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Fishing in Florida

Click a region to explore top fishing spots, species, and local tips.

Florida has over 30,000 lakes with 7,700 over 10 acres, plus 1,800 miles of coastline and the Florida Keys — offering the most diverse fishing in the continental US. Lake Okeechobee is the legendary bass fishery of the south at 730 square miles, while the St. Johns River system and the Harris Chain provide outstanding trophy largemouth bass. The Everglades offer unique freshwater-saltwater fishing for snook, tarpon, and redfish, and the Gulf Coast and Atlantic provide world-class offshore fishing for sailfish, grouper, snapper, and king mackerel.

Topographic map — click to view full size

Panhandle & Northwest Florida

Destin, Panama City, Apalachicola, Choctawhatchee -- Largemouth Bass, Speckled Perch, Redfish, Flounder, Grouper

North Florida

St. Johns River, Jacksonville, Gainesville, Suwannee River -- Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Striped Bass

Central Florida

Orlando Lakes, Kissimmee Chain, Lake Toho, Winter Park -- Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Catfish

South Florida & Everglades

Lake Okeechobee, Everglades, Miami, Biscayne Bay -- Largemouth Bass, Peacock Bass, Tarpon, Snook, Bonefish

Southwest Florida & Gulf Coast

Tampa, Sarasota, Fort Myers, Naples, 10,000 Islands -- Snook, Redfish, Tarpon, Grouper, Snapper

Southeast Florida & Keys

Stuart, West Palm, Fort Lauderdale, Key West -- Sailfish, Mahi-Mahi, Grouper, Snapper, Bonefish, Permit