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St. Augustine Fishing Report: Redfish, Trout, and Drum Amid Blustery Northeast Winds
Published 6 months ago
Description
Artificial Lure here with your St. Augustine fishing report for Sunday, October 26, 2025.
It’s another stunning fall morning—temps starting in the low 60s, climbing to a high around 80, with plenty of sun and a brisk northeast wind blowing 15 to 20 mph, gusting higher. That wind’s got the surf a little choppy and the inshore waters stirred up, but don’t let it stop you—just pick your spots on the leeward side or tuck into the creeks for protection, like Salt Run or around the Vilano Bridge. According to FlaglerLive, it’ll be sunny and breezy all day, so bring a windbreaker, but the fish don’t mind a puff of wind.
Sunrise was 7:34 this morning, and sunset rolls in at 6:43 this evening. The tide was low just before 6 a.m. and will be topping out near 12:15 p.m.; expect it to bottom out again a little before 7 tonight. That means prime action over the morning rising tide and around the lunchtime high. Watch for baitfish moving up on the higher water—predators won’t be far behind. Tide-Forecast.com's charts confirm: 5:48 a.m. low (about 1.2 feet), 12:15 p.m. high (just under 5 feet), then outflowing again into evening.
Let’s talk fish. The mullet run isn’t what it was a few weeks ago, but there’s still mullet cruising close to shore, with fingerlings piling up in the creeks—redfish and flounder are ambushing those baits tight to structure. Out at Matanzas Inlet and along the surf, surf anglers have been picking up nice keeper slot reds and plenty of black drum, plus a few surprise pompano. The rock jetties at the Inlet and the sea wall at the Castillo de San Marcos are producing good numbers too.
Inshore, the main story is quality redfish and speckled trout. Reports from trips this weekend show limits of slot reds from Salt Run and some over-slot fish released at Guana River and the flats by Vilano. Trout are hitting in the deeper holes on outgoing water—look for moving current and cast upstream. Flounder catches have improved—try live mud minnows or finger mullet bounced just off the bottom.
Best baits right now:
- Live shrimp—hard to beat for drum and trout.
- Finger mullet—either live or fresh cut.
- Mud minnows—deadly for flounder.
Best lures:
- Paddletail soft plastics (like a 3-inch white or chartreuse on a quarter-ounce jighead).
- MirrOlure MR17s and slow-sinking plugs for trout in clearer water.
- Gulp! shrimp, especially “new penny” or “nuclear chicken” colors.
Locals are also having luck slow-rolling spinnerbaits along oyster bars and pitching weedless jerkbaits tight to grass at first light.
Hot spots today:
- Vilano Bridge and its east-side creeks—protection from the wind, lots of bait.
- Matanzas Inlet, especially the south rocks for reds and drum.
- Salt Run—flats for tailing reds during the flood, drop-offs for trout.
Don’t forget about Butler Beach if you prefer surf fishing, with the best bite at dawn and right after high tide.
A reminder: with these stronger northeast winds and choppy surf, be mindful of safety, especially if you’re fishing near inlets or exposed rocks.
Thanks for tuning in to your St. Augustine fishing report! Hit subscribe so you never miss out on what’s biting and where.
This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
It’s another stunning fall morning—temps starting in the low 60s, climbing to a high around 80, with plenty of sun and a brisk northeast wind blowing 15 to 20 mph, gusting higher. That wind’s got the surf a little choppy and the inshore waters stirred up, but don’t let it stop you—just pick your spots on the leeward side or tuck into the creeks for protection, like Salt Run or around the Vilano Bridge. According to FlaglerLive, it’ll be sunny and breezy all day, so bring a windbreaker, but the fish don’t mind a puff of wind.
Sunrise was 7:34 this morning, and sunset rolls in at 6:43 this evening. The tide was low just before 6 a.m. and will be topping out near 12:15 p.m.; expect it to bottom out again a little before 7 tonight. That means prime action over the morning rising tide and around the lunchtime high. Watch for baitfish moving up on the higher water—predators won’t be far behind. Tide-Forecast.com's charts confirm: 5:48 a.m. low (about 1.2 feet), 12:15 p.m. high (just under 5 feet), then outflowing again into evening.
Let’s talk fish. The mullet run isn’t what it was a few weeks ago, but there’s still mullet cruising close to shore, with fingerlings piling up in the creeks—redfish and flounder are ambushing those baits tight to structure. Out at Matanzas Inlet and along the surf, surf anglers have been picking up nice keeper slot reds and plenty of black drum, plus a few surprise pompano. The rock jetties at the Inlet and the sea wall at the Castillo de San Marcos are producing good numbers too.
Inshore, the main story is quality redfish and speckled trout. Reports from trips this weekend show limits of slot reds from Salt Run and some over-slot fish released at Guana River and the flats by Vilano. Trout are hitting in the deeper holes on outgoing water—look for moving current and cast upstream. Flounder catches have improved—try live mud minnows or finger mullet bounced just off the bottom.
Best baits right now:
- Live shrimp—hard to beat for drum and trout.
- Finger mullet—either live or fresh cut.
- Mud minnows—deadly for flounder.
Best lures:
- Paddletail soft plastics (like a 3-inch white or chartreuse on a quarter-ounce jighead).
- MirrOlure MR17s and slow-sinking plugs for trout in clearer water.
- Gulp! shrimp, especially “new penny” or “nuclear chicken” colors.
Locals are also having luck slow-rolling spinnerbaits along oyster bars and pitching weedless jerkbaits tight to grass at first light.
Hot spots today:
- Vilano Bridge and its east-side creeks—protection from the wind, lots of bait.
- Matanzas Inlet, especially the south rocks for reds and drum.
- Salt Run—flats for tailing reds during the flood, drop-offs for trout.
Don’t forget about Butler Beach if you prefer surf fishing, with the best bite at dawn and right after high tide.
A reminder: with these stronger northeast winds and choppy surf, be mindful of safety, especially if you’re fishing near inlets or exposed rocks.
Thanks for tuning in to your St. Augustine fishing report! Hit subscribe so you never miss out on what’s biting and where.
This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI