Fishing Safety and Disclaimer

Before you go

• ✅ Check the forecast for thunderstorms, wind and surf, and look up the tide chart.
• ✅ Tell someone where you're fishing and when you'll be back.
• ✅ Know your way off the pier, jetty or sandbar before a storm or the tide makes you need it.
• ✅ Check the beach flags and posted signs when you arrive, and obey closures.
• ✅ Wear non-slip shoes on jetty rocks, seawalls and wet boards.
• ✅ Carry the basics: plenty of water, sun protection, a headlamp, a charged phone, a first-aid kit and pliers or a dehooker.
• ✅ Have your license on you, or on your phone. Not sure you need one? Check here.

Lightning

Florida sees more lightning than any other state, most of it from storms that build on summer afternoons. Piers, jetties, bridges and open beaches are among the worst places to be when one arrives, and a long graphite rod held up in the air doesn't help.

• When thunder roars, go indoors. If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck.
• Lay your rod down and get to a solid building or a hard-topped vehicle with the windows up. Pier shelters, umbrellas and tents don't protect you.
• Wait 30 minutes after the last thunder before going back out.
• Our forecasts rate a window with thunderstorms likely as one to avoid and flag storms that could build, but storms can form faster than any forecast: keep an eye on the sky.

More from the National Weather Service: lightning safety.

Rip currents and beach flags

Rip currents are strong, narrow currents flowing away from the beach, and they can carry off anyone who wades out to cast or to free a snag. If you are caught in one, don't swim against it: swim parallel to the shore until you are out of it, or float and wave for help. Read more from the National Weather Service.

Florida's beaches fly the same warning flags everywhere:

• Green: Low hazard: calm conditions, still take care.
• Yellow: Medium hazard: moderate surf or currents.
• Red: High hazard: high surf or strong currents.
• Double red: Water closed to the public.
• Purple: Dangerous marine life, such as jellyfish or stingrays.

A beach with no flag flying is not a sign that the water is safe.

Heat and sun

• The heat index regularly tops 100°F in summer. Fish early or late, and take breaks in the shade.
• Drink water before you feel thirsty, and more than you think you need.
• Wear sunscreen, a hat and polarized glasses: the glare off the water doubles the dose.
• Dizziness, a headache, nausea or heavy sweating mean heat exhaustion: get into the shade, cool down and drink. Confusion, fainting or hot skin can mean heat stroke, a medical emergency: call 911 and cool the person down while you wait.

Tides and currents

Tides on the Gulf coast are often small, and parts of it see only one high and one low tide a day, but the currents through inlets, passes and under bridges can still run hard enough to sweep a wader off their feet. On the flats, a falling tide can leave you a long walk from dry land and a rising one can cut off the sandbar you walked out to. Check the tide chart on the spot's page before you wade.

Piers, bridges and jetties

• Jetties: the rocks are slippery, gappy and sometimes loose, and a bigger set of waves can wash right over them. Never turn your back on the surf, and stay off in rough weather.
• Bridges: fish only where fishing is allowed, keep your gear off the roadway, mind the traffic behind you and watch for boats passing underneath.
• Piers: follow the pier's own rules, look behind you before every cast, and never climb or sit on the railings.
• At night, bring a headlamp and a buddy: edges, gaps and hooks are much harder to see.

Stingrays, sharks and other wildlife

• Do the stingray shuffle. Slide your feet along the bottom when you wade, rather than stepping, so stingrays feel you coming and swim off. A sting is very painful: soak it in water as hot as you can safely stand and get medical help.
• Sharks follow bait and hooked fish. Don't wade with fish on a stringer, and keep clear of anyone swimming. Targeting sharks from shore needs a permit and a short course: see the license guide.
• Saltwater catfish have sharp, venomous spines. Hold them carefully, or use a dehooker and don't touch them at all.
• Alligators turn up in brackish canals and near freshwater outflows. Keep back from the water's edge there, especially around dusk.

Hurricanes and red tide

Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. Surf and currents build long before a storm arrives, so stay off jetties and piers as one approaches, follow the National Hurricane Center and obey local evacuation orders. Piers and bridges often close before and after a storm.

Red tide blooms can kill fish and make people on the beach cough, sneeze and feel their eyes sting. If it bothers you, move away from the water. Check the FWC red tide status map before you go. Areas are closed to shellfish harvesting during a bloom: never take shellfish from a closed area.

In an emergency

• Call 911 for any emergency on the beach, on a pier or in the water.
• Say exactly where you are: the pier or beach name, a nearby address or landmark, or the coordinates from your phone's map app.
• If you have a marine VHF radio, the US Coast Guard answers on channel 16.
• If someone is in trouble in the water, don't go in after them unless you are trained: throw them something that floats and call for help.

Disclaimer

Information on Where's The Fish? — including coordinates, access notes, hazards and fishing advice — is provided for general guidance only. We aim to keep details accurate and up to date, but shorelines, access and conditions can change without notice. You are solely responsible for your personal safety, decisions and actions while fishing.

By using this site you agree that Where's The Fish?, its editors and contributors accept no liability for injury, loss, damage or expense arising from reliance on any information provided here. Always assess the conditions when you arrive, follow local rules and signs, and choose the safest option — including not fishing — if in doubt.

Last updated: October 2026