Mid-January 2026 Punta Gorda and Boca Grande Fishing Report

Boca Grande & Punta Gorda | Charlotte Harbor

Fishing across Charlotte Harbor has been very productive for mid-January, with solid action for redfish, trout, snook, sheepshead, pompano, and even a rare tarpon surprise. Cooler weather is moving through Southwest Florida, which will shuffle things around a bit, but overall the bite has been strong and encouraging for the rest of the winter season.

Anglers fishing with ReelFishing Charters are finding fish spread throughout the harbor, Pine Island Sound, and the surrounding backcountry waters.

Redfish continue to be very active all across Charlotte Harbor, including the east side of the harbor, Bull and Turtle Bay, and Pine Island Sound.

We are seeing:

• Large numbers of “rat reds” under 18” — a great sign for the future

• Plenty of quality fish in the 22”–28” slot range

Best redfish baits right now:

• Live shrimp on a ¼ oz Berkley Fusion jighead

• Freelined shrimp under a cork, especially on higher water

A quick tip: don’t be cheap on shrimp. Hand-picked shrimp cast farther, stay lively longer, and flat-out catch more fish.

As cooler weather moves in, expect fish to tighten up slightly, but they should remain catchable. Artificial lures have also been producing well:

• Gulp Dragontail

• Paddlin’ Power Stinger

Trout fishing has been steady along grass edges in 2–4 feet of water. The biggest challenge lately has been heavy pressure from pinfish and ladyfish, which has made fishing live shrimp tough.

Because of that, I’ve been throwing mostly artificials for trout:

• Gulp Dragontail has been the top producer

This upcoming cold snap should push pinfish deeper, which should allow us to get back to freelined shrimp and popping corks soon. Until then, artificials remain the best option.

Snook fishing has been pretty strong, especially in:

• Upper Charlotte Harbor

• Residential canals

There has been some whitebait around, and when you can get it, the bite has been excellent — with big jack crevalle mixed in to keep things exciting.

That said, this cold front will likely slow the snook bite for a bit, which is normal for January. Once temperatures stabilize, they’ll be right back in play.

Sheepshead fishing has been very good, and this cold weather will actually improve the bite.

Best baits:

• Fresh shrimp

• Fiddler crabs (deadly if you can get them)

We’ve put some really nice sheepshead in the boat this past week, and this pattern should hold strong through the colder stretches.

Pompano continue to show well in the upper Pine Island Sound.

Productive baits include:

• Shrimp on a jighead

• Silly Willy rigs

It’s hard to say exactly how this cold snap will affect them, but they’ve been reliable so far. I’ll keep you posted in the next report as conditions develop.

I actually got to play with the tarpon I mentioned in my last report — and it was an incredible day. Seeing tarpon in January is extremely rare, but I’ll happily take it when it happens.

That said, this cold snap should put an end to that action, and we likely won’t see the Silver King again until March.

If you’re planning a winter fishing trip in Southwest Florida, now is a great time to get on the water before spring crowds arrive.

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