Tampa Bay Tarpon Fishing: May-July Season Dates!

By June 7, 2010October 13th, 2025Articles

Last Updated on October 13, 2025 by Capt. Jason

So you have catching a tarpon on your bucket list huh? Well, a Tampa Bay tarpon fishing charter is your best bet and in this post I’ll tell you the best dates for you to get your chance at catching a Tampa Bay tarpon and I will also tell you why these dates are so special.

There are other things to fish for May-July but with Tarpon being in full swing, why fish for anything else!?!? We’re talking about 60-200lbs of pure adrenaline rush hooked at the end of your line! Reel smoking runs, death defying leaps and brute strength! Catching a tarpon is truly a catch of a lifetime! If I end up with ANY days open in May, June or July, you can bet you’ll find me tarpon fishing on my day off. That’s how addicted I am to it. You don’t want to miss out on this!

Don’t wait to book you trip! You might think I’m blowing smoke but it’s true. Over 12 people missed out on trips in March and April because they waited to book their trip inside of a week from the date they wanted to go and I was already booked. As soon as you know you want to catch a tarpon, book it. Make sure you get the best dates. Click here to reserve your charter ONLINE RESERVATIONS

KEEP READING TO SEE WHICH DATES HAVE THE BEST TIDES FOR TARPON IN MAY,  JUNE and JULY!

Tampa Bay has thousands of resident tarpon that stay here year round but we also have a huge influx of large migratory tarpon that visit Tampa Bay every year, usually starting in late April or early May. These migratory fish will mingle with our resident fish throughout the Tampa Bay area but a large majority of the tarpon will congregate near the mouth of Tampa Bay including near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and Egmont Key.

We can catch tarpon pretty regularly from May through September but the best months are May, June and July. And we can get even more specific than that. In Tampa Bay we have what is called a “Hill Tide” twice a month. These hill tides are tides in which we only have one incoming tide and one outgoing tide each day and they last for about 5 days each time they occur.

What’s so special about a hill tide? Well, the outgoing tide on a hill tide day in the Tampa Bay area is very strong. So strong that the crabs that live in Tampa Bay can’t hold on to the sea floor and they get flushed out of Tampa Bay. You know what a tarpon’s favorite food is? You guessed it, crabs! So when these crabs are getting flushed out of Tampa Bay, the tarpon bite turns on… big time!

So… are you ready to hook a 150lb+ fish that jumps, screams drag off of your reel and leaves you breathless?

Here are the dates that you simple must book if catching a Tampa Bay tarpon is on your 2010 things to do…

April 30th – 31st

May 1st – 3rd

May 12th – 18th

May 27th – 29th

June 10th – 15th

June 23rd – 27th

July 8th – 14th

July 20th – 27th

To reserve your Tampa Bay tarpon fishing charter right now, CLICK HERE!

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