If you're trying to figure out when to book a fishing charter in New Smyrna Beach, the short answer is: any month of the year, because something is always biting. The long answer — which is this guide — tells you what's running, where, and what you should be throwing.
Why New Smyrna Beach is a top inshore fishery
The combination of Mosquito Lagoon, the Indian River Lagoon, Ponce Inlet, and the nearshore beaches gives us access to flats, jetties, backwaters, and open ocean — all within a 30-minute run. That's rare. Mosquito Lagoon itself is protected water inside the Canaveral National Seashore, which means no commercial netting and no shoreline development. The water is clean, the grass is healthy, and the fish are fat.
Month-by-month: what's biting
January – March: winter slow-water
Cold fronts push redfish and trout into deeper holes. Sheepshead pile onto the bridge pilings and jetty rocks — this is the best time of year to target them. Black drum schools cruise the channels, with bulls to 40+ pounds realistic. Clear, windless mornings produce the best sight-fishing of the year — tailing reds on the flats in 40°F air, 62°F water.
April – May: spring transition
Water temps climb into the 70s. Snook move out of their winter hideouts and onto the flats. Trout spawn and get aggressive. Topwater at first light in Mosquito Lagoon is hard to beat — I've had mornings with 40+ blow-ups in two hours on a single MirrOlure.
June – August: tarpon season
The silver king shows up along the beaches and in Ponce Inlet. Snook fishing on the jetties peaks (28"+ keeper slot, but the big ones we always release). Sharks — blacktips and bonnetheads — run the beaches. The 8-hour charter is the right length for this kind of fishing because tarpon don't work on your schedule.
September – November: peak redfish
Big bull redfish school up in the inlet and along the beaches. Slot reds fill up Mosquito Lagoon. Trout fishing stays strong. Weather cools, pressure drops, and the fishing is as consistent as it gets. For the habits and tactics we use to pattern these fish, read the redfish guide.
December: black drum and early cold
First real fronts arrive. Black drum bite picks up. Reds tighten into deeper, warmer water. Good time for a quiet day with fewer boats on the water. Slot and bag limits for all species are on the FWC saltwater regulations page.
Where we fish
- Mosquito Lagoon flats — sight-casting to tailing reds and big trout
- Ponce Inlet jetties — snook, sheepshead, and sharks
- New Smyrna beach line — tarpon, snook, redfish in the surf
- Indian River backwaters — protected water when the wind blows
How to book
Call or text Captain Brenden at (386) 748-1585 or send a message. A $100 deposit holds your date (full rates here). Summer weekends book 4–6 weeks out — plan ahead for tarpon season.
Ready to try it yourself?
Book a charter with Captain Brenden and put these tips to work on the water.