About Rankin Bight, FL

Rankin Bight is a bight or bay located in the Monroe County of Florida in the West Lake area near Flamingo and can also be found surrounded by the localities of Porpoise Point, Crocodile Point, Shark Point in the southwest, Mosquito Point in southeast, and Otter Key in the south. It is also known as Alligator Bight or Mosquito Bight. Additionally, it is a bight situated on Florida Bay, Santini Bight, The Everglades, and the Atlantic Ocean in Everglades National Park, Otter Key, the Atlantic Coastal Plain.

The bight appears as a circular two-mile-wide cove inside the curved spits of Shark Point and Mosquito Point, which protrude from the mainland like the pinchers of a beetle. The bay is abundant in seagrass, especially turtle grass, though more and more of the vegetation are dying each year due to rising temperatures, yellow sulfide contamination, and algae blooms. Rankin Bight gets its fresh water from Florida Bay as it flows south after it rains but it also has areas of saltwater.

All About Fishing in Rankin Bight, FL

The most popular fish to catch in Rankin Bight is the spotted or speckled sea trout,  known for its inshore fishing capabilities. One can also find a few snook and redfish as they forage, hunt and reside under the dead turtle grass fields. Tarpon, bonefish and permit can also be caught as they migrate from the Everglades. 

Rankin Bight has been a popular sport fishing and flats fishing destination because of its proximity to Florida Bay and the Everglades National Park. Fly fishing, spinning and baitcasting are the preferred methods by anglers to utilise here. Popping is also done to catch redfish and trout. Anglers can use a boat or kayak to go fishing in the bight though there are times in the year when the water gets really shallow in some areas and one can do some wade fishing, sight fishing or offshore fishing. Shallow water in the bay generally means that the water is brinier and denser and has more salinity than usual. Strong winds can also impact the bight’s water levels and turbidity so it’s recommended to check the daily local weather forecast. Other marine and wetland life like the endangered American crocodile can be found near the area. 

Fishing Seasonality

Spotted or speckled sea trout and redfish are best caught during October, November and December when most of their bait leave due to the cold season. Anglers should check catch and release rules and periods for the trout species as they might differ in different areas of Florida. The recreational fishing season for snook is March and April and from September to November. The best time to fish for tarpon is during the months of May through June when it’s summertime. Giant tarpon are also best caught before the sun rises and before the wind picks up. Peak bonefish season is from March to October in the state as anglers try to tie in their trips with snook season. Permit spawn all-year round but fishing for them during the spring and summer seasons is preferred. According to veterans, the ideal weather to fish at Rankin Bight is when it’s a cloudless sunny day that illuminates the water and one can see the fish that swim through it. 

Fishing Seasonality

Spotted or speckled sea trout and redfish are best caught during October, November and December when most of their bait leave due to the cold season. Anglers should check catch and release rules and periods for the trout species as they might differ in different areas of Florida. The recreational fishing season for snook is March and April and from September to November. The best time to fish for tarpon is during the months of May through June when it’s summertime. Giant tarpon are also best caught before the sun rises and before the wind picks up. Peak bonefish season is from March to October in the state as anglers try to tie in their trips with snook season. Permit spawn all-year round but fishing for them during the spring and summer seasons is preferred. According to veterans, the ideal weather to fish at Rankin Bight is when it’s a cloudless sunny day that illuminates the water and one can see the fish that swim through it. 

All About Fishing in Rankin Bight, FL

The most popular fish to catch in Rankin Bight is the spotted or speckled sea trout,  known for its inshore fishing capabilities. One can also find a few snook and redfish as they forage, hunt and reside under the dead turtle grass fields. Tarpon, bonefish and permit can also be caught as they migrate from the Everglades. 

Rankin Bight has been a popular sport fishing and flats fishing destination because of its proximity to Florida Bay and the Everglades National Park. Fly fishing, spinning and baitcasting are the preferred methods by anglers to utilise here. Popping is also done to catch redfish and trout. Anglers can use a boat or kayak to go fishing in the bight though there are times in the year when the water gets really shallow in some areas and one can do some wade fishing, sight fishing or offshore fishing. Shallow water in the bay generally means that the water is brinier and denser and has more salinity than usual. Strong winds can also impact the bight’s water levels and turbidity so it’s recommended to check the daily local weather forecast. Other marine and wetland life like the endangered American crocodile can be found near the area.