November 5th Gulf Coast Fishing Forecast: King Tides, Red Tide, and Inshore Action

Artificial Lure here with your up-to-the-minute Gulf of Mexico Florida fishing report for November 5th, 2025. Let’s start with today’s conditions. Weather’s shaping up nicely after a breezy start earlier in the week—winds are easing, shifting from northeast to more of an east-southeast flow heading into the weekend, and daytime highs should climb back into the low 80s with low rain chances. All this makes for comfortable days on or near the water, but do plan for brisker mornings through midweek, especially near-shore, before things settle down. Sunrise today was at 7:41 AM, and sunset clocks in at 6:47 PM, giving over 11 hours to chase your target species. Tidewise, November’s king tides are peaking across the coast through the 8th, but unlike previous years, the expected highs aren't forecasted to cause widespread flooding in most spots. Still, it’s smart to double-check local tide charts, as areas around the Panhandle and West Palm Beach can see surprise “sunny day” flooding especially on outgoing tides, so be cautious around low-lying ramps and parking lots. The tidal coefficient today is low—about 34—meaning not much water movement and milder currents compared to earlier in the week, which can make inshore action a bit more technical. Hot topic lately: Red Tide. WUSF reports high concentrations right now along Bay and Gulf counties, especially around St. Andrews Bay and Mexico Beach up in the Panhandle. There’s been fish kills, health advisories against eating local shellfish, and warnings to keep sensitive folks out of the water due to air-borne irritants. On the plus side, the southwest Florida coast is currently clear, so from Clearwater down through Fort Myers and Naples, things are looking much better for safe and productive fishing. Now, let’s talk fish! Reports from Spacefish and local captains put snook, tarpon, mangrove snapper, and even a few late redfish still in the mix inshore, especially on the Space Coast down through Tampa Bay. Recent catches include plenty of hard-pulling snook hugging mangroves and dock lights at night, and the last of the silver kings blasting baits near residential canals on mullet runs. Mangrove snapper up to 14” have been thick in passes—don’t be afraid to throw live pilchards or shrimp into the rocks. Red drum are providing solid action over grass flats and, on the high outgoing tide, along the muddy creek mouths near Estero and Charlotte Harbor. When it comes to lures, chartreuse has been the secret sauce lately, both for soft plastics and hard baits—Knox Robinson of Spacefish swears by its effectiveness, especially when water clarity’s a bit off after strong winds. Paddle tails, jerkbaits, and swim jigs in chartreuse or white are getting hammered. Topwater lures around dawn—think Skitterwalks or Zara Spooks—can draw big blows from snook and trout when the surface chop is light. Live bait’s still king, though. Cast net fresh mullet, pinfish, or pilchards early, or simply grab a few dozen shrimp This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.