Jacksonville Fishing Charters
Where the St. Johns River meets the Atlantic, the fishing is excellent year-round. Whether you want calm-water sight-fishing or big offshore seas, here are the Jacksonville and Mayport captains to call.
Updated June 2026
Inshore or offshore?
Before you book anything, settle one question: do you want to stay in the protected backwaters, or do you want to run out past the jetties into the open Atlantic? Around Jacksonville, those are two genuinely different days on the water, and the right one depends on who you're bringing and what you want to catch.
Inshore means the creeks, flats, marsh edges and the Intracoastal — the calm, sheltered water behind the beaches. It's casting for redfish, spotted seatrout and flounder, often within sight of land, with hardly any boat ride and almost no chop. This is the trip for kids, first-timers, anyone who'd rather not test their stomach, and folks who love the quiet, technical hunt of stalking fish in skinny water. Bull reds in the fall are the headline event.
Offshore means running out of Mayport and the jetties into bigger water — reef and wreck bottom-fishing for snapper, grouper and sea bass, or full deep-sea trips chasing kingfish, cobia, mahi and the rest. The fish are bigger and the bragging rights are too, but the days are longer, the seas can build, and it's weather-dependent in a way inshore trips usually aren't. Bring a hat, bring sunscreen, and if you're prone to seasickness, take something the night before.
Plenty of Jacksonville captains do both, so you don't have to overthink it — tell them your crew and your goals and they'll point you to the right trip. The guides below are the ones we'd hand a friend the phone number for.
Common questions
Should I book an inshore or offshore fishing charter in Jacksonville?
Go inshore for calm, sheltered backwater — short rides, flat water and steady action for redfish, seatrout and flounder, which is ideal for kids and first-timers. Go offshore out of Mayport for bigger fish like snapper, grouper, kingfish and mahi, but expect longer days and bigger seas. If you're not sure, book a captain who runs both and ask what's biting that week.
What fish can you catch on a Jacksonville fishing charter?
Inshore you'll target redfish (with bull reds the headline event in the fall), spotted seatrout and flounder. Offshore brings snapper, grouper and sea bass on the reefs and wrecks, plus kingfish, cobia and mahi on deep-sea trips. Each species has its season, so ask your captain what you've got the best shot at the week you're in town.
Where do offshore fishing charters leave from in Jacksonville?
Offshore trips run out of Mayport, heading past the jetties into the open Atlantic. Those jetties sit right where the St. Johns River empties into the ocean, and they're famous among local anglers as ground zero for fall bull redfish. The Mayport jetties also stack up fish for inshore and nearshore trips, so several local captains fish that productive water without a long offshore haul.
Is a Jacksonville fishing charter good for kids and first-timers?
Yes — book an inshore trip. The sheltered creeks, flats and Intracoastal mean flat water, a short ride and almost no chop, with steady action close to land. It's the natural pick for families, first-timers and anyone who'd rather not test their stomach.
What should I know before booking a fishing charter in Jacksonville?
All trips are weather-dependent, so build a little flexibility into your dates and keep a backup day if you can. For offshore, bring a hat and sunscreen, and take something for seasickness the night before if you're prone to it. Always ask your captain what's biting by season before you go.