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FISHING GUIDE · PALM BEACH & JUPITER, FLORIDA
Palm Beach & Jupiter Fishing Guide
Because the Gulf Stream runs so close here, sailfish, kingfish and other offshore fish can be only a few miles from the inlets. Jupiter Inlet and the Loxahatchee River are snook country, and the fall mullet run brings snook, tarpon and sharks right to the beaches. Blue Heron Bridge is a world-famous dive and snorkel site, so fish around it with care.
📍 Palm Beach County on Florida's southeast Atlantic coast. Jupiter Inlet, at the north end of the county, connects the Loxahatchee River and the Intracoastal to the ocean. Farther south, Lake Worth Lagoon opens through the Lake Worth (Palm Beach) Inlet; Phil Foster Park and the Blue Heron Bridge sit just inside it at Riviera Beach.
📅 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)
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Quick facts
- Along the Palm Beach coast the Gulf Stream runs closer to shore than anywhere else on the U.S. Atlantic coast, sometimes about 3 miles out.
- The West Palm Beach Fishing Club's Silver Sailfish Derby, held in January, bills itself as the world's oldest sailfish tournament still running; 2024 was its 86th year.
- Jupiter Inlet's north and south jetties were first built in 1922; the inlet was closed from 1942 to 1947 during World War II.
- The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, on the inlet's north side, was first lit in 1860.
- Since 2019 FWC bans collecting tropical aquarium (marine life) species at Blue Heron Bridge/Phil Foster Park; hook-and-line fishing is still allowed.
What you can catch
- Sailfish
Best roughly November to February, especially after cold fronts; kite fishing with live bait is popular. - Snook
Jupiter Inlet jetties, Loxahatchee River and lighted docks at night. - Tarpon
Follow the fall mullet run along the beaches; catch-and-release only. - Kingfish, wahoo and cobia
Caught a few miles offshore. - Mahi (dolphin) and tuna
Migrate through with the Gulf Stream. - Snapper and grouper
Reefs offshore and around the inlets; check seasons. - Pompano and bluefish
Beaches and the Jupiter jetty in fall, winter and spring. - Jacks, Spanish mackerel and sharks
Crash mullet schools in the fall run.
Month by month
| January | Silver Sailfish Derby (West Palm Beach); peak sailfish. Snook closed until Jan 31. |
|---|---|
| February | Sailfish after cold fronts; snook reopens Feb 1; pompano on the beaches. |
| March | Sailfish still around; pompano and bluefish. |
| April | Snook open; offshore trolling. |
| May | Snook open through May 31; offshore trolling. |
| June | Snook closed June 1 - Aug 31 (Atlantic); summer snook fishing is catch-and-release. |
| July | Snook closed; reef fishing and offshore trolling. |
| August | Snook closed through Aug 31. |
| September | Snook reopens Sept 1; mullet run starts late September. |
| October | Mullet run in force (traditionally around Oct 15): snook, tarpon, sharks and jacks. Atlantic red snapper state season Oct 9-22, 2026. |
| November | Sailfish season starts; mullet run winds down. |
| December | Sailfish; snook closes Dec 15. |
Tips
- Jupiter Inlet has strong tidal currents and shifting sandbars; run it with care.
- At Phil Foster Park, no fishing in the swimming area, boat ramps or docks, and no collecting tropical fish; watch for divers and dive flags around Blue Heron Bridge.
- Fall mullet run: fish early mornings at the inlets, beaches and piers when the schools come through.
- Check FWC's Palm Beach County manatee zone maps for the Intracoastal and Lake Worth Lagoon.
- Sailfish you plan to release should stay in the water; any landed billfish must be reported to NOAA within 24 hours.
Rules and license
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC); NOAA Fisheries (federal waters, billfish); Palm Beach County Parks · 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 (Southeast region, Martin-Palm Beach line south; includes the Loxahatchee River): 18-27 inch slot, 1 per person, 2 per vessel.
- Spotted seatrout (Southeast region): 15-19 inch slot, 3 per person, one over 19 inches per vessel, open year-round.
- Snook (Atlantic): 28-32 inch slot, 1 per person; closed Dec 15 - Jan 31 and June 1 - Aug 31.
- Sailfish: 63-inch lower jaw fork length minimum, 1 billfish per person; federal HMS Angling Permit in federal waters; report landed billfish to NOAA within 24 hours.
- Atlantic red snapper 2026: state season Oct 9-22, 1 per person; State Reef Fish Angler designation and FWC app trip declaration required.
- Blue Heron Bridge/Phil Foster Park: no collecting or possessing marine life (aquarium) species; no fishing in the swimming area, ramps or docks; no spearguns in county park waters.
- Manatee protection zones: FWC rule 68C-22.009 (Palm Beach County).
Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.
Boat ramps and marinas
The map above shows 13 boat ramps and 17 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.
- Buccaneer Marina
- Cannonsport Marina
- Castaways Marina
- Loggerhead Marina Jupiter
- Loggerhead Marina Lantana
- Loggerhead Marina Palm Beach Gardens
- Loggerhead Marina Riviera Beach
- Loggerhead Marina South Lantana
- North Palm Beach Boat Ramp Permit Required
- Palm Beach Marina
- Palm Beach Yacht Club & Marina
- Palm Harbor Marina
- Riviera Beach Marina
- Rybovich Super Yacht Marina
- Safe Harbor North Palm Beach
- Safe Harbor Old Port Cove
- Sailfish Marina Resort
- Seminole Marine
Sources
- https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/red-drum/
- https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/spotted-seatrout/
- https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/snook/
- https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/tarpon/
- https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/billfish-tuna/
- https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/atlantic-red-snapper/
- https://www.wftv.com/news/local/new-permit-allows-14-day-atlantic-red-snapper-harvest-off-florida/RCFWJ2USDVDMTM3YJ5KLJKFL4Y/
- https://myfwc.com/license/recreational/saltwater-fishing/
- https://myfwc.com/license/recreational/do-i-need-one/
- https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/manatee/data-and-maps/
- https://www.wetpixel.com/full_frame/walt-stearns-floridas-palm-beach-coast
- https://billfish.org/event/silver-sailfish-derby/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter_Inlet
- https://www.floridasportsman.com/editorial/fwc-approves-new-regulation-blue-heron-bridge-dive-site/401148
- https://discover.pbc.gov/parks/locations/phil-foster.aspx
- https://fishingbooker.com/blog/?p=10894
- https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/on-the-water-mullet-migration-spawns-some-of-the-most-frenzied-fi
- https://www.waterfront-properties.com/blog/fishing-in-jupiter.html
- https://www.boatlessfishing.com/jupiter_inlet.htm
Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.