June 13th Gulf of Mexico Fishing Report: Red Snapper, Pompano, Trout, and More Biting Strong

Good morning, anglers—this is Artificial Lure with your June 13th Gulf of Mexico, Florida Fishing Report.

Sunrise hit at 5:46 AM and sunset will be at 7:53 PM, giving us over 14 hours of daylight to chase that bite. Today’s weather is typical for early summer along the Gulf Coast—expect warm temps in the mid-80s, light southeast breezes, and mostly sunny skies, setting up near-perfect conditions for a full day on the water.

Let’s look at the tides: We’re coming off a nighttime low tide around 12:42 AM, with a solid high tide building in toward 1:19 PM. Tidal coefficients are in the upper 60s to low 70s, which means healthy tidal swings—just right for strong movement and active fish, especially around those peak transition windows. Remember, those major current shifts are when you want your lines in the water.

Fish activity has really picked up this week. Offshore, red snapper season is in full swing according to captain reports, with boats loading up on legal snapper, gag grouper, and kingfish. The reefs and deep ledges between 80 and 160 feet are producing limit catches—best action coming on live pinfish, cut squid, and cigar minnows. For artificials, large jigs tipped with soft plastics have been deadly on both snapper and grouper.

Along the beaches and passes, pompano, sheepshead, mangrove snapper, and speckled trout have been hot, with lots of reports calling them “catching trips lately” rather than just fishing trips. Live shrimp and sand fleas have been the top baits for pompano and sheepshead, while soft plastics—like pearl or hot swimbaits—are working well for trout and redfish, especially on the flats in 2 to 4 feet of water. Mangrove snapper are showing up thick at jetty mouths and bridges, especially on small pilchards or chunk bait.

Inshore, the bite remains strong up and down the Emerald Coast. Try the Pensacola Bay bridges and inlets for a mix of redfish, trout, and even some black drum. Mosquito Lagoon and the grass flats around Destin are still producing quality trout in the mornings and late evenings, with topwater plugs and twitchbaits getting crushed at dawn.

Hotspots today: Don’t miss the reefs off Destin—Red Snapper Alley is living up to its name. Fort Pickens jetties, Pensacola Pass, and the grass flats at Santa Rosa Sound are all seeing steady action this week.

No major red tide detected in recent days, so water quality is excellent and fish are healthy and hungry. With all this in mind, make sure to bring a mix of live bait and artificials—adjust to what the bite dictates and you’ll have a banner day.

Thanks for tuning in to your daily Gulf of Mexico fishing fix. Make sure to subscribe for tomorrow’s report and updates from your local waters. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.