Fly Fish Everglades Tarpon

In the Everglades you can feel a good tarpon day when you get on the water. There’s a wet stillness in the air, no wind, 80 degrees at sunrise, and the no-see-ums are in full force. The conditions are uncomfortable for some—but for a tarpon fisherman, it’s a dream.

Tarpon are for the most part a seasonal target in Southwest Florida but when the weather is right can be caught all year long. During the spring when water temperatures creep into the mid 70’s (February – April) large groups of migrating tarpon flow into the coastal bays of the Everglades. Laid up tarpon fishing can be some of the most difficult but most rewarding when it all comes together. Cast too close and the fish blows out. Cast too far and she won’t travel to get the fly. A proper presentation often results in a violent eat and the fish grey-hounding across the surface in attempts to spit the fly.

With consistent water temperatures in the 80’s in the summer months (May – July) tarpon begin to migrate north to spawning ground in the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way, tarpon stop to feed and rest in the calm waters of the Everglades. This is often the most technical type of tarpon fishing our area has to offer. Small flies and the right strip is key to being successful in the swimming tarpon game.

The late summer to winter months (August – December) the numbers of large tarpon tend to taper off. Although, if the right weather window presents itself the tarpon fishing can be prolific in Naples and the 10,000 Islands. Some of my best days of tarpon fishing have come in the late fall and winter.

Juvenile tarpon present themselves all year long in the brackish waters of the Everglades backcountry. These guys can get pretty aggressive and love some top-water action. One of the prettiest sights is a school of juvenile tarpon rolling around after a thunderstorm.