FISHING GUIDE · FORT MYERS & SANIBEL, FLORIDA

Fort Myers, Sanibel & Pine Island Sound Fishing Guide

Pine Island Sound is shallow grass flats, oyster bars and mangrove islands, and it is one of the best places in Florida to sight-fish tailing redfish. Snook, big trout and summer tarpon share the same water, so a four-species day is possible. Much of the area is protected seagrass and refuge, so learn the zones before you run.

📍 Lee County on Florida's southwest Gulf coast. Pine Island Sound lies between Pine Island and the barrier islands of Sanibel, Captiva, North Captiva and Cayo Costa. The Punta Rassa ramp sits at the mainland end of the Sanibel Causeway, and the Caloosahatchee River enters San Carlos Bay nearby. Boca Grande Pass is the next pass to the north.

📅 Florida Fishing Calendar — best months, closed seasons, bait & rigs →

Map: spots, ramps and marinas

★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)

Open the full Florida Gulf Coast map →

Quick facts

Pine Island Sound Aquatic Preserve covers about 58,500 acres and was established in 1970; damaging seagrass there can bring a fine of up to $1,000.
Two Critical Wildlife Areas in Pine Island Sound, Broken Islands and Hemp Key, are closed to entry and fishing.
J.N. 'Ding' Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel has a posted no-motor zone and a pole/troll zone; its Wildlife Drive is closed every Friday.
This area is in FWC's Charlotte Harbor region, which runs from near Venice south to near Vanderbilt Beach Road in Collier County.
Federal manatee rules require slow speed year-round in all waters of Matlacha Pass.

What you can catch

Redfish
Tailing fish on low tides along bar edges and mangrove shorelines; fall through spring is best.
Snook
Mangroves, docks, channel edges and passes like Redfish Pass and Blind Pass.
Spotted seatrout
Grass flats year-round.
Tarpon
Spring and summer in the sound, passes and beaches; catch-and-release only.
Sheepshead
Winter and spring around docks, bridges and the causeway.
Mangrove snapper and grouper
Passes, causeway and nearshore structure.
Pompano and Spanish mackerel
Pompano in spring and summer; Spanish mackerel year-round.
Goliath grouper
Live under the Sanibel Causeway bridges; release them and check current FWC rules.

Month by month

January	Clear winter water, sight-fishing reds and trout; sheepshead. Snook closed (Gulf) Dec 1 - end of Feb.
February	Sheepshead and reds; snook closed through end of Feb.
March	Snook reopens Mar 1; spring fishing starts, tarpon begin to show.
April	Snook open; tarpon in the sound and passes.
May	Tarpon season; snook closed May 1 - Sept 30 in the Charlotte Harbor region.
June	Tarpon in the passes and beaches; snook catch-and-release.
July	Tarpon, mangrove snapper; snook closed.
August	Summer patterns; early morning flats fishing.
September	Gag grouper (Gulf state waters) open Sept 1-30, 2026; snook still closed through Sept 30.
October	Snook reopens Oct 1; fall redfish schools.
November	Good redfish and trout; snook open through Nov 30.
December	Snook closes Dec 1; winter sight-fishing begins.

Tips

Fish the deeper edges of shallow bars for tailing reds on low, moving tides with light wind.
Raise your motor and avoid running over shallow seagrass in the aquatic preserve.
At Ding Darling: crabs by dip net only, no cast nets from the south (left) side of Wildlife Drive and only 25 feet from shore on the north side, and leave by 1/2 hour after sunset.
The Sanibel (Lighthouse Beach) fishing pier was closed after Hurricane Ian; check that it has reopened before you go.
Neighbor note: Boca Grande Pass to the north has its own tarpon gear rules (no weight hanging below the hook year-round; April-June, 3 lines per boat and no breakaway gear).

Rules and license

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (J.N. 'Ding' Darling NWR, federal manatee areas); Florida DEP (aquatic preserves) · Official rules page ↗

Florida saltwater fishing license required unless exempt (under 16, Florida residents 65+, or fishing from a licensed charter/guide boat, among others). Florida residents fishing only from shore can get a free shoreline license. A snook permit is also needed to keep snook.
Redfish (Charlotte Harbor region): 18-27 inch slot, 1 per person, 2 per vessel, open year-round.
Spotted seatrout (Charlotte Harbor region): 15-19 inch slot, 3 per person, one over 19 inches per vessel, open year-round.
Snook (Charlotte Harbor region): 28-33 inch slot, 1 per person; closed Dec 1 - end of Feb and May 1 - Sept 30.
Tarpon: catch-and-release only; fish over 40 inches stay in the water unless you hold a tarpon tag.
Gag grouper (Gulf state waters): 2026 season Sept 1-30; State Reef Fish Angler designation needed on private boats.
Ding Darling NWR: fishing only in designated areas; no-motor zone (wilderness) and pole/troll zone (Wulfert Flats); slow speed/minimum wake in refuge waters; no seines or trot lines.
Manatee zones: FWC rule 68C-22.005 (Lee County) and federal refuges (Caloosahatchee-San Carlos Bay, Shell Island, Pine Island-Estero Bay; slow speed year-round in Matlacha Pass).

Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.

Boat ramps and marinas

The map above shows 32 boat ramps and 12 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.

Boat Ramp Herman Horton Park
Boat ramp near Deep Lagoon
Boat ramp near Glover Bight
Boat ramp near Hurricane Bay
Boat ramp near Pelican Bay
Bocilla Seaport Boat Ramp
Burnt Store Marina
Caloosa Yacht & Racquet Club Marina
Cape Coral Yacht Club
Captiva Landing Marina
City of Fort Myers Yacht Basin
D&D Bait Boat Ramp
Lavender’s Landing
Marine Laboratory
Matlacha Park Boat Ramp
Monroe Canal Marina
Ole Fish House & Marina Boat Ramp
Paradise Marina
Pine Island Commercial Marina
Pineland Marina
Pineland Marina Boat Ramp
Punta Rassa Boat Ramp
Rosen Park Boat Ramp
Salty Sam's Marina
Santina Marina Plaza
Shell Point Marina
Tarpon Point Marina
Tween Waters Marina
Yacht Harbour Marina

Sources

Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.