St. Petersburg, FL Marine Weather & Fishing Forecast

St. Petersburg, FL Conditions: Saturday, August 1

On Saturday, August 1, St. Petersburg, FL sees high tide at 5:13 AM (1.8 ft) and 4:16 PM (2.5 ft), low tide at 10:14 AM (1.1 ft) and 11:16 PM (0.4 ft). Winds 2–11 mph from the SW gusting to 18 mph. Air temperatures 76–87°F. Current water temperature is about 86°F. The strongest fishing windows line up with the moving water around each tide change, roughly an hour on either side.

Tides from NOAA Station 8726520 · wind & temperature from Open-Meteo. Open the live forecast for hourly charts and the 7-day outlook.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the tides in St. Petersburg, FL today?

St. Petersburg, FL experiences a mixed semidiurnal tide pattern common along the Gulf Coast, with two unequal high and low tides each day. The difference between highs can be significant, so check both tide heights when planning your trip.

What is the best time to fish in St. Petersburg, FL?

The best fishing near St. Petersburg, FL is typically one to two hours before and after each tide change, when moving water flushes bait off flats and through passes. On the Gulf Coast, outgoing tides are often the most productive because they concentrate baitfish in channels and creek mouths.

Is it safe to boat in St. Petersburg, FL today?

Check the live wind forecast above for current conditions near St. Petersburg, FL. Gulf waters can build steep chop quickly in winds above 15 mph, especially when wind opposes the tidal current. Afternoon sea breezes are common from spring through fall and can increase winds significantly after midday.

What is the water temperature near St. Petersburg, FL?

Water temperature data for St. Petersburg, FL is sourced from the nearest NOAA station (8726520). In Florida, seasonal temperature swings significantly influence which species are active and where they can be found — check current readings in the tide panel above.

What wind conditions are expected in St. Petersburg, FL today?

The wind chart above shows today's hourly forecast for St. Petersburg, FL using Open-Meteo weather model data. Along the Gulf Coast, east and southeast winds typically produce the best inshore fishing conditions with cleaner water, while west and southwest winds can push murky water across bays.

Fishing in St. Petersburg, FL

St. Petersburg sits at the heart of Tampa Bay's world-class inshore fishery and is a launching point for a lot of offshore anglers. Pristine grass flats and mangrove systems teem with snook, redfish, and spotted seatrout year-round. Big snook prowl the beaches in the Summer and redfish are a great year-round target on the grass flats if you can get to them without spooking them. Nothing beats watching a school of tailing reds coming across the flat!

Planning Your Trip

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge is one of St. Pete's most iconic fishing spots, drawing anglers year-round for species like Spanish mackerel, cobia, tripletail and even tarpon. The pilings and riprap from the old bridge provide structure that attracts baitfish and the predators that follow them. Egmont pass is an increasingly popular spot for tarpon.

St. Pete's position near the mouth of Tampa Bay means anglers experience the full range of tidal influence. Tides rip on certain moon phases, flushing crabs and baitfish out of the passes to waiting predators. Use the live tide chart above to time your next outing perfectly.

What's Biting in St. Petersburg, Season by Season

Spring: March and April bring the year's fastest fishing to the lower bay. Snook stage in Bunces Pass and along Shell Key, big trout sit on the edges of Fort De Soto's flats, and kingfish run the beaches. Cobia follow rays across the sand, and tarpon begin showing at Egmont by late April into May.

Summer: This is tarpon season. Fish pour through Egmont Channel and along the beaches from Pass-a-Grille south, and the Skyway shipping channel holds them into August. Snook spawn in the passes, mangrove snapper thicken on every rock pile and bridge, and dawn topwater on the Pinellas flats beats fishing through midday heat.

Fall: Redfish school in numbers over the flats at Fort De Soto and Weedon Island through September and October. Snook move back inside from the passes and feed on the falling water temperature, mackerel blitz bait pods inside the bay, and flounder start showing around sandy potholes and dock edges late in the season.

Winter: Sheepshead pile onto the Skyway approaches, rock piles and residential docks. Trout and redfish hold in deeper holes at Weedon Island and up tidal creeks, feeding on warm afternoons. Silver trout and pompano show in the deeper channels, and low winter tides expose flats for some of the best wade fishing of the year.

Local Spots Worth Knowing

Fort De Soto Park anchors the south end of the county with piers, mile after mile of wadeable grass flats and access to Bunces Pass. The Skyway Fishing Piers, the longest fishing piers in the world, sit minutes away and fish well day and night. On the Gulf side, the jetty at Pass-a-Grille gives shore anglers a shot at snook and mackerel moving through the pass. On the bay side, Weedon Island Preserve offers kayak trails through mangrove creeks that hold redfish, trout and snook nearly year-round.

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