Late September Fishing Report 2026

Late September is when the Hudson Beach FL fishing scene shifts into its strongest gear of the year. The water is cooling, the mullet run is building along the Hudson Florida shoreline, redfish are schooling in big numbers across Pasco County, and snook harvest stays open through November 30. This is your late September fishing report for the Gulf coast from your local guide, Kathleen Paglaiccetti.

The Mullet Run Is Building: Read the Slicks

September got the mullet run rolling, and the last week of the month is when it really starts to show off the Hudson Beach FL shoreline. Thick schools of mullet are pushing down the coast now, and every predator in the gulf is moving behind them: snook, redfish, tarpon, jack crevalle, ladyfish, and speckled trout stack up in the churned water, while king mackerel work the deeper edges offshore.

The way to read the action is the same trick the pier regulars use: watch for surface slicks and diving birds. Where the terns are working and the water is churning, the mullet are moving and the game fish are behind them. Early mornings and the late-afternoon bite are still your most reliable windows, and as the run builds toward its October peak, the October preview has the full forecast for what comes next on the Pasco County coast.

Redfish Are Schooling on the Pasco County Flats

The headline bite this week is redfish. Guide reports up and down the Pasco County coast are describing massive schools of reds working the oyster bars, mangrove edges, and deeper creek mouths, with no real water quality problems muddying the fall bite. Once the mullet arrive, the reds stack up right behind them, cruising the same slicks you are watching with your polarized glasses.

Remember the rules from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: on the Gulf coast, redfish must measure between 18 and 27 inches total length to keep, with a daily bag limit of one fish per person. The vessel limit depends on your exact management zone, so check the FWC page for the rule that applies to your launch site before you load the boat. For the best shore and flats spots near Hudson Beach FL, our complete fishing spots guide has the full rundown.

Snook Harvest Stays Open: Now Through November 30

Snook season reopened September 1, and the fall window now runs all the way through November 30 on the Gulf coast, which makes right now some of the best weeks of the year to target them. The slot is 28 to 33 inches total length, one fish per person per day, and captains around Hudson Florida are reporting big fish stacked at the creek mouths and passes, feeding hard on live sardines and pilchards as the mullet traffic pushes through.

Even if your catch runs outside the slot, snook remain catch-and-release allowed year-round, and a big linesider eating a sardine on a flat is worth the fight no matter what. The FWC snook page spells out the full season calendar and zone rules if you want to plan ahead for December's closure.

Speckled Trout, Jacks & the Nearshore Mix

The inshore trout bite is picking up nicely as the water cools, with quality speckled trout showing on the grass flats in the early morning. Jacks and ladyfish provide the fun on fry bait for anyone who just wants tight lines, and offshore, mangrove snapper and gag grouper are holding on the nearshore ledges in 20 to 40 feet of water. On the Hudson Beach FL side, the flats that were crowded with scallopers all summer are quiet fishing grounds again.

Stone Crab Season Looms: October 15

Anglers and seafood lovers alike should mark Thursday, October 15, because that is when Florida stone crab season opens and runs through May 1 across Pasco County. Per the FWC, only claws may be harvested, claws must measure at least 2-7/8 inches from the elbow to the tip of the lower immovable finger, and claws may not come from egg-bearing crabs. The daily bag limit is 1 gallon of claws per person or 2 gallons per vessel, whichever is less, and recreational harvesters may use up to five traps.

If you would rather eat than trap, the first claws of the year usually land at local markets by mid-October, with Seafood Connection FL Stone Crab on Old Dixie Highway in Hudson a long-time source for jumbo claws. Our October preview has the full stone crab rundown.

Last Call: Hernando County Scallop Zone Closes Today

Thursday, September 24 is the final day of the longer Hernando County scallop season, which runs through today while the Pasco County zone closed back on August 18. If you have been waiting for one more scalloping trip, the grass flats near the Weeki Wachee River mouth are your last window for the year. After today the scallop boats rest, and the calendar hands the season over to stone crab and the fall fishing that is already running hot along the Hudson Florida coast.

This Weekend on the Coast

The last weekend of September has a full calendar across Pasco County, and the weather should cooperate for anyone planning to fish in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon:

Beach & Water Conditions This Week

The Gulf water along Hudson Beach FL is holding in the low 80s, warm enough to wade, swim, and paddle comfortably, while the air finally gets a crisp edge in the mornings. The afternoon thunderstorms that ruled the summer are shorter and less frequent now, and the beaches and launches stay quiet on weekdays. Dolphin activity remains strong along the shoreline, and manatee sightings start to tick up in the rivers and canals as the water cools.

Tight lines and good times,

Kathleen

Kathleen Paglaiccetti

Florida Realtor serving Hudson and the surrounding Nature Coast, with a growing focus on waterfront real estate and helping homeowners navigate important life transitions.