Marco Island & Naples Winter Fishing Report

Tactics and techniques for successful fishing the Marco Island / Naples saltwater estuaries.

Winter is one of the best times of year to fish the Naples and Marco Island area, and this late-December stretch rolling into January is already shaping up to be incredibly productive. Cooler water temps concentrate fish, the Gulf and backwaters clear up, and the tides tend to get more predictable. For anglers looking to bend rods on trout, pompano, snapper, and jacks, this is prime time.

Sea Trout – Clear Water, Clean Drifts & Light Tackle

As winter pushes in, sea trout pile into the grass flats, channel edges, and potholes from Rookery Bay to Caxambas. The key right now is clean water and steady current. Look for 3–6 feet of depth with good tidal movement and broken bottom.

Rigging Tip: For numbers of trout, run a ¼ oz jighead paired with a 3–4” soft plastic paddle tail in pearl or greenback. Let it bounce slowly along the bottom while drifting—don’t overwork it. If the drift is fast, bump up to ⅜ oz to stay near the bottom. Live shrimp under a popping cork also produces steady action, especially for families and newer anglers.

Pompano – Fast, Shiny, and Delicious

Winter pompano fishing is firing up. We’re finding them in passes, sandy drop-offs, and the edges of channel cuts from Marco River to Gordon Pass. They travel in small, aggressive packs, so when you hook one, stay ready—more are nearby.

Rigging Tip: Use a ¾ oz–1 oz Pompano Jig (banana jig) in chartreuse or white. Bounce it off the bottom with sharp upward snaps. The “double hop” technique works best this time of year: two quick pops, then allow it to fall to the sand. The strike almost always comes on the drop. If you need scent, tip with a tiny piece of shrimp.

Mangrove Snapper – Winter Structure Fishing

Mangrove snapper bite well in cooler months, especially around bridge pilings, dock lines, rock piles, and nearshore reefs. Winter water clarity means snapper get picky, so light fluorocarbon is your friend.

Rigging Tip: Fish a 15–20 lb fluoro leader with a small #1 or #2 hook and a split-shot just heavy enough to keep it down. Live shrimp, pilchards, and small strips of cut bait work great. Don’t “swing big”—snappers eat soft. Let the rod load up slowly and reel tight before lifting.

Jacks – The Winter Wrecking Crew

If you want non-stop action, jacks are roaming everywhere right now—coastlines, passes, canals, and the backcountry. Schools of 3–10 lb fish crash baits on the surface and will destroy almost anything moving.

How to Catch Them: Throw topwater plugs early in the morning (SkitterWalk, Zara Spook) or cast a simple ¼ oz jig head with soft plastic. For kids or beginners, free-line a live pilchard on a 2/0 circle hook. If the water erupts in front of you, fire a cast into the chaos—instant hookup.

Where to Fish Right Now

• Rookery Bay: Trout on the flats, jacks along oyster points.
• Gordon Pass / Capri Pass: Pompano on falling tide; snapper on the structure.
• Marco Island Backwaters: Mixed bag—trout, small snook, snapper, and roaming jack schools.
• Nearshore Ledges & Reefs: Snapper, sheepshead, jacks, and occasional pompano.