Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for December 14-21, 2025
Sunday's Comprehensive Fishing Article for Florida's Freshwater Anglers
Good New Moon Fishing After the Cold Front
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 phase which begins Tuesday—new moon occurs Friday, but the orbit apogee happens Wednesday and the lunar low Saturday. Thus, the lunar influence continues to weaken over the next seven days.
During the Florida winter season weather pattern, when there’s a weak lunar influence, fish are influenced more by the weather factors, such as water temperatures, atmospheric pressure changes, and the sun-to-cloud ratio.
This week there’s a ten-degree high pressure cold front which will enter the state later this afternoon, increasing atmospheric pressure by 0.16 in hg which will force fish to adjust upward into the shallows. Water temperatures will rapidly drop Sunday night which will slow the feeding bite Monday morning. However, this evening when fish begin to adjust upward, a better than average feed rating I predict will occur as fish move into the shallow feeding grounds.
This month’s new moon will be fairly weak, but it won’t be the weakest new moon by any means. The weakest state a new or full moon can be occurs when both the lunar low and the orbit apogee occur on the day of the new or full moon. It is my experience that generally fish feeding rates will improve during daily lunar periods maybe a half to full number over what the weather factors combined produce.
And when a weaker moon occurs, daily fish feeding numbers decrease noticeably, and the feeding effort duration also is noticeably shorter. How much shorter and how much less depends on the characteristics of the water bodies’ food chain. The healthier the food chain the more the combined diminishing effects occur. When a lake has a weak food chain, fish aggressively move toward any potential food source no matter what state the moon is in and for that matter, no matter what the weather factors are.
The positive fishing factors this week are ideal conditions are forecasted for the new moon phase but Monday fifteen mph north winds and a ten-degree decline will slow fish digestion and feeding activity until Wednesday. And the sun will shine bright every day, and ideal winds will occur, but pressure change will not be a factor except for today and Monday.
Time to fish the shallow feeding grounds because the fish are feeding aggressively during the warmest water period of the day.
To Access to The Highlands News-Sun Newspaper Short Article you’ll need subscriptions to their print and e-news editions, and to access my complete article (additional 800 plus words) which includes detailed analysis, predictions, strategies, advice and commentary, you’ll need a paid Substack subscription.
Today I offer the complete article to all subscribers. And I hope some might find the additional content worth the price of a paid subscription which is $5 per month, $30 per year, and $50 for founder’s subscription memberships. Have a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year.
I will be publishing Florida Gun & Self-Defense and Fishing Hot Spots articles at least once a month again. The past eighteen months have been hard on me after losing my soul mate, but I feel the creative writer’s energy coming back again. Please remember to click the “Like” button and comment if you have time. Thank You.
Solar-Lunar Factor: Solar noon occurs at 12:20:29 p.m. EST. today, and will advance over the next ten days to 12:25:23 p.m. EST. The moon arrives at its furthest obit point from earth Wednesday—lunar apogee. And the moon arrives at its furthest point from the center of the solar energy path on Saturday. Both factors will cause Friday’s new moon to be weak, which means fish will be more affected by weather conditions than the lunar influence.
Weather Factors: The high pressure ten-degree cold front entering the state today and Monday will quickly be countered by a low-pressure warm front entering the state on Wednesday. Wind speeds will be in the fifteen mph range from the northeast Monday, but an ideal ten mph east wind will occur Tuesday and Wednesday. Wednesday’s pre-front conditions will continue into Thursday when an ideal eight to ten mph south wind turns fish on.
Friday a very weak high-pressure system produces a perfect eight mph northwest wind which will give way to an eight to ten mph east wind Saturday and next Sunday through next Tuesday. Temperatures will be in the low eighties Thursday through next Wednesday which means fish will be feeding-at-will due to high digestion rates and metabolism speeds.
Bright sunshine will prevail most days, but a fifty-fifty sun-to-cloud ratio is predicted Wednesday and Thursday. And atmospheric pressure change will not be a factor this week, with daily changes up and down of less than 0.08 in hg.
Solunar - Weather Variable: The solar variable will be plus one feed rate point during daily major periods and not much of a bump in rating during the minor periods. Fish are currently in the annual winter-feeding pattern. When their bodies metabolism speed reaches the daily high speed, caused by the warmest water temperature period of the day, fish will do the majority of their daily feeding activity. This phenomenon is especially true during a weak lunar period.
Major Solar-Lunar Periods: Today the moon is overhead at 8:12 a.m. producing a feed rating of five or slightly better from 6:30-9:30 a.m. Daily the overhead moon occurs later by an average of forty-seven minutes this week, and the feed rating will improve Thursday through Saturday by one or maybe two point due to a weak new moon happening Friday—the warm temperatures will improve the bite despite the weak lunar affect.
A second major period happens today when the moonset occurs at 1:52 p.m. producing a feed rating of five or slightly better from 12:30-3:30 p.m. Daily the moonset occurs later by an average of forty minutes over the next seven days—30 min. today and 50 minutes Saturday. The feed rating will remain consistent this week due to fish’s daily feeding activity during the warmest water period of the day.
Minor Solar-Lunar Periods: Today the moon is underfoot at 8:33 p.m. producing a feed rating of three from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Daily the underfoot moon occurs later by forty-two minutes and remains at the same feed rating until it harmonizes with the sunset period Thursday through next Sunday and produces a four or slightly better feed rating.
A second minor period happens today when the moonrise occurs at 2:24 a.m. producing a feed rating of two or three from 1:30-3:30 a.m. Daily the moonrise occurs later by fifty-five minutes and remains at the same feed rating until it begins to harmonize with the sunrise period Friday through next Sunday resulting in a four rating.
Best Fishing Days: Thursday through Saturday ideal weather conditions and a weak new moon will produce the best fishing days of the week. Water temps will be ideal for fish to feed at their highest annual rate and there will be a slight bump in feeding activity due to the new moon. And if the weather forecast for Thursday is correct, a weak low-pressure system enters the state producing pre-front conditions and a southerly wind.
Prime Monthly Periods: December 18-20 extremely weak new moon, Dec 31-January 6, 2026, strong full moon, 15-20 very weak new moon, Jan. 28-February 3 strong full moon, 14-20 new moon, Feb 28-March 5 full moon, 16-21 new moon, March 29-April 4 full moon, 14-21 strong new moon.
Lake Istokpoga S68 Spillway and Lake Level Status: Lake level is currently at 37.84 NAVD88 with four S68 spillway gates closed. The NAVD88 Offset to NGVD29 is + 1.16 feet = 39.00NGVD29. Current maximum high level is 39.5’ NGVD and the low level is 38.5’ NVGD.
Dave Douglass has been an artificial bait only bass fishing guide since 2005, and the writer of the Highlands News-Sun fishing forecast article since Oct. 2016 and previously the writer of the Highlands Today fishing forecast article which began in Nov. 2005. Contact email DavidPDouglass@hotmail.com or phone 863-381-8474.