Clearwater Deep Sea Fishing Charters & Guides & Trips

224 captains within 25 miles of Clearwater, 26 of them in Clearwater itself, 97 running offshore. A full day is typically $1,200 for the whole boat. Call the captain directly — we take no bookings and charge no fee.

  • 224Captains within 25 miles
  • 97Deep sea boats
  • $950–$3,000Full day, typically
  • Palm HarborLeaving from

Contact details checked on each captain's own website

Charters & Guides in Clearwater

Call or visit a captain's website to ask about trips, dates and prices. If they're out on the water, leave a message.

224 charters and guides in Clearwater

Deep sea fishing in Clearwater

97 of the 224 charters in Clearwater list offshore trips on their own websites.

State or federal water

Florida state waters in the Gulf run from shore to 9 miles out; beyond that is federal water. Which side of that line you fish on can change the season and the limits.

Federally permitted boats

Aboard a charter with a federal Gulf reef fish permit, the federal season applies to red snapper, gag grouper and amberjack, even inside state waters. Ask whether the boat is federally permitted.

Where to find current Clearwater fishing reports

We don’t publish a daily report and we won’t reprint one. What’s biting this week comes from the boats — here is where the Clearwater fleet posts it.

On Instagram 16 Clearwater boats

Most captains put the day’s catch here, not on their website.

12 more Clearwater captains post there.

Written, on their own site 2 active

Dated reports the boat publishes itself.

Handles and report pages come from each charter’s own website; every link goes to the captain and nothing of theirs is reproduced here. Boats are ordered by how established they are locally.

Records caught at Clearwater

One of Florida's saltwater all-tackle records lists Clearwater as the catch location.

Heaviest on the list

Cubera snapper

116.38 lb

Billy Graham · July 26, 1979

Why this one is here

The record names Clearwater as the catch location, which is why it sits on this page rather than the state's. A record is what came over the rail once — it is not what to expect on a trip.

See the record

From FWC Florida Saltwater Fishing Records (All-Tackle), checked Sep 2026. Weights are printed as FWC prints them, in decimal pounds. The place is the catch location FWC recorded.

What a deep sea trip costs in Clearwater

The rates Clearwater charters and guides publish on their own websites, by trip length. These are the price of the whole boat, and a range across many boats rather than any one boat's rate. Read on 2026-10-01. Confirm with the captain when you call.

  • Half day (3-5 hours)$500 – $750 19 charters and guides publish a rate · middle of the range $600
  • Three-quarter day (6-7 hours)$750 – $1,375 26 charters and guides publish a rate · middle of the range $887
  • Full day (8+ hours)$950 – $3,000 27 charters and guides publish a rate · middle of the range $1,200

What a trip costs moves with fuel prices, the size of the boat and how far out it runs, and a quiet Tuesday is not a holiday weekend. Nothing here is a booking; we take no fee and hold no rates.

Fishing trips in Clearwater by type

Counted from what each captain lists on their own website.

Inshore and bay fishing in Clearwater

136 charters list inshore trips, in the bays, back-waters and shallows closer to shore. Among them: 4th generation charters, Surreel Fishing Adventures, Reel Salty Sportfishing St.Pete/Clearwater Charter, Clearwater Fishing Company, Clearwater Inshore Fishing Charters Capt Will Burbach and 131 more.

Half-day and full-day fishing trips

68 charters list half-day trips and 74 list full-day trips. Trip lengths vary by boat, so ask the captain exactly how many hours are on the water.

Family fishing charters in Clearwater

84 charters mention kids or families on their websites. Ask the captain about life jackets in children's sizes and how long the trip runs.

When are you going?

Typical conditions for the month, from NOAA records.

Planning a trip to Clearwater

Check tides for your dates, see what each month is usually like and see the closest airports.

Tides on your fishing day

Choose a date to see high and low tide

NOAA tide predictions for Clearwater.

Typical conditions by month

  • Warmest water: May to September
  • Fewest rainy days: November and April
  • Coolest water: January, around 64°F
  • Warmest air: August, highs near 91°F

Closest airports

With airline service

  • PIESt. Pete-Clearwater International 7 miles away
  • TPATampa International 15 miles away

Local public airports

  • CLWClearwater Executive 1 mile away
  • SPGAlbert Whitted 17 miles away
  • TPFPeter O Knight 20 miles away

Straight-line miles from the centre of Clearwater.

See the month-by-month averages
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Sunset5:58 PM6:22 PM7:40 PM7:56 PM8:14 PM8:29 PM8:29 PM8:10 PM7:36 PM7:02 PM5:39 PM5:38 PM
Water64°66°73°78°84°88°89°89°86°79°72°68°
Air (high)71°73°77°82°87°90°90°91°89°84°77°73°
Rainy days533341113139334

Water temperature: NOAA Clearwater Beach station (3 miles away), 2021-2025 averages. Air temperature and rainy days: NOAA 1991-2020 normals, ST PETERSBURG INTL AP. A rainy day has 0.1 inch of rain or more. Tides: NOAA predictions for Clearwater. Sunrise and sunset: Calculated for Clearwater, 15th of each month. Airports: FAA airport registry for public-use airports and their locations, FAA CY2024 passenger boardings for which have airline service, town centre from the Census 2024 gazetteer, Clearwater city.

What anglers ask · 300 fishing threads mentioning Clearwater

Questions before you book in Clearwater

How much does it cost to go deep sea fishing in Clearwater?Google's top question

27 Clearwater charters publish a full day rate on their own site, and they run $950 to $3,000 for the whole boat, with the middle of the range at $1,200. That is the boat for the day, not a price per person — split between six anglers a $1,200 trip is about $200 each. Shorter trips cost less; ask the captain, because fewer of them publish those rates.

Back-country or offshore — which trip should I book in Clearwater?9 threads

They are different days on different water. 32 charters here list offshore only, 71 list inshore only, and 65 list both. Offshore means a longer run and bigger fish; inshore means calmer water, shorter runs and sight-fishing. The month-by-month table above shows which fish the fleet says are around when you are coming.

Are there family-friendly fishing charters in Clearwater?7 threads

84 charters in Clearwater mention kids or families on their websites. Ask the captain about children's life jackets, trip length and whether there's a restroom on board.

What happens if it is too windy to go offshore?

Often the trip just moves inshore rather than being called off — 65 of the 224 boats here run both, so a blown-out morning can become a back-country or bay trip. 3 of them publish a weather or cancellation policy on their own site — read the one belonging to the boat you book.

How long is a trip out of Clearwater?

Two and six hours are the lengths Clearwater captains list most often. The clock starts at the dock rather than at the fishing grounds, so the run out and back comes out of your time on the fish.

Do I need to bring rods and tackle to Clearwater?

No. Rods, reels, bait and tackle come with the boat on most trips here — fly anglers are the exception, and usually bring their own. As Reel Salty Sportfishing St.Pete/Clearwater Charter puts it: “All the required fishing equipment and bait will be provided during your fishing charter.”

Do Clearwater charters clean your catch?

Most do, at the dock when you come in, and a good few say so plainly on their own sites. As Obsessed Angler, LLC puts it: “When your charter is done, Captain Curtis will clean and fillet your fish and send you home with fish, pictures of your day and memories to last a lifetime.” Whether it costs anything is up to the boat, so ask when you book.

What should I bring on a Clearwater charter?

Sun protection and your own food and drink. Drinks, sunscreen, snacks and food come up most often on Clearwater charter sites.

How do I book a charter or guide in Clearwater?

Call the captain or use their website. CharterFishingBoat doesn't take bookings or payments, and there's no fee to use the directory.

What should I ask the captain?

Ask what the trip includes, how long it lasts, how many people can come, what you're likely to catch that time of year, and the cancellation policy if the weather turns.

Where do state waters end off Clearwater?

Florida state waters in the Gulf run from shore to 9 miles out; beyond that is federal water. Federal seasons and limits apply beyond it, and for some fish they also apply to federally permitted charter boats inside state waters.

When is the water warmest near Clearwater?

May through September, when the nearest NOAA station averages 84–89°F. It's coolest in January, around 64°F.

What airports are closest to Clearwater?

The closest airports with airline service are St. Pete-Clearwater International (PIE), 7 miles away and Tampa International (TPA), 15 miles away. Local public airports nearby: Clearwater Executive (CLW), 1 mile away, Albert Whitted (SPG), 17 miles away and Peter O Knight (TPF), 20 miles away. Distances are straight-line miles from the centre of town.

How many fishing charters and guides are in Clearwater?

This page lists 224 fishing charters and guides in Clearwater, Florida, each with a phone number and website checked on the captain's own site.

Where these questions come from
  • 300Threads read
  • 26Weighing a paid trip
  • 35Had ruled one out

The corpus. 300 Reddit threads about fishing that mention Clearwater, across 8 angling forums. The collector requires the town to be named somewhere in the thread and the title to be about fishing, so some of these discuss Clearwater in passing rather than fishing out of it.

How a question was chosen. Each thread was assigned to the decision the person was stuck on, and ranked by the 26 where a paid trip was actually on the table — not by how often a topic came up. Shore access is the most discussed topic here, 36 threads, and it is left out: 31 of them had already decided against hiring a boat.

What this cannot show you. The collector keeps counts and subreddits, not permalinks or post dates, so there is no representative thread to link. A thread count is not a survey.

Fish you can catch out of Clearwater

Counted from what each captain lists on their own website — the number is how many Clearwater captains name that fish.

Snook141Redfish134Tarpon131Speckled Trout122King Mackerel102Cobia97Shark78Mangrove Snapper75Grouper69Spanish Mackerel66Flounder59Gag Grouper57Snapper57Sheepshead55Hogfish52Red Snapper50Amberjack45Black Drum42Red Grouper35Tripletail35Jack Crevalle31Pompano30Mahi-Mahi30Wahoo29Goliath Grouper26Tuna25Grunt23Blacktip Shark20Sailfish20Blackfin Tuna17Hammerhead Shark17Barracuda17Bull Shark16Ladyfish15Scamp13Gray Triggerfish12Marlin11Lane Snapper11Bonito10Black Grouper10Swordfish10Yellowtail Snapper8Catfish7Skipjack Tuna6Blue Marlin5Porgy5Atlantic Sharpnose Shark4Tiger Shark4Black Sea Bass4Bonnethead Shark4Snowy Grouper4Crappie4Permit4Lemon Shark3Largemouth Bass3Speckled Hind3Mako Shark3Nurse Shark3Bluefish3Tilefish3Blue Runner2White Marlin2Yellowedge Grouper2Bonefish2Cubera Snapper2Southern Flounder1Bluefin Tuna1Rainbow Runner1Mutton Snapper1Almaco Jack1Yellowmouth Grouper1Yellowfin Grouper1Rock Hind1Warsaw Grouper1Coney1Peacock Bass1Snakehead1Silk Snapper1Bluegill1Channel Catfish1Yellowfin Tuna1Spinner Shark1Shad1Vermilion Snapper1Mahogany Snapper1Schoolmaster Snapper1Perch1Reef Shark1

Charters & Guides near Clearwater

Belleair222Clearwater Beach221Greenbriar228Belleair Bluffs211Safety Harbor245Palm Harbor218

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