Fishing inside the Upper Tampa Bay offers some of the most diverse habitat within any of areas I fish. A trip inside of the Bay will give you shots at cruising redfish near traffic jams on crowded bridges. While the next spot has you looking at laid up snook and nothing but silence and mangrove trees. Seagrass Flats, sand edges, mangrove shorelines, docks, and bridges are all fishable inside of Tampa Bay. It's likely that in a days fishing you'll experience all of these types of habitat where gamefish reside.
Target species inside of the bay include Redfish, Snook, Speckled Trout, Tarpon, Cobia, Jack Crevalle, sheepshead, as well as others. Redfish and speckled trout are fishable in the bay 365 days a year. While other species end up being more seasonal. Snook and Tarpon are more readily available in the spring through the fall. With both species liking warmer weather. The bay offers some of the best snook fishing around with plenty of places for them to hang out in any conditions.
I utilize launches at Safety Harbor Waterfront Park, Phillipe Park, and the Courtney Campbell Causeway boat ramp. All three are well maintained parks with good infrastructure and plenty to do around them. while the more metropolitan redfish are known to be some of the toughest around to feed on the fly rod - you'll often enjoy plentiful opportunities to feed these beautiful fish. The Upper Bay is a great example of how a city can exist while also taking great care of its natural resources. While the city's surrounding waters do have some water quality issues, Tampa Bay is often looked at as an example for other growing areas for how to take care of estuaries near big cities.
Tampa Bay offers a great option to go fishing on a day where you might have a flight out. It's conveniently located very near the airport and if you have a mid to late afternoon flight out you can squeeze in one more day fishing before you travel home. Some of the highest quality fishing exists right there next to downtown Tampa Bay and with the right tides and winds, redfish and snook will happily cruise by you all day. The next time you visit, think about booking yourself a trip fishing the Tampa Bay.
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