether you fish around Sanibel, Captiva Island or nearby Pine Island, anglers have options to fish passes, bridges, mangroves, canals, channels, deep water and shallow water. It is an amazing fishery.
Fish the Sanibel Causeway
The Sanibel Causeway 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. Fish both sides of the bridge during tidal changes and you should be able to catch something. This is a popular area and many big boats will move through this bridge, so find a spot to fish that is out of the way of the boat traffic and you should be able to have some fun out here. You can catch a little bit of everything around the bridge, but most anglers come here to target snapper, grouper, snook, redfish, sharks and more.
Fish the Passes
Blind Pass
Blind Pass is one of the most popular spots to fish on Sanibel Island. There is a beach and bridge here, so anglers have good access to fish this area. The fishing is usually good for snook during the tidal changes. Anglers also catch sheepshead and a variety of other fish too, but the snook fishing is usually what gets the most attention in this pass.
Captiva Pass
Captiva Pass is about 3.5 miles north of Redfish Pass and it separates North Captiva Island from Cayo Costa. This is a beautiful area with plenty of marine life, so don’t be shocked if you see plenty of birds and dolphins getting in on the fishing as well. This is a popular snook spot for boaters and you can catch a variety of other fish here too depending on the time of year.
Redfish Pass
Redfish Pass has some very shallow water then a very steep drop into water that extends more than 30 feet down. Redfish Pass separates Captiva Island & North Captiva Island. The current can really rip through this area and it is popular among boaters, so make sure you know what you are doing before fishing this spot when the crowds are out. This is a very good snook fishing spot.
Fish Tarpon Bay
Tarpon Bay is a popular spot to fish in the Sanibel area. The bay is a great spot to fish with kayaks or smaller boats. Some bigger boats do spend some time in here as well, especially when the winds are blowing hard. In Tarpon Bay, anglers catch snook, redfish, sea trout, flounder, sheepshead, snapper, grouper, Spanish mackerel, sharks and more.
Fish the Backwaters
J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge
The J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge is a popular area for anglers to fish the backwaters, creeks and inlets for a variety of fish such as snook, redfish, sea trout, sheepshead and more.
https://www.fws.gov/refuge/jn-ding-darling/visit-us/activities/fishing
Fish the Docks
There are a lot of docks on the island and many fish will be found around the docks. Anglers target snook, mangrove snapper sheepshead, redfish and other species around the docks. If the dock pattern is going well when you are visiting the Sanibel area, it is a short boat ride over to St. James City on Pine Island where you can fish even more docks in the canals.
Fish the Mangroves
There are plenty of mangroves to fish in the backcountry waters of the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, however, there are plenty of other areas to fish where there are mangroves as well. Many of the areas with docks will have some mangroves available. You can fish mangroves throughout Tarpon Bay. St. James City is a close boat ride from Sanibel Island and there are plenty of mangroves to fish there as well. Anglers target a variety of fish around these mangrove trees such as mangrove snapper, snook, redfish, sheepshead and more.
