Tampa Deep Sea Fishing Charters & Guides & Trips

249 captains within 25 miles of Tampa, 44 of them in Tampa itself, 104 running offshore. A full day is typically $1,000 for the whole boat. Call the captain directly — we take no bookings and charge no fee.

  • 249Captains within 25 miles
  • 104Deep sea boats
  • $800–$1,150Full day, typically
  • Palm HarborLeaving from

Contact details checked on each captain's own website

Charters & Guides in Tampa

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

249 charters and guides in Tampa

Deep sea fishing in Tampa

104 of the 249 charters in Tampa 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 Tampa 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 Tampa fleet posts it.

On Instagram 22 Tampa boats

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

18 more Tampa captains post there.

Written, on their own site 1 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.

Fish you can catch out of Tampa

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

Snook163Redfish154Tarpon152Speckled Trout143Cobia113King Mackerel110Mangrove Snapper86Shark85Spanish Mackerel77Grouper76Flounder66Sheepshead65Gag Grouper64Snapper63Hogfish55Red Snapper53Black Drum49Amberjack48Tripletail43Red Grouper39Mahi-Mahi34Jack Crevalle32Goliath Grouper32Wahoo31Pompano31Grunt27Tuna25Sailfish22Blacktip Shark21Hammerhead Shark19Blackfin Tuna19Barracuda18Bull Shark16Ladyfish16Gray Triggerfish15Scamp15Lane Snapper14Bonito13Marlin12Black Grouper11Swordfish10Skipjack Tuna9Yellowtail Snapper9Catfish8Porgy7Bonnethead Shark6Atlantic Sharpnose Shark5Blue Marlin5Black Sea Bass4Crappie4Permit4Yellowedge Grouper4Lemon Shark4Bluefish4Tiger Shark4Speckled Hind4Snowy Grouper4Largemouth Bass3Channel Catfish3Cubera Snapper3Mako Shark3Nurse Shark3Tilefish3Bonefish2Blue Runner2Mutton Snapper2Yellowfin Tuna2Vermilion Snapper2White Marlin2Spinner Shark1Shad1Reef Shark1Schoolmaster Snapper1Rainbow Runner1Southern Flounder1Peacock Bass1Snakehead1Yellow Jack1Bluefin Tuna1Rainbow Trout1Almaco Jack1Silk Snapper1Yellowmouth Grouper1Yellowfin Grouper1Rock Hind1Warsaw Grouper1Coney1Mahogany Snapper1Bluegill1Perch1

State records from the water off Tampa

Florida's all-tackle list records one species taken on Indian River, which the boats here fish.

Heaviest on the list

Striped Bass

43.56 lb

Carl R. Jackson · 2004

Why this one is here

The record was taken on Indian River, which is the water the boats on this page fish — not Tampa itself. A record is what came over the rail once; it is not what to expect on a trip.

See the record

From Florida's own records page, linked on each row. Records are certified by the state and can be broken at any time.

What a deep sea trip costs in Tampa

The rates Tampa 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)$450 – $700 30 charters and guides publish a rate · middle of the range $550
  • Three-quarter day (6-7 hours)$600 – $900 35 charters and guides publish a rate · middle of the range $750
  • Full day (8+ hours)$800 – $1,150 19 charters and guides publish a rate · middle of the range $1,000

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.

When are you going?

Typical conditions for the month, from NOAA records.

Planning a trip to Tampa

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 Gandy Bridge, Old Tampa Bay.

Typical conditions by month

  • Warmest water: May to October
  • Fewest rainy days: November and March
  • Coolest water: January, around 68°F
  • Warmest air: July, highs near 91°F

Closest airports

With airline service

  • TPATampa International 3 miles away
  • PIESt. Pete-Clearwater International 13 miles away

Local public airports

  • TPFPeter O Knight 4 miles away
  • VDFTampa Executive 9 miles away
  • SPGAlbert Whitted 17 miles away

Straight-line miles from the centre of Tampa.

See the month-by-month averages
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Sunset5:57 PM6:21 PM7:39 PM7:55 PM8:13 PM8:28 PM8:28 PM8:09 PM7:35 PM7:01 PM5:38 PM5:37 PM
Water68°71°77°80°85°88°91°91°89°83°76°72°
Air (high)71°74°78°83°88°90°91°91°90°86°79°74°
Rainy days443341011118424

Water temperature: NOAA Old Port Tampa station (5 miles away), 2021-2024 averages. Air temperature and rainy days: NOAA 1991-2020 normals, TAMPA INTL AP. A rainy day has 0.1 inch of rain or more. Tides: NOAA predictions for Gandy Bridge, Old Tampa Bay. Sunrise and sunset: Calculated for Tampa, 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, Tampa city.

What anglers ask · 453 fishing threads mentioning Tampa

Questions before you book in Tampa

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

19 Tampa charters publish a full day rate on their own site, and they run $800 to $1,150 for the whole boat, with the middle of the range at $1,000. That is the boat for the day, not a price per person — split between six anglers a $1,000 trip is about $165 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 Tampa?9 threads

They are different days on different water. 36 charters here list offshore only, 84 list inshore only, and 68 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 Tampa?17 threads

91 charters in Tampa 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 — 68 of the 249 boats here run both, so a blown-out morning can become a back-country or bay trip. 15 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 Tampa?

Four and eight hours are the lengths Tampa 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 Tampa?

No. Rods, reels, bait and tackle come with the boat on every Tampa charter that says so on its own site — fly anglers are the exception, and usually bring their own. As Tampa Bay Flats Fishing puts it: “Lures and bait will be included as well as a fishing license.”

Do Tampa 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 Afishionado Guide Services puts it: “Osborne also fillets, bags, and ice your catch, should you decide to keep some fish for lunch or dinner.” Whether it costs anything is up to the boat, so ask when you book.

What should I bring on a Tampa charter?

Sun protection and your own food and drink. Sunscreen, drinks, hat and sunglasses come up most often on Tampa charter sites.

How do I book a charter or guide in Tampa?

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 Tampa?

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 Tampa?

May through October, when the nearest NOAA station averages 83–91°F. It's coolest in January, around 68°F.

What airports are closest to Tampa?

The closest airports with airline service are Tampa International (TPA), 3 miles away and St. Pete-Clearwater International (PIE), 13 miles away. Local public airports nearby: Peter O Knight (TPF), 4 miles away, Tampa Executive (VDF), 9 miles away and Albert Whitted (SPG), 17 miles away. Distances are straight-line miles from the centre of town.

How many fishing charters and guides are in Tampa?

This page lists 249 fishing charters and guides in Tampa, Florida, each with a phone number and website checked on the captain's own site.

Where these questions come from
  • 453Threads read
  • 65Weighing a paid trip
  • 80Had ruled one out

The corpus. 453 Reddit threads about fishing that mention Tampa, 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 Tampa 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 65 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, 93 threads, and it is left out: 64 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.

Charters & Guides near Tampa

Egypt Lake-Leto250Town 'n' Country250Feather Sound254Gibsonton261Lake Magdalene197Safety Harbor245

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