🌊 TideBite Tampa Bay & SW Florida

← Tampa Bay & SW Florida

Punta Gorda Tides & Fishing Conditions

Next high tide 05:29 (2.1 ft)
NOAA station 8725744 (Punta Gorda, Charlotte Harbor), 26.9283, -82.0650

Live conditions (nearest NOAA sensor)

Water temp85.5 °FFort Myers (37 km), 2026-10-15 22:00
Air temp78.6 °FFort Myers (37 km), 2026-10-15 22:00
WindESE 4 kt (gust 5)Fort Myers (37 km), 2026-10-15 22:00

Tide predictions (MLLW, local time)

TimeTideHeight
2026-10-15 04:53High2.22 ft
2026-10-15 13:34Low0.19 ft
2026-10-16 05:29High2.14 ft
2026-10-16 14:33Low0.25 ft
2026-10-17 06:17High2.02 ft
2026-10-17 15:41Low0.31 ft

Currents today: Cape Haze, 2.3 mi. S of, Charlotte Hbr (22 km)

TimeEventSpeed
2026-10-16 02:57flood0.4 kt
2026-10-16 04:47slack0.0 kt
2026-10-16 10:15ebb0.6 kt
2026-10-16 14:15slack0.0 kt
2026-10-16 18:09flood0.4 kt
2026-10-16 23:20flood0.1 kt

NWS marine forecast: Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound (GMZ836)

TonightEast winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters light chop. Scattered showers with isolated thunderstorms this evening.
FridayEast winds 5 to 10 knots, becoming west in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters light chop. Scattered showers with isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon.
Friday NightNorthwest winds around 5 knots, becoming north in the late evening and overnight. Bay and inland waters smooth. Scattered showers with isolated thunderstorms.
Source: National Weather Service, issued 2026-10-15 20:55 UTC.

What's biting nearby

Recent reports naming this area mention red drum, snook, tarpon, black drum and speckled trout. Credit: ReelFishing Charters (Capt. Danny Latham) (Oct 4); Fishin' Frank's Bait & Tackle (Port Charlotte) place-by-place report (Oct 9); Fishin' Frank's Bait & Tackle (Port Charlotte) place-by-place report (Oct 2)

Full regional digest →

📬 Get the free weekly What's Biting email: Tampa Bay & SW Florida

Sponsored: Local charter guide / bait shop listing (placeholder slot).
Shop inshore tackle at TackleDirect (affiliate link placeholder)

FL inshore size & bag limits

The official source is FWC. This is a convenience summary that may be out of date.

SpeciesSizeBag / seasonSource
Red drum (redfish) — Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Charlotte Harbor regions18–27" TL slot1/person/day; 2/vesselFWC
Spotted seatrout — Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Charlotte Harbor regions15–19" TL slot; 1 over 19" per vessel (or per shore angler)3/person/dayFWC
Snook — Tampa Bay & Sarasota Bay regions28–33" TL slot1/person/day; closed Dec 1–end Feb & May 1–Aug 31FWC
Snook — Charlotte Harbor region28–33" TL slot1/person/day; closed Dec 1–end Feb & May 1–Sep 30FWC
Sheepshead12" TL min8/person; 50/vessel in Mar–AprFWC
Flounder14" TL min5/person; CLOSED Oct 15–Nov 30FWC
Black drum14–24" TL slot, 1 over 24" allowed5/person/dayFWC
Gray (mangrove) snapper10" TL state waters (12" federal)5/person state (10 federal), within 10-snapper aggregateFWC
Spanish mackerel12" fork length min15/personFWC
Florida pompano11" fork length min6/personFWC
TarponCatch-and-release only (tag required to harvest)—FWC