When do pompano run at Orange Beach?
March through May as surf temperatures pass 65°F, with a shorter second run in October. Sunrise on a moving tide with clean green water is the window worth protecting.
Florida pompano · Orange Beach
Florida pompano in Orange Beach
The Orange Beach sand between Perdido Pass and the state line holds run fish all spring.
Best monthsMarch–May run; October encore
Go-to baitssand fleas, fresh peeled shrimp, Fishbites on a two-hook rig
Local waterAlabama Point · Ono Island canals
State rulesOutdoor Alabama
The local pattern
The Orange Beach sand between Perdido Pass and the state line holds run fish all spring. The beach re-cuts after every blow, so scout the troughs before committing; the pass-adjacent bars often dig the deepest lanes.
Pompano key on clean, green surf between 65 and 75 degrees. Read the beach first: the trough is the highway, the cuts are the on-ramps, and the moving tide is the schedule. A two-hook rig in the right water beats six rods in the wrong water.
Common questions
What rig catches pompano at Orange Beach?
A two-hook pompano rig with small circle hooks, bright floats, and a sinker that holds bottom, baited with sand fleas, fresh shrimp, or Fishbites, cast into the first trough.
Plan the trip
Conditions decide more than tackle. The live dashboard scores each Orange Beach morning from NOAA tide swing, wind, and sky, with solunar windows and marine alerts, and J&M Tackle and the Caribe Marina dock store are the local bait stops.
Seasons and limits change. Verify with Florida FWC or Outdoor Alabama before keeping fish.