Best time to fish in Cocoa
Today, Wednesday, October 28, 2026 · local time (EDT) · Florida, United States Today, Wed, Oct 28 · EDT- Major periods
- 1:59–3:59 am and 2:30–4:30 pm
- Minor periods
- 9:49–10:49 am and 8:10–9:10 pm
- Solunar activity
- Medium
- Sun
- 7:32 am–6:41 pm
Today, Wednesday, October 28, the best time to fish in Cocoa is 2:00 am to 4:00 am, with a major period, a light onshore breeze and some swell. It's an average day (5/10). The best day this week is Monday, November 2, at 9/10.
We don't have a tide station close enough to Cocoa, so the tide doesn't count in the rating: it comes from the solunar periods, the light and the weather.
Your day in Cocoa at a glance
The strip runs from midnight to midnight, local time. Night in gray, daylight in yellow; below, the solunar periods and the best windows.
Fishing forecast for the next 7 days
| Day | Rating | Best times | Moon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Today | 5average day | 2:00–4:00 am7:10–8:00 am | Waning gibbous |
| Thu 29 | 5average day | 3:00–5:00 am7:10–8:10 am | Waning gibbous |
| Fri 30 | 5average day | 4:10–6:10 am4:40–7:00 pm | Waning gibbous |
| Sat 31 | 8good day | 6:10–7:00 pm5:10–8:10 am | Waning gibbous |
| Sun 1 | 3fair day | 6:10–7:10 am5:10–7:30 pm | Last quarter |
| Mon 2 | 9great day | 6:10–7:10 am5:20–8:20 pm | Waning crescent |
| Tue 3 | 6average day | 6:50–8:50 am12:40–1:40 am | Waning crescent |
Each day's rating comes from the solunar periods, the light and, when we have the forecast, the weather (the tide doesn't count here).
What can you catch in Cocoa?
Sport fishing species with the most records within about 19 mi of Cocoa: striped mullet, spotted seatrout, red drum, sheepshead and ladyfish. October is one of the months when these are seen most: spotted seatrout, red drum and southern kingfish.
- Striped mullet Mugil cephalus · fish · 2,996 records Photo: Roberto Pillon · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- JanJ
- FebF
- MarM
- AprA
- MayM
- JunJ
- JulJ
- AugA
- SepS
- OctO
- NovN
- DecD
- Spotted seatrout Cynoscion nebulosus · fish · 2,010 records Photo: United States Fish Commission · public domain · Wikimedia Commons
- JanJ
- FebF
- MarM
- AprA
- MayM
- JunJ
- JulJ
- AugA
- SepS
- OctO
- NovN
- DecD
- Red drum Sciaenops ocellatus · fish · 1,698 records Photo: Hines, Robert W. · public domain · Wikimedia Commons
- JanJ
- FebF
- MarM
- AprA
- MayM
- JunJ
- JulJ
- AugA
- SepS
- OctO
- NovN
- DecD
- Sheepshead Archosargus probatocephalus · fish · 1,622 records Photo: Wikimedia Commons · public domain
- JanJ
- FebF
- MarM
- AprA
- MayM
- JunJ
- JulJ
- AugA
- SepS
- OctO
- NovN
- DecD
- Ladyfish Elops saurus · fish · 1,258 records Photo: Wikimedia Commons · public domain
- JanJ
- FebF
- MarM
- AprA
- MayM
- JunJ
- JulJ
- AugA
- SepS
- OctO
- NovN
- DecD
- Spot Leiostomus xanthurus · fish · 1,095 records Photo: NOAA's Fisheries Collection; Collection of Brandi Noble · public domain · Wikimedia Commons
- JanJ
- FebF
- MarM
- AprA
- MayM
- JunJ
- JulJ
- AugA
- SepS
- OctO
- NovN
- DecD
- Southern kingfish Menticirrhus americanus · fish · 987 records Photo: Cláudio D. Timm · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- JanJ
- FebF
- MarM
- AprA
- MayM
- JunJ
- JulJ
- AugA
- SepS
- OctO
- NovN
- DecD
- Common snook Centropomus undecimalis · fish · 471 records Photo: Wikimedia Commons · public domain
- JanJ
- FebF
- MarM
- AprA
- MayM
- JunJ
- JulJ
- AugA
- SepS
- OctO
- NovN
- DecD
These are sightings and catches recorded since 1970 (reports from divers and anglers, scientific surveys and museum collections), not a promise that you will catch them. The months come from sightings only, adjusted for how many there are each month; hatched months have too few to tell.
Source: GBIF.org, which also gathers OBIS data. Only records licensed CC0 or CC BY 4.0, from 1,130 datasets (retrieved October 24, 2026). Where the data comes from
Photos: each species' image on Wikidata (Wikimedia Commons) or, if there isn't one, one from GBIF; only licences that allow this use, each with its author and licence.
What anglers catch most in Florida (Atlantic coast)
Recreational saltwater catch across that whole coast of the state in September and October (2021–2025 average), from NOAA's recreational fishing survey (MRIP). It counts fish kept and fish released; bait fish are left out.
From shore
Beaches, piers, jetties and rocks
- Mullets (Mugil) 3.7 million * 45% released
- Unidentified mullets 2.3 million * 15% released
- Blue runner 1.9 million * 60% released
- Crevalle jack 1.6 million 80% released
- Gray snapper 1 million 85% released
Private or rental boat
Private boats and rentals without a captain
- Mullets (Mugil) 1.5 million * 45% released
- Gray snapper 1 million 80% released
- Red drum 760,000 90% released
- Hardhead catfish 760,000 100% released
- Unidentified mullets 510,000 40% released
Charter or party boat
Charters and party (head) boats
- Gray snapper 18,000 60% released
- Red drum 17,000 85% released
- Vermilion snapper 12,000 35% released
- Mahi-mahi 10,000 25% released
- Tomtate 9,500 * 90% released
Fish a year · * Less precise figure: use with caution
All year: the top three every two months
| Months | Species |
|---|---|
| Jan–Feb | Crevalle jack, Bluefish, Hardhead catfish |
| Mar–Apr | Bluefish, Gafftopsail catfish, Crevalle jack |
| May–Jun | Hardhead catfish, Gray snapper, Atlantic croaker |
| Jul–Aug | Gray snapper, Blue runner, Hardhead catfish |
| Sep–Oct | Mullets (Mugil), Unidentified mullets, Blue runner |
| Nov–Dec | Crevalle jack, Hardhead catfish, Bluefish |
| Months | Species |
|---|---|
| Jan–Feb | Spotted seatrout, Red drum, Gray snapper |
| Mar–Apr | Gray snapper, Spotted seatrout, Red drum |
| May–Jun | Gray snapper, Hardhead catfish, Mahi-mahi |
| Jul–Aug | Gray snapper, Mullets (Mugil), Hardhead catfish |
| Sep–Oct | Mullets (Mugil), Gray snapper, Red drum |
| Nov–Dec | Red drum, Spotted seatrout, Gray snapper |
| Months | Species |
|---|---|
| Jan–Feb | Crevalle jack, Red drum, Spotted seatrout |
| Mar–Apr | Red drum, Red snapper, Gray snapper |
| May–Jun | Vermilion snapper, Red snapper, Gray snapper |
| Jul–Aug | Gray snapper, Vermilion snapper, Red snapper |
| Sep–Oct | Gray snapper, Red drum, Vermilion snapper |
| Nov–Dec | Red drum, Crevalle jack, Vermilion snapper |
These are estimates from a survey of anglers, not a count, and they cover the whole state, not this exact spot. Each figure is the average for one year in those two months, rounded. Only species with a relative standard error of up to 50% are shown, NOAA's standard; those marked * are between 30% and 50%, and NOAA advises using them with caution.
Source: NOAA Fisheries, Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP), wave-level catch estimates for 2021–2025. Courtesy: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Where the data comes from
Piers, ramps and tackle shops nearby
Map: OpenFreeMap · © OpenMapTiles · © OpenStreetMap contributors
- USCG 7.6 mi
- Cocoa Beach Pier 8.6 mi
- Lee Wenner Park Facilities: 4 lanes · 34 trailer spaces · restrooms · dock · lighting · free 2.4 mi
- Boat ramp 2.6 mi
- Griffis Landing - Intracoastal Waterway Park Facilities: 1 lane · 11 trailer spaces · restrooms · dock · free 2.8 mi
- Kiwanis Island Park Boat Ramp Facilities: 2 lanes · 12 trailer spaces · restrooms · dock · lighting · free 4.3 mi
- Wall Street Undeveloped Access (Small Boats - Use at Own Risk) Facilities: 1 lane · 6 trailer spaces · free · in poor condition 4.5 mi
- Kelly Park East - Boat Ramp Facilities: 4 lanes · 50 trailer spaces · restrooms · dock · lighting · free 4.9 mi
- Marina 2.3 mi
- Cape Crossing Marina 2.6 mi
- Doc's Bait House Fishing Tackle 2.8 mi
- Handler's Fishing Tackle 3.8 mi
Within 9.3 mi. A spot may be missing or closed. Open the map on OpenStreetMap · Missing one? Add it to OpenStreetMap
Spots: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps. Boat ramp facilities: FWC-FWRI (Florida).
Artificial reefs and wrecks to fish from a boat
Artificial reefs and wrecks draw fish, so they make good spots to fish from a boat. The nearest ones, within 16 mi.
Check the rules before you go: some have closed seasons, protected zones or banned gear. Wreck and reef positions are approximate and not for navigation; a wreck’s depth runs from the top of the hull to the seabed.
US wrecks: NOAA electronic navigational charts (ENC), a U.S. Government work; not for navigation.
How we work out the best time
We score every moment of the day, every 10 minutes, with simple rules anglers have used for decades:
- Solunar: 2.5 points in the major periods (moon overhead or underfoot) and 1.5 in the minor ones (moonrise and moonset).
- Light: 2 points at dawn and dusk, from first light to the end of the morning golden hour and from the evening golden hour to the end of twilight.
- Weather: falling pressure adds 1 point and rising pressure takes 1 away; wind takes points away from force 4 (about 12 mph), up to 5 points in a gale; waves of 1.6 ft to 4.9 ft add half a point (they stir up the water) and from 8.2 ft they take points away (up to 4).
- Best windows: the stretches of 40 minutes to 3 hours with the most points, at least an hour apart.
- Day's rating out of 10: the best window (up to 5), the moon (up to 2, near new or full moon), the tide coefficient (up to 2) and whether a solunar period lines up with sunrise or sunset (1). Without a tide, we score out of 8 and scale it to 10. Good weather adds up to 1 point and bad weather pulls it down.
Today: best window 2.4 of 5, moon 1 of 2 and lineup 0 of 1; the weather adds 0.9.
It's a guide, not a guarantee: fish don't read tide tables. Always check the sea conditions and local fishing rules before you go.
Learn more
Fishing rules in Cocoa
Licenses, size limits, bag limits and closed seasons are set by the authorities and change often. We don't copy them here: check the official website before you go.
Questions about fishing in Cocoa
What's the best time to fish in Cocoa today?
2:00 am to 4:00 am, with a major period, a light onshore breeze and some swell. Also 7:10 am to 8:00 am and 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm. Today's rating: 5/10 (average day).
What about tomorrow? When's the best time to fish in Cocoa?
Tomorrow, Thursday, October 29: 3:00 am to 5:00 am, with a rating of 5/10.
Which day this week is best for fishing in Cocoa?
Monday, November 2, at 9/10. Its best window is 6:10 am to 7:10 am.
What can you catch in Cocoa?
Sport fishing species with the most records within about 19 mi of Cocoa: striped mullet, spotted seatrout, red drum, sheepshead and ladyfish. October is one of the months when these are seen most: spotted seatrout, red drum and southern kingfish. These are sightings and catches recorded in GBIF and OBIS, not a promise that you will catch them.
When are the solunar periods in Cocoa today?
Major: 1:59–3:59 am and 2:30–4:30 pm. Minor: 9:49–10:49 am and 8:10–9:10 pm. Solunar activity today: medium.
Does the tide affect fishing in Cocoa?
We leave it out: there's no tide station close enough to Cocoa to give reliable tide times. Where the tide is noticeable, the hours before and after high and low tide tend to fish best.
How is the rating worked out?
From the solunar periods, the light at dawn and dusk, the moon phase and, when we have the forecast, the pressure, the wind and the waves. Each factor gives a fixed number of points and the rating sums them up out of 10. The tide doesn't count here: without it, we score out of 8 and scale it to 10.
Does it take the weather into account?
Yes. During today's best window: steady pressure (29.97 inHg), light onshore wind (11 mph) and some swell (3.9 ft waves) to stir the water. Strong wind and big waves lower the rating; falling pressure raises it a little.
What are the fishing rules in Cocoa?
Recreational fishing rules in Cocoa (licenses, size limits, bag limits and closed seasons) are set by the authorities: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; offshore, NOAA Fisheries. They change often: check the official website before you go.
More about Cocoa today
Our own calculation: sun and moon with astronomy-engine and, when available, weather and sea from Open-Meteo (ECMWF, NOAA GFS and Copernicus Marine, CC BY 4.0).