Salty Forecast

Emerald Coast

Fort Walton · Okaloosa Island Fishing Weather & Tides

The Okaloosa pier, Choctawhatchee Bay, and East Pass.

Today on the water

Saturday, November 7

Right now it's 61°F and clear at Fort Walton · Okaloosa Island, with wind NNW 8 mph (gusts 20). The forecast high is 70° with a 0% chance of rain.

Today's tides

  • Low tide6:27 AM (0.1 ft)
  • High tide8:36 PM (0.8 ft)

Sun

  • Sunrise6:05 AM
  • Sunset4:54 PM
  • UV index5
Open the live Okaloosa Is. dashboard →

Which fish look best today at Fort Walton · Okaloosa Island

The same day scores differently for each fish: water temperature, wind, tide and seas count differently for a snook than for a sheepshead. Today’s read for Okaloosa Is., species by species.

Water 79°F · steady this week · modeled

Best bet: Spotted seatrout.

  • Spotted seatrout75Good

    79°F water is a little warm for trout; the bite starts to ease.

    Tide: 0.7 ft range · 1 in daylight

    Better Tue: 82

    Where to look

    Grass flats and pothole edges; deeper holes and canals when it's cold.

    Best trout spots today →
  • Redfish72Good

    79°F water is right in the redfish range.

    Tide: 0.7 ft range · 1 in daylight

    Better Tue: 80

    Where to look

    Oyster bars, grass flats and mangrove shorelines; they push shallow on a rising tide.

    Best redfish spots today →
  • Sheepshead65Good

    79°F water is warm for sheepshead. Fish early, late and where current moves.

    Tide: 0.7 ft range · 1 in daylight

    Better Tue: 71

    Where to look

    Pilings, docks, oyster bars and rock — anything that grows barnacles.

    Best sheepshead spots today →
  • Tarpon54Fair

    79°F water is right in the tarpon range.

    Tide: 0.7 ft range · 1 in daylight

    Better Tue: 81

    Where to look

    Passes, channels and beaches. They travel with the tide.

    Best tarpon spots today →
  • Spanish mackerel54Fair

    79°F water is right in the Spanish mackerel range.

    Seas: 3.3 ft @ 4 s, short and steep

    Better Tue: 90

    Where to look

    Open runs along beaches and passes, on clean, moving water.

    Best Spanish mackerel spots today →

Scores conditions for each fish, not where they are or when a run starts. Water temperature is today’s reading applied to the whole week, so a cold front further out won’t show here until the water follows. Temperature ranges are rules of thumb for Florida inshore water.

Fishing Fort Walton · Okaloosa Island

Okaloosa Island stretches between Fort Walton Beach and Destin, with the Gulf on one side and the wide open water of Choctawhatchee Bay on the other. The Okaloosa Island Pier reaches king mackerel, cobia, and Spanish water, and East Pass a few miles east is the funnel every bay fish has to use. Inside, the bay's grass beds and bayous hold trout and redfish year-round.

Target species

  • King mackerel
  • Speckled trout
  • Redfish
  • Pompano

Local tip: The bite around East Pass is all about current — a hard incoming pushes bait and fish through together.

Fort Walton · Okaloosa Island fishing & weather FAQ

What are the tides in Fort Walton · Okaloosa Island today?
Fort Walton · Okaloosa Island's tide predictions come from the NOAA CO-OPS station at East Pass (Destin). Today's high and low tide times are shown above and update through the day on the live dashboard.
What fish can you catch at Fort Walton · Okaloosa Island?
Fort Walton · Okaloosa Island is known for King mackerel, Speckled trout, Redfish, and more. The mix shifts with the season, water temperature, and tide — check the live conditions before you run.
What's the best weather app for fishing Fort Walton · Okaloosa Island?
Salty Forecast is built for exactly this stretch of coast — it combines tides for the Gulf & East Pass, wind and gust forecasts, water temperature from nearby NOAA buoys, live radar, and offshore swell in one clean, free view aimed at anglers.
Is the wind good for fishing Fort Walton · Okaloosa Island right now?
Wind direction and speed make or break a day on the water. The live Salty Forecast dashboard shows current wind and gusts, an hourly wind forecast, and an animated wind map so you can pick the calmest window and the most protected water.

Guides for Fort Walton · Okaloosa Island

Nearby spots

Tides from NOAA CO-OPS (East Pass (Destin)). Forecast from Open-Meteo. Salty Forecast is a free hyperlocal weather app built for anglers — species and local notes are general guidance, not fishing advice. Always check current conditions and regulations before heading out.