Hutchinson Island Mullet Run Fishing: October 2026 Bites and Rules

As of early October 2026, the fall mullet run is pushing down the Martin County beaches with tarpon, snook, jacks and sharks behind it. Pompano are biting in the surf. Snook season has been open for five weeks. Since August, Martin County's own rule on shark fishing near guarded beaches has been tabled at the county commission, with no vote to replace it.

On the sand, the bait changes day to day, but the rules hold steady. The beach rule residents fought hardest over this summer was the ban on chum and blood bait. That ban already exists in Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) rules, which apply on every Florida beach, whatever the commission does next.

A Late Run, Then a Busy One

Snook Nook Bait & Tackle, at 3595 NE Indian River Dr in Jensen Beach, posts a monthly report. Read in order, the reports show how this season built.

• July 31: In its August 2026 report, the shop said some mullet usually show up in late August and most of the schools arrive in September.
• August 31: The September 2026 report called the run late. Bigger mullet schools were already inshore and a few pods were moving down the beaches, but finger mullet were scarce. The shop blamed the cooler winter and expected more bait in the weeks ahead.
• September 29: By the October 2026 report, the run had brought "some great fishing inshore over the past few weeks." The full moon and king tides made the end of September harder, but early-morning and evening anglers kept catching. Schools were still reported north of Martin County and heading this way.
• October 1: Crossroads Charter Fishing reported a "very solid" mullet-run bite over the previous week, with multiple tarpon days and snook and jacks "slamming baits against the seawalls and oyster bars" in a FishingBooker report.

So the run that looked thin at the end of August was in full swing a month later. With schools still coming from the north, the shop expected the bite to keep improving in October as the full moon passed.

Where the Bait Is Pushing, Island Side and River Side

On the ocean beaches, the September 29 report says mullet schools are still working down the shoreline, with tarpon, snook, jacks and sharks feeding on them. Pompano have also arrived in force. Plenty of undersized fish are going back, with keepers mixed in. The best bite has been first thing in the morning and around high tide, mostly 50 to 80 yards off the beach, and it slows near the bottom of the tide.

That distance is what makes pompano fishing a workout. The shop suggests staggering casts until you find the fish, then setting every rod to that distance. Capt. Paul Sperco's combination lately has been sand fleas tipped with EZ Flea Electric Chicken Fishbites. He starts each rod with a different Fishbites color and switches to whichever one the fish prefer. Closer in, a few whiting and croaker have come from the first trough on pieces of shrimp.

The September report adds a practical point for anyone driving A1A with a cart full of gear: nearby stretches of beach can fish very differently, so scout before you unload.

On the river side, much of the action has moved off the beach:

1. Snook: Most have left the inlet and are working through the river. They use the shadow lines from dock lights and bridges to ambush mullet in low light. For big snook, the shop recommends larger mullet in the 6- to 10-inch range, kept tight to the seawall. A few feet off the wall, you start catching jacks instead.
2. Tarpon: They are around the bridges, the Crossroads, the inlet and the beach. They are also feeding on mullet schools on the east side of the river near the power plant. The Roosevelt Bridge has been producing steadily, mostly smaller fish with the occasional one over 100 pounds, and outgoing tides seem to work best there.
3. Seawalls in general: The shop calls this "one of the best times of year to fish the sea walls even if you aren't seeing any bait around."

The August report lists the Stuart Causeway, the 10 Cent Bridge and the docks leading toward them as snook spots. It names the Jensen Causeway and Indian Riverside Park among the options for anglers fishing from land. For live bait, it points to Stuart Live Bait in the Manatee Pocket.

The Rule Everyone Argued About in August

The sharks following the mullet down the beach are where the rules come in. For years, Martin County had a rule of its own. It barred shark fishing within 1,000 yards of the four guarded beaches, Jensen, Stuart, Bathtub and Hobe Sound, and it banned chum and blood bait while fishing from the beach. On July 31, TCPalm reported that FWC's position is that cities and counties cannot make their own rules on fishing from beaches or the shoreline. Martin was the only Treasure Coast county with local rules. St. Lucie County repealed four of its own in 2016 to match FWC.

County staff drafted a fix. According to Hometown News, the draft would have repealed the parts of the code that state law overrides. It would still have banned shark fishing on public beaches while lifeguards are on duty, and from fishing docks while boats are being launched or pulled out. It would have allowed shark fishing on public beaches during unguarded hours. That last provision drew strong opposition from residents, who said it could bring more chum and drone-dropped baits close to beaches used by swimmers, surfers and families. On August 5, commissioners voted unanimously to table the ordinance. They directed staff to study drone use in shark fishing and to look at whether more local restrictions could be added.

At that meeting, Assistant County Attorney Joseph Baron explained the legal limit. "Florida statutes reserves the authority to regulate saltwater fishing," he said. He added that the statute lets local governments prohibit saltwater fishing on county-owned property when needed to protect public health, safety and welfare. County Attorney Elysse Elder said the ordinance could be reworked to reference state law.

The commission's own records show where things stand. The September 29 minutes and the October 6 agenda contain no shark-fishing item. The October 13 agenda is still a draft and doesn't list one either. Two months into the mullet run, the county rule has been neither repealed nor rewritten. Before the August vote, CBS12 reported that county staff considered the local chumming ban still in place at that point.

What Applies on the Sand Right Now

Senior Assistant County Attorney Melissa Pietrzyk made the point that matters most for beachgoers: state rules already prohibit chumming from a beach. Anyone who sees someone throwing blood bait, she said, "should be calling FWC." The county rule is unsettled. Here are the state rules that apply regardless:

For conditions on a given morning, Martin County's beaches page links to its Safe Beach Day tool, which shows current conditions, hazards and closure alerts. The same page lists hours for the four guarded beaches. Sea turtle nesting season on Martin County beaches runs through October 31, so the county's nesting-season precautions apply all month.

The Next Few Weeks

The September 29 report says the next change comes with the first cold fronts. It expects more pompano, Spanish mackerel, black drum, sheepshead and bluefish in the coming weeks. Stone crab season opens in October. As traps go out north of here, tripletail tend to gather around the buoys. For anyone going offshore from the St. Lucie Inlet, the 2026 recreational red snapper season runs October 9 to 22, and anglers have to declare their intent with FWC before targeting red snapper.

FWC's license-free saltwater days include the Saturday after Thanksgiving, which is November 28 this year. Seasons and size and bag limits still apply that day. Snook harvest in the Indian River Lagoon region closes again on December 15. The county commission's next scheduled meeting is October 13, and the draft agenda posted so far does not include a shark-fishing item.

If an early pompano bite or an evening at the Roosevelt Bridge is part of why you love living here, The Quinn Group would be glad to talk about which buildings and streets put you closest to the water you fish. Talk to a local waterfront expert.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.