Anclote River is a River located in Pasco County, FL. Starting in Land O Lakes, FL the Anclote River flows 30 miles through New Port Richey, FL before ending in Holiday, FL. Find maps, fishing guides, weather and recreation information at Guidesly.

About Anclote River, FL

Anclote River is a stream near Tarpon Springs, Florida that runs for 29 miles towards the Pinellas and Pasco Counties. Its headwaters are near the Suncoast Expressway in Pasco. It then flows westward as it empties into the Gulf of Mexico. The stream serves as a home to the fishing, shrimp, and sponging industries of Tarpon Springs. The stream was once described as a “romantic, tropical river…richly endowed by Mother Nature. Spanish moss, yellow jasmine, and air plants decorate the intermingling branches of oak, magnolia, bay, palm, palmetto, and other trees” in a St. Petersburg Times article in 1932. It comes from deep remote sources and runs miles to banks with lush tropical foliage. 

The Anclote River holds significant importance in the history and nature of Florida. It first appeared on maps in the mid-1500s and was possibly discovered by Spanish conquistadors Vasco da Gama and Penida. The stream’s name was gotten from a group of small islands near its mouth, which the Spaniards named Cabo de Anclote, which means Cape of the Kedge Anchor. Some maps between 1850 and 1873, however, do not show the name of the stream, but they display a river that extends from Salt Lake north the same way as Anclote, which they named the Sulpher Creek.

 At present time, it borders the southern boundary of the 77-acre scenic North Anclote River Nature Park which features a fishing pier and observation deck for the river itself. The river’s upstream portion is shallow and narrow. The downstream near the mouth at Tarpon Springs, on the other hand, features a large salt marsh.  

All About Fishing in Anclote River, FL

Fishing in the Anclote River would give you plenty of opportunities to catch its resident common snook, red drum, spotted seatrout, crevalle jack, mangrove snapper, sheepshead seabream, and blacktip shark species, which are the most popular catches here in the stream. There are also records of diamond killifish, hardhead catfish, striped burrfish, and speckled trout residing here. Aside from its friendly residential manatees, you may also encounter populations of spotfin mojarra, yellowfin menhaden, cobia, and sailfin molly in the area.

Popular fishing techniques used here are baitcasting, sight fishing, and surfcasting. You may access the river through a kayak or a boat in the Anclote River Park in Holiday or the Anclote River Resort.  

Fishing Seasonality

The best times to fish in Anclote River would be from 6 AM to 8 AM when fish species have very high activity. This time range coincides with sunrise and therefore would encourage species to be more active. You may also check the area at 1 PM. While common snook fish species are naturally available all year round in the river, you may best catch them during the colder months, from December to February. Fish are cold-blooded creatures, so it would be best to approach the stream during days that are not too cold and not too warm either. If you happen to notice that there is enough cloud cover, then be sure to grab your rods because you are about to get some great catches. 

Fishing Seasonality

The best times to fish in Anclote River would be from 6 AM to 8 AM when fish species have very high activity. This time range coincides with sunrise and therefore would encourage species to be more active. You may also check the area at 1 PM. While common snook fish species are naturally available all year round in the river, you may best catch them during the colder months, from December to February. Fish are cold-blooded creatures, so it would be best to approach the stream during days that are not too cold and not too warm either. If you happen to notice that there is enough cloud cover, then be sure to grab your rods because you are about to get some great catches. 

All About Fishing in Anclote River, FL

Fishing in the Anclote River would give you plenty of opportunities to catch its resident common snook, red drum, spotted seatrout, crevalle jack, mangrove snapper, sheepshead seabream, and blacktip shark species, which are the most popular catches here in the stream. There are also records of diamond killifish, hardhead catfish, striped burrfish, and speckled trout residing here. Aside from its friendly residential manatees, you may also encounter populations of spotfin mojarra, yellowfin menhaden, cobia, and sailfin molly in the area.

Popular fishing techniques used here are baitcasting, sight fishing, and surfcasting. You may access the river through a kayak or a boat in the Anclote River Park in Holiday or the Anclote River Resort.