Speckled trout · Dauphin Island
Island trout stage off the bridge shadow lines at night and roam the grass behind the island by day.
Island trout stage off the bridge shadow lines at night and roam the grass behind the island by day. Spring wakes the flats behind the west end, and fall stacks fish in the deeper bay channels ahead of winter.
Trout are the timing fish: first two hours of light, first hour of moving tide. Spring puts the big females shallow at dawn, summer splits the day into a dawn bite and a night bite around lights, and fall regroups fish over deeper grass and shell.
Late April through June for the biggest fish in shallow water, October–November for numbers, and the first two hours of daylight almost any warm month. Check the live Dauphin Island bite score before you commit a morning.
Florida's western Panhandle closes trout harvest during February (catch-and-release still allowed); Alabama stays open year-round. Verify current rules before keeping fish.
Conditions decide more than tackle. The live dashboard scores each Dauphin Island morning from NOAA tide swing, wind, and sky, with solunar windows and marine alerts, and Island Bait and Tackle on the island and Jemison's on the causeway have you covered.
Seasons and limits change. Verify with Florida FWC or Outdoor Alabama before keeping fish.