The Fort Pierce jetties and Fort Pierce Inlet State Park are also great places to enjoy magnificent sunsets while reeling in spritely snook.
September 07, 2023
By Aaron Benzrihem
Snook are one of the most coveted inshore game species in Florida—and that is for good reason. They fight ferociously, eat aggressively, are excellent table fare when in season and they can pose a challenge to even the most experienced angler. They are acrobatic fighters who are often experts at evading a landing.
Florida offers some of the best snook fishing in the world so if you’re just visiting Florida or a native, we want to help you hone in your snook skills with some invaluable information. Here are some of the best snook fishing spots in our gorgeous Sunshine State! Even better, you can have a productive day of fishing without a boat at each of these spots.
1. Sebastian Inlet State Park, Sebastian, Florida Not only a good spot for snook, this is one of the best spots for pier fishing in all of Florida. Because of that, it tends to be a very busy pier, so keep that in mind. Sebastian Inlet State Park is one the most visited angling destinations in the state of Florida. Why? It is one of, if not the greatest spot to catch a snook from land. Positioned on the north side of Sebastian Inlet, there is a massive pier that is part of the state park. This pier provides a great habitat for some of the biggest snook in Florida. Ripping currents, tons of structure and endless bait make this a year-round home for breeder-sized snook.
A nice snook caught at the Sebastian Inlet south jetty. Spanish House, the first public beach access north of Sebastian Inlet is another fantastic area for snooking. During the months of June and July, the “breeder” snook will often spawn around this inlet and jetty and make it your best shot at the prized 40-inch snook. When visiting Sebastian Inlet State Park you’re going to need a pier net and a hefty set up. The pier is positioned high and landing the fish can be tough. There are a lot of submerged rock structures that can make it very difficult to land these fish. I’d recommend a rod that is at least 8 feet in length and heavy, capable of throwing baits from 1-4 oz. You're going to want some backbone to your setup. There are a lot of baits that can work from artificials like swim baits, to live mullet , shrimp and pinfish.
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2. Juno Beach Pier, Jupiter, Florida Snook stack up at Juno year-round because there is constant forage for them, structure and current. Heading a little further south, Juno Beach Pier has long been home to some of the biggest schools of snook. With beautiful sights and water, this is a great family destination to go snook fishing in Florida! Juno has pier nets available and offers anglers a great vantage point to potentially sight fish for snook in the beautiful clear water! Snook stack up at Juno year-round because there is constant forage for them, structure and current. These are factors that play a role in helping snook eat and hunt. One of the best ways to catch snook here is an old method, bucktail jigs . Once again, you’ll want a heavy setup to keep those tricky snook out of the structure. Something that is around 7’6’ and extra heavy.
3. Fort Pierce Inlet State Park, Fort Pierce, Florida Across the inlet from Fort Pierce State Park is Jetty Park, pictured, another prime snook location. From here you can hit various beaches south down to Stuart (recommended beaches are listed below) to find surfside snook, pompano, redfish, sharks, whiting, jacks and snapper. Heading back north, Fort Pierce Inlet State Park is an often forgotten goldmine for anglers everywhere. Like Sebastian, this is a park that has a massive rock jetty positioned on the north side of the Fort Pierce Inlet, one of Florida’s deepest inlets. This park has particularly good surf fishing for snook . You can catch them with your toes in the sand while you enjoy a nice summer day. The rock jetty is not for the faint of heart, and in my opinion, it is one of the toughest jetties to traverse which is why I recommend the beach. If you’re up for the challenge, there are always loads of snook on the jetty. One of the best ways to catch them off the beach are with small swimbaits and shrimp . Just bounce the bottom and you’ll probably find a hungry predator. If you’re a live bait guy, you can almost always catch bait off the beach. Just get yourself a cast net and check out our article on throwing a cast net .
4. Fort DeSoto State Park, St. Petersburg, Florida Beach anglers try their luck off the jetty next to the Ft. DeSoto fishing pier. The west shore next to Bunce's Pass, and the south shore facing Tampa Bay and Egmont Pass are promising spots to try. Heading over to the beautiful Gulf Coast of Florida, our next destination is Fort DeSoto State Park in St. Petersburg, Florida. Fort DeSoto is an absolutely incredible spot for getting on a “volume” bite. The water here is typically beautiful and calm and it’s an excellent place to take the family. You can catch fish off of the beach here or you can fish off of multiple jetties.
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The docks of Tierra Verda are another good spot to hit in the area. Live shrimp do amazing here as well as small jerk baits like a Rapala X-rap. Jerk baits are one of my favorite baits to use because you can cast and retrieve them or you can twitch them. If you’re handy with a cast net there tends to be schools of whitebait and mojarra on the beach that can make excellent snook bait when freelined.
5. Blind Pass Beach, Captiva, Florida Despite the hurricane damage in 2022, Captiva and Sanibel still boast a great snook fishery . As of September 2023, many businesses are still closed in the area. Once more locations reopen, take some time to explore the islands, eat at local spots and support small businesses. Heading south on the Gulf Coast, Sanibel Island is one of Florida’s hidden gems. Once one of the most beautiful places in our state, Sanibel was devastated by Hurricane Ian in 2022. Since then, the area has been rebuilding, and recently launched a revitalization project for Blind Pass Beach in late August. Over three months 50,000 tons of natural sand will be spread along the beach to bring it back to its natural state. The project is expected to wrap up in late November, making it a great late winter/early spring destination for anglers looking for snook once the water clears up and more local businesses reopen.
Blind Pass Beach is a public beach that splits Sanibel from Captiva. There is a small pass that is accessible from the beach and there are arguably more snook here than anywhere else in the state. Growing up as a Sanibel native, I fished here almost every waking minute of my life for over a decade. The best way to catch them here is with an artificial shrimp . If you prefer using a rod holder and enjoying the beach, just pick up some chunks of mullet or ladyfish with a weighted rig and wait patiently for the hit!
Bonus: Anna Maria Island, Florida Anna Maria's north end, plus Longboat Key, particularly near the inlets on each end are good spots to wet a line. Anna Maria Island is one of the most incredible places in Florida to visit and fish. Any bay or ocean access on this island can hold tons of snook. Tucked away in the north-central Gulf Coast, this is a relaxing and fishy destination. The snook will come here more often during the summer months and they come in the thousands. Anna Maria beaches can yield some of the best surf fishing for big snook and you can catch them in a variety of ways. One of the best game plans is to get out early in the morning on an exceptionally calm day and use a topwater spook. Topwater spooks can be one of the most exhilarating ways to catch big snook. Not only does it keep you engaged, but you also get a nice show just before setting the hook!
Honorable Mentions These additional snook fishing spots are from the article Beach Bombers by Frank Sargeant in the May 2007 Issue of Florida Sportsman. For tips on beach fishing for snook, see the full article here .
Gulf Coast
Anclote Key, pretty much the whole length of it, holds big fish in May and June. (Boat access only.) Honeymoon Island, within a quarter mile of both the north and south ends. On the north end, (a long walk) the inside beach facing St. Joseph Sound sometimes holds large fish, as well. Beaches on either side of Venice Inlet. Little Gasparilla and Gasparilla. Fish the groins on the south island. LaCosta Key and Cayo Costa State Park. (Boat access only.) Marco Island, particularly the north end. Atlantic Coast:
Walton Rocks, just south of the FP&L nuclear plant. Jensen Beach, several access points along Hutchinson Island. Best after several days of calm, as post-hurricane beach fill fouls the water on choppy days. Bathtub Beach, southern tip of Hutchinson Island. Classic sight-fishing waters. Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge. Some of the prettiest surf-fishing in the state. Walk the surf at south end, or access the remote northern beaches by boat out of St. Lucie Inlet. Blowing Rocks Preserve (and pretty much any of the rocky stretches on Jupiter and Singer Islands) Lake Worth Pier John Lloyd State Park. Between the Dania Pier and Port Everglades is a nice stretch of public beach with good snook action for Broward County anglers. Miami beaches. Find an accessible public beach that hasn't been dumped on by recent beach nourishment and you'll find snook, even in this urban jungle. Fish first light, or even earlier, for best results. Best Practices When Snook Fishing & Handling Remember to keep the fish in the water as much as possible. If you need to remove the fish from the water, hold them horizontally while supporting the base of the tail and belly. Debarb all hooks. Pinching them nearly flat with pliers works best. Use circle hooks when fishing with live bait. These are less likely to be swallowed. They also hook up very well, so long as you simply reel them into the fish rather than using a hard rod set. Use single-hook lures or replace treble hooks with single hooks , whenever possible. Release the fish promptly after removing the hook. If you do a “grip and grin” shot, make sure to support the fish at the base of the tail as well as at the jaw. Hold them up horizontally rather than vertically, and don't put a lot of pressure on the jaw. An in-the-water shot also works nicely. Help tired fish revive by walking them in knee-deep water until they swim on their own. Florida has a lot to offer the aspiring snook angler. With an abundance of fish and fishing destinations, you’re almost guaranteed to catch one if you know where to go! These spots are just scratching the surface, there is so much more to explore in our beautiful state and we hope that these suggestions help you break the ice and get you on your way to the 40-inch club. Tight lines!
