Fort Lauderdale Fishing Charters
& Deep Sea Fishing

Compare 22 Fort Lauderdale fishing charters, with deep sea and inshore & bay trips. Contact the captain directly by phone or through their website. We don't take bookings or fees.

Contact details checked on each captain's own website

When are you going?

Typical conditions for the month, from NOAA records.

Charters in Fort Lauderdale

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

22 charters in Fort Lauderdale

Fish you can catch out of Fort Lauderdale

Counted from what each captain lists on their own website. Open each for the season and limits.

Sailfish17Mahi-Mahi17Wahoo16King Mackerel14Barracuda10Tarpon10Shark10Swordfish10Grouper9Amberjack8

Deep sea fishing in Fort Lauderdale

14 of the 22 charters in Fort Lauderdale list offshore trips on their own websites.

Offshore fish you can keep in September

State or federal water

Florida state waters on the Atlantic run from shore to 3 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

Boats with a federal South Atlantic snapper-grouper permit follow federal closures in state waters too, such as the April closure for amberjack. Ask whether the boat is federally permitted.

Harvest status is September's rule for Fort Lauderdale from FWC and NOAA Fisheries; state-waters distances are FWC's. Tap a fish for dates, sizes and limits.

Fishing in Fort Lauderdale, month by month

What 9 Fort Lauderdale charters say on their own websites about when each fish is around. Each number is how many different charters name that fish in that month; three is the fewest we print.

FishJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecCharters
Sailfish55444······55
Mahi-mahi···33444····4
Shark··333·······4
Tarpon·····3······3

Read down a column for a month, across a row for a season. A dot means fewer than three charters name it.

  • Sailfish — “December through April we see good Sailfish numbers and May thro ugh July a variety of Sharks.” www.daydreamcharters.com
  • Mahi-mahi — “NOW IS THE BEST TIME TO TARGET SUMMER MAHI-MAHI IN FORT LAUDERDALE” ladyhelencharters.com
  • Shark — “December through April we see good Sailfish numbers and May thro ugh July a variety of Sharks.” www.daydreamcharters.com
  • Tarpon — “Snook hold tight to the mangroves at Oleta River State Park, and tarpon roll through the deeper cuts near Haulover during the spring migration.” www.fishcoolrunnings.com

What a trip costs in Fort Lauderdale

The rates Fort Lauderdale charters 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 2026-09-23. Confirm with the captain when you call.

  • Half day (3-5 hours)$800 – $1,000 5 charters publish a rate · middle of the range $1,000
  • Three-quarter day (6-7 hours)$1,000 – $1,250 5 charters publish a rate · middle of the range $1,250
  • Full day (8+ hours)$900 – $1,500 6 charters publish a rate · middle of the range $1,350

Prices move, and a quiet Tuesday is not a holiday weekend. Nothing here is a booking; we take no fee and hold no rates.

Where the boats leave from, and where they fish

Docks and fishing grounds named by Fort Lauderdale charters on their own websites. A place is listed when at least two of them name it.

Fishing grounds they name

  • New River2 charters

    “Inshore charters work the Intracoastal toward Whiskey Creek and the New River.”

Planning a trip to Fort Lauderdale

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 Bahia Mar Yacht Club.

Typical conditions by month

  • Warmest water: January to December
  • Fewest rainy days: February and April
  • Coolest water: January, around 83°F
  • Warmest air: August, highs near 91°F

Closest airports

With airline service

  • FXEFort Lauderdale Executive 4 miles away
  • FLLFort Lauderdale/Hollywood International 5 miles away

Local public airports

  • PMPPompano Beach Airpark 8 miles away
  • HWONorth Perry 11 miles away
  • BCTBoca Raton 17 miles away

Straight-line miles from the centre of Fort Lauderdale.

See the month-by-month averages
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Sunset5:51 PM6:13 PM7:29 PM7:44 PM8:00 PM8:14 PM8:15 PM7:57 PM7:25 PM6:53 PM5:31 PM5:31 PM
Water83°85°84°86°92°93°95°96°95°90°86°84°
Air (high)77°78°80°83°86°89°90°91°89°86°82°78°
Rainy days4444710111012955

Water temperature: NOAA South Port Everglades station (2 miles away), 2021-2025 averages. Air temperature and rainy days: NOAA 1991-2020 normals, FT LAUDERDALE BEACH. A rainy day has 0.1 inch of rain or more. Tides: NOAA predictions for Bahia Mar Yacht Club. Sunrise and sunset: Calculated for Fort Lauderdale, 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, Fort Lauderdale city.

What you can keep out of Fort Lauderdale in September

Harvest rules for the fish these charters name, under the seasons FWC and NOAA Fisheries list for 2026. Being open is not the same as being in season to catch.

You can keep one

Depends on the dates or the boat

  • GrouperAtlantic: gag: closed · Atlantic: red and black: open

Harvest closed this month

Catch and release only

Seasons change, sometimes mid-season. Each fish links to its own page with the dates, sizes and limits, and the agency they came from. Confirm with your captain before keeping anything.

Florida state records caught at Fort Lauderdale

One saltwater all-tackle record lists Fort Lauderdale as the catch location.

  • Permit 56.13 lb June 30, 1997 · Thomas Sebestyen

From FWC Florida Saltwater Fishing Records (All-Tackle), checked Sep 2026. The place is the catch location FWC recorded.

Questions about fishing charters in Fort Lauderdale

What happens if it is too windy to go offshore?

Often the trip just moves inshore rather than being called off — 4 of the 22 boats here run both, so a blown-out morning can become a back-country or bay trip. Ask what the captain does with weather, and what the cancellation terms are.

How long is a trip out of Fort Lauderdale?

Four and six hours are the lengths Fort Lauderdale captains list most often, with longer days at eight. 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 Fort Lauderdale?

No. Rods, reels, bait and tackle come with the boat on every Fort Lauderdale charter that says so on its own site — fly anglers are the exception, and usually bring their own. As Bay Breeze Sportfishing puts it: “All live bait is included for your day of fishing.”

Do Fort Lauderdale 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 ReeLit Charters puts it: “The crew will be happy to clean and bag your catch after the trip, so that you can take it straight to the table for a taste.” Whether it costs anything is up to the boat, so ask when you book.

What should I bring on a Fort Lauderdale charter?

Sun protection and your own food and drink. Food, drinks, sunglasses and camera come up most often on Fort Lauderdale charter sites.

Are there family-friendly fishing charters in Fort Lauderdale?

9 charters in Fort Lauderdale 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.

How do I book a charter in Fort Lauderdale?

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 Fort Lauderdale?

Florida state waters on the Atlantic run from shore to 3 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 Fort Lauderdale?

January through December, when the nearest NOAA station averages 83–96°F. It's coolest in January, around 83°F.

What airports are closest to Fort Lauderdale?

The closest airports with airline service are Fort Lauderdale Executive (FXE), 4 miles away and Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International (FLL), 5 miles away. Local public airports nearby: Pompano Beach Airpark (PMP), 8 miles away, North Perry (HWO), 11 miles away and Boca Raton (BCT), 17 miles away. Distances are straight-line miles from the centre of town.

How many fishing charters are in Fort Lauderdale?

This page lists 22 fishing charters in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, each with a phone number and website checked on the captain's own site.

Charters near Fort Lauderdale

Pompano Beach17Miami Beach12Boca Raton4Key Biscayne8Miami24Boynton Beach11

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