The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for April 5-8, 2026, gives anglers a weak last quarter moon phase and minor tropical depression forecasted to produce significant rainfall and strong easterly wind during the midweek.

All fishing factors considered, the moon will be providing very little influence during this week’s last quarter moon phase---last quarter moon occurs Wednesday and the orbit apogee and lunar low Tuesday. Therefore, you can expect a slight uptick in feeding activity during the sunrise and sunset periods this week.

However, a low-pressure system will serve to create the major of fish adjustment activity as it begins to enter the state today and leaves the state Tuesday evening. Both periods will provide the best fishing conditions this week.

A strong northeast to east wind is predicted Tuesday through Friday and may continue into Saturday. Speeds in the 15-20 mph range are forecasted each day from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. And heavy cloud-cover with rainfall will occur Monday through Thursday.

Fish will not be close to protective cover as a result but today and Friday through next weekend, a 50-50 sun-to-cloud factor is predicted which will slightly improve fish adjustment activity as fish move back and forth from cover to open areas during bright sunshine and cloud-cover respectively.

Pre-front weather factors will provide the best fishing this week with some minor help from a weak moon.

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The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for March 29-April 1, 2026, gives anglers a medium strength full moon phase which begins today and peaks Wednesday when th…

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The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for March 22-29, 2026, gives anglers the strongest lunar influence period of the month, the first quarter moon, and ideal spring season weather conditions, which combined will produce the best fishing days of the month.

All fishing factors considered, anglers will benefit from a strong first quarter moon phase over the next four days which will greatly enhance feeding activity during the warm water period of the day due to the overhead moon occurring at the same time. Bright sunshine and ideal wind speeds are predicted so be prepared for some aggressive feeding this week.

The lunar orbit perigee occurs today, the lunar high Tuesday, followed by the first quarter moon Wednesday, which means the hours just prior to and during the sunset will be the time of day to be on the water. During the second half of the week the sunrise period will become the best time to put a line in the water.

Fish are currently changing their daily feeding pattern away from the afternoon warm water period and toward the strong lunar periods, which is a normal seasonal occurrence as water temps rise into the 70-degree range.

Warmer water temps and a strong lunar influence will produce excellent fishing this week.

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The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for March 1-7, 2026, gives anglers a medium strength new moon 7-day phase which begins today, and one more 20-degree high pressure cold front which will significantly slow down normal new moon feeding activity Tuesday and Wednesday. But the second half of the week excellent fishing will occur.

All fishing factors considered; angler will enjoy good fishing in pre-front conditions today and Monday. Wednesday the new moon feed rating will suffer but high pressure will force fish into the shallows which always warm up fast compared to open water areas. Western and northern shorelines will provide the warmest water temps.

Thursday through next weekend the slow-moving cold front gradually subside and bright sunshine is forecasted for Friday through next Sunday. The last two days of the new moon phase will most likely be the best fishing days of the 7-day phase.

So, this week’s moderately strong new moon seven-day phase will be interrupted by a twenty-degree high pressure cold front after the first two days. And because it’s a slow-moving weather system it will slow down feeding activity for at least two days if not three. Friday through next Sunday above average fishing will occur mostly during the overhead period in the mid-to-late afternoon. And the lunar effect will be stronger during the second half of the new moon phase than the first half.

I predict next weekend will be far better than the midweek’s new moon.

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The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for March 1-7, 2026, gives anglers a very weak last quarter moon but ideal spring weather conditions which means good sunset and then sunrise fishing for the next three days.

All fishing factors considered; the last quarter moon occurs Wednesday, and the lunar apogee Tuesday followed by the lunar low Thursday, meaning the moon will not provide much of a bump in daily feeding activity this week.

But since a majority of the fish populations are still in the heat-of-the-day feeding pattern, and the weak underfoot moon occurs during the early sunset period and near the end of the warm water period, good fishing can be expected in the two to three hours prior to the end of dusk.

As I was typing right now, I remembered fishing during a similar situation where the sun was just about over the horizon. I was working a top-water black plastic frog which produced heavy action at slow speeds—Rage Toad. Retrieving it through the open areas of thick shoreline vegetation when suddenly there was a spectacular sight of an 8-9 lb. bass breaking the surface, engulfing my frog, and crashing back down into the depths.

Can you see it? Feel the rush? Do you have such memories. During the spring last quarter moon, you just might? Florida’s freshwater lakes all have monster female coming off the spawning effort, they’re hungry and aggressively feeding right now during the hours of 4-7 p.m. And during the second half of the week, they’ll be feeding during the early morning hours with the same intensity.

Weak moon or not, fish are in a seasonal heavy feeding period. Time to get out on the water.

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The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for March 1-7, 2026, gives anglers a warming weather trend which is forecasted to become the norm so perhaps we’ve seen the last of winter conditions, and the full moon will occur Tuesday night.

All fishing factors considered; east winds in the 15-mph range are forecasted for Monday through Wednesday but sunshine and a mild pressure increase should make fishing in the shoreline shallows during the 3 days of the middle 7-day full moon phase ideal for catching fish.

Ideal east winds of 10-12 mph are forecasted for the remainder of the week. The consistent wind direction will cause the food-chains to move westward this week. And bright sunshine will cause fish to hold tight to protective cover. Also, now is the time of year to be throwing dark green baits so if you haven’t switched from reds and browns yet, give green pumpkin a try. I fish mostly shallow lakes, so I prefer green and black combos.

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The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for February 22-25, 2026, gives anglers a strong first quarter lunar phase with the orbit perigee occurring Tuesday and the lunar high occurring Wednesday. However, a strong high pressure cold front is currently in the process of dropping temperatures 20-25 degrees from the norm of the past week.

All fishing factors considered; a strong lunar effect will be trumped by a strong weather event, when rapid water temperature decline and high pressure produce a ‘stressed condition’ in fish, brought on by a complete shut-down of their metabolism and subsequent digestion rates. Experiencing an 89 degree to a 60-degree temperature change in one day while having all internal organs squeezed at the same time by a pressure spike, triggers stress, enough to halt normal feeding.

But with the moon arriving at full power on Wednesday one day after the first quarter moon arrives at orbit perigee, you can count on the second half of the week producing very well during the heat of the day and the sunrise and sunset periods.

Plan on good fishing returning after the cold front. When the winds begin to come from the south, it’s time to go fishing.

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The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for February 15-18, 2026, gives anglers rapidly changing weather today and Monday and a medium strength new moon Tuesday and warm temperatures are forecasted for the week.

All fishing factors considered, anglers will be dealing with a rapidly falling barometer today which will cause fish to adjust downward, but only for 12 hours. Monday morning pressure will rapidly climb, forcing fish back into the shallows by the evening hours. There will be opportunistic feeding occurring during the seesaw pressure change period up and down and a 20-mph south wind will occur today, and then ideal wind speeds the rest of the week.

The new moon occurs Tuesday but with the lunar low occurring just five days before the lunar effect will be moderate at best, producing a 7-rating or perhaps a little better during the midday hours. And wind directions will change daily Monday through Wednesday, but ideal fishing wind speeds of 10 mph are predicted.

Fish feeding patterns are currently changing as daily average temperatures are climbing back toward 70 degrees. The more this occurs, the more fish will be feeding during the sunrise and sunset periods instead of primarily during the warmer water period in the afternoon. But currently fish are still feeding better during the afternoon heat, and I predict this trend will continue through this week.

So be ready for some good new moon fishing this week because warm weather will enable aggressive feeding.

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The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for February 08-11, 2026, gives anglers the weakest lunar influence of the year and what I call a normal winter weather for…

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The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for January 11-18, 2026, gives anglers the last three days of a strong full moon seven-day phase and a real winter high pressure cold front which has dropped temperatures 25 degrees. However as is usually the case, temperatures will climb back into the normal seasonal range by the midweek when a low-pressure warm front improves feeding activity.

If you are going to fish over the next three to four days, I recommend fishing during the underfoot period when water temps are warmest. Fish will be in the shallows due to the 0,40 in hg pressure rise which occurred over the past 16 hours.

I recommend baits which are very short and fat, which emit a heavy vibration when retrieved extremely slow---if you think your bait is moving slow, slow down, and implement a long pause every foot or two. And try dark red, brown, and black colors with gold accents. Big jigs with big trailers rocking back and forth on the lake bottom in the shallow within thick vegetation I believe will be very effective. Short fat creature baits and tubes should also be tried.

Time to go slow using short fat baits. Big bass and pan fish prefer fat, slow easy meals when their bodies slow down.

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The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for January 25-28, 2026, gives anglers a strong last quarter moon since the lunar high occurs Wednesday and the lunar orbit perigee Thursday, and pre-front conditions today followed by a strong high pressure cold front system which will drop temperatures at least 20 degrees and will remain in the state all week.

All fishing factors considered, anglers will need to perfect their winter fishing strategies if they want to catch fish this week. But today fall-like, pre-front conditions will cause fish to feed very aggressively, which I predict will continue into early Monday morning.

Monday afternoon through Thursday fish will be in a state of normalization as their bodies acclimate to the 20 plus degree drop in water temperatures. During true winter temperature periods in Florida, freshwater fish’s metabolisms slow way down and the need-to-feed slows down as a result. But when fish need food they will feed aggressively albeit for shorter period but the good news it the entire food-chain participates in the feeding effort.

So this week, anglers must get their winter season strategy perfected as in, fishing during the warmest water period of the day and presenting fat heavy-action short baits at very slow speeds coupled with several very long pauses up in the shallows which is where all the fish will be after Monday-Tuesday’s pressure rise of 0.43 in hg.

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The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for January 18-21, 2026, gives anglers the second half of a weak new moon phase and continuation of a winter weather forecast. All fishing factors considered, warmer water temperatures, bright sunshine, during an afternoon overhead new moon, will combine to give anglers the best fishing period over the next four days.

The new moon occurs today but it will have a weak influence due to the lunar low which occurred three days ago and the orbit apogee two days before that. However, the good news is bright sunshine will cause water temperatures to rise enough to create an increase in feeding activity during the afternoon which currently is when the overhead new moon occurs, adding a point or two to the feed rating.

A strong west wind is forecasted for today with speeds topping twenty mph by the midafternoon. Pre-front conditions occurred yesterday and very early this morning but ended once the wind direction switch south to west. Wind speeds will be in the ideal range of 8-12 mph from the northeast Monday through Wednesday and bright sunshine is forecasted until Thursday when a low-pressure system is predicted to provide some much-needed rainfall.

The last three days of the new moon seven-day phase will be much better than the first half—the further away from the lunar low and orbit perigee the moon gets, the more it has a positive influence on fish and wildlife feeding trends.

With the pre-front feeding which occurred yesterday and perhaps lasted until early this morning, I don’t expect fish to bite at average rates until Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon during the overhead moon. With pressure rising 0.20 in hg or more today through Monday afternoon fish will certainly be shallow Tuesday and Wednesday and remain there until pressure drops Wednesday and creates another pre-front condition during Wednesday’s overhead afternoon lunar period.

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The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for January 11-18, 2026, gives anglers a weak last quarter moon, which occurred yesterday along with pre-front conditions, and a typical winter weather forecast. All fishing factors considered, anglers will need to adjust as temperatures gradually drop 20 degrees by the Friday morning.

However, this weather system will produce atmospheric pressure that will drop as the temperatures drop, enough to cause fish to adjust downward, which is the opposite of the winter season norm where high pressure produces low temperatures. And since pre-front conditions occurred yesterday fish won’t be feeding much until the pressure drops Tuesday and Wednesday.

Cloud cover will be a factor today through Thursday which means fish will not be as tight to protective cover as they have been over the past ten days. Wind speeds will be slightly high today and Thursday but not enough to change fishing strategies. And atmospheric pressure will drop enough each day Tuesday through Thursday morning to cause fish to adjust downward. But by Friday afternoon fast rising pressure will force fish back up into the shoreline shallows.

Friday through next Sunday temperatures will be more in line with winter season norms, with daily highs averaging in the mid-sixty-degree range and nighttime lows in the mid-thirties. However bright sunshine with very little cloud cover is predicted which will cause fish to primarily feed daily during the warmest water period of the day which will have help from the moonset period occurring at the same time.

The moon has entered the weakest days of its 28-day cycle which means daily feeding patterns will be mostly influenced by high water temperature periods, especially after period of bright sunshine, and daily pressure changes up or down. These two factors will be causing the majority of noticeable daily fish adjustment activity, and the lunar influence will add at most, a slight bump in the daily major feeding periods’ ratings.

A weak lunar effect and odd weather will require anglers to adjust differently than the norm over the next four to five days.

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The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for January 4-7, 2026, gives anglers the last half of a strong full moon seven-day phase and a warm winter weather pattern which will improve feeding activity over the next ten days.

All fishing factors considered, anglers can expect fish to gradually increase their feeding activity as water temperatures rise into the upper sixty-to-low-seventy-degree range. Bright sunshine is predicted daily over the next ten days along with ideal wind speeds. Atmospheric pressure change will be a factor today as fish move up into shoreline shallows as pressure rises. Monday through the end of the week pressure will become a non-factor.

Today through Tuesday the underfoot period will occur when water temperatures reach the daily high mark and these two factors will keep the feed rating in the 7-8 range which I predict will produce the best fishing days of the seven-day full moon phase.

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The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for December 21-24, 2025, gives anglers a waxing first quarter moon which today is six days away from being at full…

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The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for December 21-24, 2025, gives anglers the last two days of a weak new moon seven-day phase and an unseasonably wa…

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The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for the week of December 14, 2025, gives anglers a weakening moon which will continue through the new moon seven-day …

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The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for the week of December 7-14, 2025, gives anglers the last day of a super full moon seven-day phase, a strong l…

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The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for the week of November 30, 2025, gives anglers the week of the super full moon and late …

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The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for the week of November 23, 2025, gives anglers a weak moon as the moon waxes toward the…

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