Speckled troutInshore · year-round
RedfishInshore · Aug to Oct peak
TarponHomosassa · mid-Apr to Jul
ScallopsJul to Sep
Ducksmid-Nov to Jan
Homosassa fishing charters
Tarpon, inshore, fly and scalloping trips out of MacRae’s on the Homosassa River with Capt. Tanner Martin. Private, priced per boat, licenses and tackle included.
5.0 on TripadvisorLicensed & insuredGuiding the Nature Coast since 2018
Fishing Homosassa, FL
Homosassa is a spring-fed river town 20 minutes south of Crystal River, and for a few months every year it is the most famous tarpon water in the world. The rest of the year it is some of the best inshore fishing on the Gulf coast: clear flats, oyster bars, mangrove creeks and the Chassahowitzka backcountry to the south, with a fraction of the boats you will see farther down the coast.
Capt. Tanner grew up fishing both rivers and runs trips out of MacRae’s of Homosassa whenever the fishing or your lodging puts you here. Same boats, same prices, same booking calendar as our Crystal River charters.
Fishing charters out of Homosassa
Four of our six trips run from MacRae’s. Every one is private, priced per boat, with licenses, tackle, bait and ice included. The Rates page has every price on one page.
Homosassa tarpon
Eight hours staked out on the migration lanes off the river mouth, fly or spin, mid-April through July. The trip Homosassa is known for.
Inshore charter
Redfish, speckled trout and snook on the flats and bars at the mouth of the Homosassa River. Four or seven hours, up to four anglers.
Backcountry fly & light tackle
Poling the Hells Bay through the Ozello islands and the Chassahowitzka creeks for tailing reds, snook and juvenile tarpon.
Scalloping
Snorkel the grass flats off Homosassa for bay scallops, July 1 through September 24. Gear and license on the boat.
The Homosassa water
Three kinds of water inside a 20-minute run of the dock. Read Where we fish for the whole coast.
The outside flats
Where the river meets the Gulf the bottom goes hard and the water goes clear, and wide flats run for miles in five to eight feet. This is the tarpon water from mid-April into July, when strings of 100-pound fish come up the coast. Billy Pate and Jim Holland Jr. set the fly-rod world records here. Outside the migration, the same flats hold trout, cobia and scallops.
The river mouth and the bars
The lower Homosassa River is lined with old fish camps and opens onto a maze of oyster bars, grass and mangrove islands. Redfish and trout live here most of the year, snook stack up in the creek mouths from spring through fall, and sheepshead and black drum take over the rock in winter. A four-hour inshore trip rarely has to run more than 20 minutes.
The Chassahowitzka backcountry
South of the river the coast turns into the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge: salt marsh, tidal creeks and shallow bays with no houses on them. It is fly and light tackle water on the skiff, mud boat water on the lowest winter tides, and where the duck hunts go from November to January.
When to fish Homosassa
The short version. The fishing reports have the detail for this month.
SpringMar to May
Snook move back out of the river, cobia show on the outside rock, and the first tarpon arrive in mid-April. May is peak tarpon.
SummerJun to Aug
Tarpon through July, then scallops. Reds and trout at first light before the heat and the afternoon storms.
FallSep to Nov
Scallops through September 24. Then the best inshore fishing of the year: schooling redfish, big trout, snook on the mangroves.
WinterDec to Feb
Gator trout, sheepshead and black drum on the rock, reds in the mud creeks on low tides. Duck season in the Chassahowitzka marsh.
Where we launch in Homosassa
MacRae’s of Homosassa
5290 S Cherokee Way, Homosassa, FL 34448
Bait house, marina and motel on the Homosassa River, about a mile from the springs. Tarpon trips and most Homosassa inshore trips leave from here.
Free parking. Arrive 15 minutes before your start time; Tanner will meet you at the dock with the boat in the water.
Staying in Crystal River instead? Trips also leave from Pete’s Pier, 25 minutes north. Tell us where you are staying when you book and we will pick the ramp.
★ 5.0 Star Rating on Google
Crystal River fishing charter reviews
“The best trip I’ve ever had!”
Capt. Tanner was able to put me on my first snook and first tarpon. 100% recommend and will be booking him again very soon!!
“Amazing trip!”
The captain was so knowledgeable regarding everything. He knew about the plant life as well as marine life. He knew the water channels like the back of his hand.
“The best day!”
Tanner was very knowledgeable and took us right to the fish! He spent a lot of time explaining our surroundings and was very personable.
“Perfect”
Captain Martin is a wonderful guide and host. His knowledge of these waters is incredible and he always has ways to adapt to changing conditions.
“Excellent Charter”
Captain Tanner Martin was raised on the river. Knows the area better than anyone. Works hard to make sure you get a good catch.
