Space Coast
Sebastian Inlet Water Temperature
Arguably the best land-based snook fishing in Florida.
Sea-surface temperature
WarmHolding steady · last two weeks
That is about 3°F warmer than average for this time of year, and holding steady over the last two weeks. The November average here is 76°F.
Updated Saturday, November 7 — sea-surface temperature modeled for Sebastian Inlet by Open-Meteo.
Out in the open Gulf, NOAA buoy 41113 — 38 miles offshore — is reading 78°F. Deep water offshore runs cooler than the shallows in summer and warmer in winter, so it won't match the beach.
For swimming
Warm
About as good as it gets — warm enough to stay in for hours without getting chilled.
For fishing
Peak season
Snook, redfish and tarpon are all active and feeding. The tarpon migration through the passes runs at the upper end of this range.
The last two weeks
| Date | Average |
|---|---|
| Oct 25 | 78.1°F |
| Oct 26 | 77.7°F |
| Oct 27 | 77.2°F |
| Oct 28 | 77.4°F |
| Oct 29 | 77.4°F |
| Oct 30 | 77.5°F |
| Oct 31 | 77.7°F |
| Nov 1 | 77.7°F |
| Nov 2 | 77.5°F |
| Nov 3 | 77.5°F |
| Nov 4 | 77.7°F |
| Nov 5 | 78.4°F |
| Nov 6 | 79°F |
| Nov 7 | 79.2°F |
Sebastian Inlet water temperature by month
Averaged from 3 years of daily sea-surface temperature (2023–2025). The range column is the coolest and warmest daily average recorded in that month over the period — a guide to how much any given year can differ, not a record high and low.
| Month | Range | Average |
|---|---|---|
JanJanuary Cool but comfortable | 63–73°F | 69°F |
FebFebruary Cool but comfortable | 65–76°F | 71°F |
MarMarch Cool but comfortable | 69–76°F | 73°F |
AprApril Warm | 71–79°F | 76°F |
MayMay Warm | 76–85°F | 80°F |
JunJune Very warm | 77–85°F | 83°F |
JulJuly Very warm | 80–88°F | 85°F |
AugAugust Very warm | 82–88°F | 85°F |
SepSeptember Very warm | 82–87°F | 85°F |
OctOctober Warm | 77–86°F | 80°F |
NovNovembernow Warm | 73–79°F | 76°F |
DecDecember Cool but comfortable | 68–76°F | 72°F |
Warmest
85°FJuly
Coolest
69°FJanuary
Warmest on average in July at 85°F; coolest in January at 69°F.
The water at Sebastian Inlet
Sebastian Inlet cuts the barrier island between the Indian River Lagoon and the Atlantic, and its north jetty is legendary — the snook fishing off those rocks is as good as land-based fishing gets in Florida. Redfish, jacks, Spanish mackerel, and tarpon all run the inlet, and the lagoon side holds trout and reds over grass. The state park on both sides keeps access open and the water fishable.
Sebastian Inlet & the Indian River Lagoon
What moves the water temperature here
The Gulf shelf off this coast is shallow, which is why the water swings so much more between summer and winter than open ocean at the same latitude does. Shallow water heats fast and gives that heat up fast: a single strong winter cold front can pull the inshore bays several degrees down in a couple of days, while the beaches a mile offshore barely move. Wind direction matters too — a sustained offshore breeze can pull cooler water up from below and drop the beach temperature noticeably in a morning.
Inshore bays, canals and flats run warmer than the beach through the summer and colder through the winter, for the same reason. The reading above is for the open water at Sebastian Inlet; expect the back bays to be a few degrees either side of it depending on the season.
Common questions
- What is the water temperature at Sebastian Inlet right now?
- The water at Sebastian Inlet is currently about 79°F (26°C). The November average here is 76°F.
- Is the water warm enough to swim at Sebastian Inlet in November?
- November averages 76°F at Sebastian Inlet, which most people would call warm. About as good as it gets — warm enough to stay in for hours without getting chilled.
- When is the water warmest at Sebastian Inlet?
- July is the warmest month on average at 85°F, and January the coolest at 69°F. 8 months of the year average 75°F or above.
- Why does the water temperature change so quickly here?
- The Gulf shelf off this coast is shallow, so it heats and cools far faster than deep open ocean. A strong winter cold front can pull the inshore water down several degrees in a couple of days, and a sustained offshore wind can drop beach temperatures in a single morning by pulling cooler water up from below.