Perdido Pass
Set up on the current seam rather than the fastest water. Work shrimp or a paddletail close to the rocks and give vessel traffic room.
Western Florida Panhandle
Perdido Key fishing conditions & bite forecast
Perdido Key sits between protected lagoon water and the strong exchange around Perdido Pass. Use the live dashboard for today’s tide, wind, waves, marine alerts, and bite score; use this guide to choose water and prepare before launch.
Primary targetRedfish
Go-to baitLive shrimp · gold spoon
Best waterMoving pass water
State rulesFlorida FWC
Where to start
Old River
A useful wind fallback. Focus on shaded docks and oyster edges where visible current keeps bait moving.
Johnson Beach
Walk the first trough early and look for bait showers, clean water, and cuts through the outer bar.
Live bait near Perdido Key
Entertainer Bait & Tackle
13506 Perdido Key Dr, Pensacola · 850-417-0588. Live and frozen bait, tackle, drinks, and ice.
Gray’s Tackle & Guide Service
13019 Sorrento Rd Ste 2, Pensacola · 850-492-2666. Live shrimp, sand fleas, fiddler crabs, bull minnows, and inshore tackle.
Call before driving
Live shrimp and specialty bait can sell out before breakfast, especially on weekends and good-weather mornings.
What's biting through the year
Winter (Dec–Feb)
Sheepshead on the Perdido Pass jetties and seawall, redfish schooled in Old River and the canals, and quiet, clear water for the anglers still paying attention.
Spring (Mar–May)
The pompano run down Johnson Beach is the local classic. Trout wake up on the Old River grass, reds prowl the pass on every moving tide, and Spanish show off the beach by April.
Summer (Jun–Aug)
First light or nothing: reds and trout early around the pass and docks, mangrove snapper thick on the jetty rocks, and afternoon storms that rearrange the sandbars weekly.
Fall (Sep–Nov)
Bull redfish stage at Perdido Pass, flounder funnel through on their way to the Gulf, and the October pompano encore runs back down the beach.
Common questions
When is the pompano run at Johnson Beach?
March through May as surf temperatures pass 65°F, with a shorter second run in October. Fish sand fleas or Fishbites in the first trough at sunrise on a moving tide.
What fish are in Perdido Pass?
Nearly everything, in season: redfish on the seams year-round, sheepshead on the jetties in late winter, mangrove snapper in summer, bull reds and flounder in fall. The pass fishes best on moving water — check the live tide window before you go.
Can you fish Perdido Key without a boat?
Yes. Johnson Beach's surf, the Perdido Pass seawall and jetties, and the Old River public docks cover surf, structure, and protected water on foot.
Species guides
Rules and official sources
Common local species include redfish, speckled trout, flounder, sheepshead, and Florida pompano. Seasons, size limits, bag limits, closures, and state-water boundaries change.
- Florida FWC recreational saltwater regulations
- NOAA Tides & Currents
- National Weather Service Mobile/Pensacola
Fishing conditions and bite scores are planning aids, not safety forecasts or guarantees. Check official marine warnings before leaving and verify regulations before keeping fish.