Cape Coral Fishing Reports

Your Cape Coral Fishing Experience


Embark on a virtual journey through the eyes of Captain Keith Zumar with our exclusive Fishing Report page. Here, Captain Keith shares his insights, observations, and the thrilling tales from recent expeditions. Delve into the intricate details of each fishing trip, from the strategic pursuit of Redfish and Tarpon to the dynamic conditions of Cape Coral's waterways. Captain Keith's reports offer valuable glimpses into the patterns of the marine world, providing both seasoned anglers and novices with a wealth of knowledge. His comprehensive analysis and personalized touch ensure that every report is not just a reflection of a day's catch, but a narrative that unfolds the secrets of successful fishing adventures. Join Captain Keith Zumar on this virtual logbook, and let his expertise guide you through the ever-changing tides of unforgettable angling experiences.


We got these questions a lot. Is fishing good in Cape Coral? What fish are in Cape Coral River? Do you need a license to fish in Cape Coral? Experience excellent fishing in Cape Coral with Salty Pirate Fishing Charters led by Captain Keith. The diverse waters, including the Caloosahatchee River, offer prime conditions for catching Snook, Redfish, Tarpon, Trout, Snapper, and Grouper. Captain Keith ensures a worry-free experience by providing the necessary fishing license for your adventure. Enjoy a memorable and fruitful fishing experience with Salty Pirate Fishing Charters.


Explore a variety of inshore, near shore, and cruise trips with Salty Pirate Fishing Charters, covering picturesque locations like Cape Coral, Boca Grande, and Matlacha. Our offerings range from 4-hour adventures to extended 2-day excursions, with prices ranging from $150 to $1400. Immerse yourself in a spectrum of fishing experiences tailored to your preferences and discover the beauty of these diverse coastal destinations with us.


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Cape Coral Fishing Report fishing report coverpicture

February 2, 2024

Cape Coral Fishing Report

Skipping schools is allowed on windless days! Book your Cape Coral Fishing Charter Now!
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Storm dodging and higher tides fishing report coverpicture

August 28, 2023

Storm dodging and higher tides

Snook remain all over the beaches just have gotten picky as we get deeper into summer.  Snapper have moved in to the mangroves and docks which are picking at white bait and bringing home nice inshore sizes for dinner.   Trout have been the go to on slower days on grass flats.  This past Monday northern sound flats produced plenty of trout action with by product catches of grouper, snapper, and big ladyfish which always make for a fun fight!    Both live bait and artificial have been producing good fish. 
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Welcome to Summer fishing report coverpicture

June 2, 2023

Welcome to Summer

The full moon and bigger currents have scattered bait and fish around the sound a bit but the usual suspects are still around and next week will just heat up again.  Snook remain on the beaches and back sides of the barrier islands.  Target them with live bait.  Redfish along interior islands in the sound are plentiful.  Tarpon are still thick in the passes and bridges but you can find bigger tarpon settling on inshore flats as well perfect for fly or sight casting!  Local bait shops like D&D in Matlacha or Gromms on the water north of Boca Pass have plenty of crabs available for your silver king adventure.   The bait has been scattered.  Chumming will produce plenty of pinfish.  Reports of white bait south of Matlacha bridge and they can be found on the flats but have moved off the beaches now.  Look for them to come back inside with the full moon gone.  Sky got her a beautiful snook off the beach this past week all on her own!  The smile says it all! 
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Redfish and Snook on the move fishing report coverpicture

April 26, 2023

Redfish and Snook on the move

Redfish and snook from sub to over slot are cruising all over the mangroves.  Both live whitebait, cut bait like mullet/ladyfish and crab, as well as artificial baits like gold spoons/paddletail jigs/topwater and subsurface twitch baits are producing great numbers of inshore fish from the flats boat.  Good water tides have allowed us to get deep into the creeks and site cast in 1-2' of water is the funnest way to chase these fish.  You cover lots of ground, see tons of fish and really get to test your fishing skills with casting and presentation to get hook ups!
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Tarpon Time! fishing report coverpicture

April 14, 2023

Tarpon Time!

Tarpon have arrived en-masse and the fishing couldn't be better!  As we tick into May, more and more big fish will be showing up.  Outgoing tides work best but Tarpon will be around beaches and passes thru summer at this point.  Sight casting snook on the beach and pass edges makes for a fun day and nothing beats dropping a crab or thread fin into a mass of tarpon and experiencing that fight.  We are having multiple hook ups each day now on our tarpon trips throughout the day.  Boca Grande pass, Matlacha, Sanibel Causeway and the barrier island beaches of Sanibel and Captiva all are holding good numbers of fish.  
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April is heating up fishing report coverpicture

April 11, 2023

April is heating up

As our waters crept into the low 80's this past week, our fishing is just getting better.  Snook and redfish are out of their back country hides and cruising mangrove islands, trout are covering the flats and our tarpon migration is hitting full stride.  The winds these past few weeks have made tides difficult to judge and days on the skiff difficult.  On calm days, watch the tides.  At lower tides, fishing oyster bars and grassy ledges in 3-4' of water has been key.  As the water rises on the flats and we are able to get into the islands and mangroves, snook have been hitting artificial and live thread fins especially as water gets moving down the banks.  Beaches for tarpon and snook site casting is a great late spring task and outgoing currents in local passes flush crabs and bait out which fire up the tarpon and snook bites!  
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Indy Boys Seeing Red fishing report coverpicture

March 14, 2023

Indy Boys Seeing Red

Very choppy conditions at first light prevented live bait options so we shifted to all artificial and it paid off!  First cast started the day off right with a slot trout hitting it as it landed.  We escaped the wind and went with Plan C chasing trout on the grass flats in upper PI Sound before moving to Redfish spots a little further south.  Trout continued to follow us as we sought out the slam landing one slot redfish at 22" and a monster redfish at 32".  The 32"r gave us a run for our money darting around islands as we chased line under mangroves with the trolling motor.  All in all we boxed 3 trout and 1 redfish and released another 15+ trout!
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PI Sound Redfish Snook and Trout heating up fishing report coverpicture

March 8, 2023

PI Sound Redfish Snook and Trout heating up

As our waters clear up and flush out from the red tide issues, the fish are getting active.  We have bait on most flats firing up the fish.  Redfish and snook are cruising the mangroves.  Fish them with chummed live bait or cut ladyfish, which are abundant along grass flat drop offs in both Matlacha and Pine Island Sound.  On the grass flats in 3-4' of water, trout ranging from 14 to over 23" are hammering suspending twitch bait lures like the Mirrodine 17MR as well as paddle tails on jig heads, top water on calm waters.  Finding the water depth trout are hanging out in is important.  If you make a pass in 2-3' with no strikes, shift to 3-4'.  While throwing the lures and drifting the flats, throw a shrimp or smaller white bait under a cork/bobber to drive behind you keeping an eye on it for a big trout, ladyfish or passing Spanish mackerel to strike it.  If you are having a slow day or have kids on the boat, turning your focus to the trout flats will spark a slow day!
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Wading Burnt Store Bar fishing report coverpicture

February 3, 2023

Wading Burnt Store Bar

with the fly rod and baitcaster in hand (the only two rods I can throw fish with one arm) and still unable to drive the boat, I ventured out the North Cape Trail having just discovered it the other day.  wading across in a south-west-north-east-south rectabgle in an incoming tide, i ovserved little activtiy on the ouster bars.  on the north bound leg about 200 yards iff the shore, muklet began jumping near the shoreline.  as i got to the south bound leg i was able to cast behind a nearby leaping mullet for an instant hook up.  My first ever fish on a baitcaster pulled hard to the point I thought perhaps a snook.  but finally showing was a beautiful lower slot redfish with two big tail spots either side and a whiter color due to temps.  i will certsinly be adding this to the youth canp!
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Duck Hunt Scout trip - post cold fishing report coverpicture

December 29, 2022

Duck Hunt Scout trip - post cold

the boys and I took off early morning to scout duck hunting possibilities in Matlacha Pass.  i have observed several species of ducks the last few weeks in the pass as well as early spring redheads in the 1000's last spring.  

We set up for wind on the northern tip of an island in order to see big water ducks that may be coming into the mangroves and grass flats to feed.  numerous redheads and mergansers were observed but stuck to open water.

This was also several days after our biggest cold front of the year and we observed numerous dead fish with little to no signs of fish activity in the pass.  
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Redfish from Burnt Store fishing report coverpicture

December 3, 2022

Redfish from Burnt Store

great day leaving from Burnt Store Ramp at 7am with some new Cale Residents getting to explore back waters and Matlacha Pass.  

plenty of small snook in the trees.  Ladyfish in the deeper pass ledges for bait the. redfish aling NW mat pass on paddletails.

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Redfish snook and ladies fishing report coverpicture

December 3, 2022

Redfish snook and ladies

starting the day trolling for ladyfish and mackerel landing muktiple ladyfish and saving some for bait.  redfish ignored the ladies and smashed the white paddletails.  finally moving into a skinny creek we landed our snook for the day!  ended the day throwing at some shy tarpon

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