The Friday Report: a calm, cool weekend on the water, and Florida snapper is back on Saturday and Sunday
The Friday Report is our standing weekly look at what’s happening on the water, bay to bottom, both sides of the line. The live numbers are on Beach Today and update all day. This is the human read on top of them.
The gist
This is a good weekend to be on the water, with one caution for Friday night into Saturday morning. NWS Mobile has north wind picking up tonight and early Saturday, then easing, with low seas through Sunday and Monday. Sunset is just before 5 PM now, so plan to be back at the dock earlier than you would in summer.
Conditions this week
The NWS Mobile coastal waters forecast, issued 3:01 AM CST Friday, November 6. No formal advisory headlines were listed for our zones, but the Gulf synopsis says small craft should exercise caution tonight through early Saturday, and again Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning:
- Out to 20 nautical miles (Pensacola to Pascagoula): Today is north wind 5 to 10 knots, seas 1 foot or less. Tonight north 10 to 15 knots, rising to 15 to 20 after midnight, seas 2 to 3 feet. Saturday is north 15 to 20 easing to 10 to 15 in the afternoon, seas 2 to 3 feet. Sunday is north 10 to 15 easing to 5 to 10, seas around 2 feet. Monday is northeast 10 to 15 turning east 5 to 10, seas 2 feet or less. Tuesday is northeast 5 to 10, seas 1 foot or less, with a slight chance of showers Tuesday night.
- 20 to 60 nautical miles: Today is north 10 to 15 knots, seas 1 foot or less. Tonight north 15 to 20 with gusts to 25, seas 2 to 3 feet. Saturday is northeast 15 to 20 turning north 10 to 15, seas 2 to 4 feet, occasionally 5. Sunday is northeast 10 to 15 easing to 5 to 10, seas around 2 feet. Winds and seas are higher in and near any thunderstorms.
The Beach Today feed showed 78°F Gulf water, about 1-foot surf, a north-northwest wind near 11 mph, low rip-current risk and medium-hazard (yellow) flags on both sides. It was flagged stale (last update 4 AM), so check the flag at your access. A north wind this time of year is the front-passage pattern: air cools, the water follows slowly, and the Gulf is still warm compared with the air.
Inshore, bay, Pass, and back water
The calendar says November is prime inshore time: slot reds and bull reds around the Pass, speckled trout on the grass flats and dock pilings as the water cools, and sheepshead on structure. A north wind pushes water out of the bay, so expect lower tides and clearer water, and mind the shallow spots when you’re running. I can’t tell you any of it is biting this week, because nobody has told us. The back water stays the protected choice on Saturday morning.
Surf and pier
This time of year the beach normally holds whiting, pompano and the occasional redfish in the wash. With surf near a foot, the beach is on the manageable side this weekend. Call before you drive to a pier, since hours can shift in cold or windy weather. Pier rundown on the piers page.
Offshore and bottom
Sunday and Monday look like the comfortable offshore days on the forecast; Saturday morning is the bumpy one. The cooling pattern usually favors the bottom bite plus fall kings and amberjack, but treat that as the calendar talking, not a report. If you’ve got a charter booked, call the captain, since they make the weather call. The how-to-book-a-charter guide covers the questions to ask, and the boats are at the Pass marinas.
The one regs reminder that matters
Seasons change year to year, and the Florida and Alabama calendars don’t line up. As posted when we checked this morning:
- Florida Gulf red snapper (private boats): FWC lists the season open weekends only from here: November 7–8, 14–15 and 21–22, Thanksgiving weekend November 26–29, December 5–6, 12–13 and 19–20, December 25–27, and January 1–4, 2027. So this Saturday and Sunday are open days. Confirm on FWC before you go.
- Alabama (private and state charter): Outdoor Alabama lists the season open seven days a week until the quota is met or the year ends, with no closure date announced when we checked. Check before you go.
- Federal for-hire (charter) snapper: that season was posted to end October 26, 2026. Charters without a federal permit follow the state season.
- Two reds per person, 16-inch minimum, and Alabama’s Snapper Check is mandatory on that side. (New to that? The Glossary has it.)
- Flounder: we couldn’t confirm 2026 flounder dates for either state this week, so check the regulations cheat sheet and the state sites before keeping one.
The honest take
It’s a pleasant forecast, and the one real wrinkle is the north wind overnight into Saturday morning. If you’re heading offshore, Sunday is the better bet than Saturday. The fall calendar is a good one, but I won’t promise fish I haven’t heard about. Dress in layers, the water’s warmer than the morning air, and tell us how it went.
Tell us what you saw
This report is only as good as what’s coming off the boats. Caught something, blanked, found a ramp or pier in an odd state? Send it in. Photos are welcome, and we’ll change your name if you want. Next report drops Friday.
— Chris
P.S. Captains, marinas, and bait-and-tackle shops on either side of the line can claim their listing free at /submit/claim/, or add one that’s missing at /submit/.
