When most anglers hang up their rods for the season, serious redfish hunters are just getting started. Winter transforms the inshore game into a chess match where understanding water temperature, locating thermal refuges, and slowing your presentation can lead to some of the most productive fishing of the entire year. I've spent decades studying winter redfish patterns across the Gulf Coast and Atlantic waters, and the most important lesson is this: temperature drives everything. Once you understand how redfish respond to cold water and where they concentrate during winter months, you'll find more fish in fewer places than any other season.
Winter Redfish Fishing: Cold Water Tactics That Work
Why Is Winter the Best Time for Redfish Fishing?
Winter concentrates redfish into predictable locations better than any other season. The same drop in water temperature that makes fish lethargic also forces them into thermal refuges where entire populations stack up in small areas. This concentration effect means once you find winter redfish, you've often found dozens or even hundreds of fish in the same spot.
What Water Temperature Affects Redfish Feeding?
The best water temperature for catching winter redfish typically falls between the mid-50s and low-60s°F, when fish remain active enough to feed readily but have concentrated into predictable locations. Redfish remain quite active through the 60s, with noticeable behavioral changes appearing as temperatures fall into the low 60s.
More significant transformations tend to occur in the mid-50s and below, when fish become distinctly sluggish and minimize movement to conserve energy. As water temperatures approach the upper 40s, redfish enter a much more lethargic state with minimal feeding. When temperatures drop into the mid-to-upper 30s°F, extended exposure creates significant stress and mortality risk, though tolerance varies by region, acclimation, and salinity.
These temperature thresholds serve as useful guidelines, but actual responses vary considerably across different systems and conditions. Fish that have gradually acclimated to cooling water often feed more actively than those hit by sudden cold snaps, even at the same temperature.
This cold tolerance gives redfish a significant advantage over other inshore species like speckled trout, which is why winter fishing can be so productive.
Where Do Redfish Go in Winter?
When water gets cold, redfish migrate to deeper channels, holes, and canals where temperature remains most stable, typically in the 4 to 15-foot range depending on the system. During extreme cold, they lie tight to soft mud bottoms, partially settling into the substrate to gain warmth and conserve heat.
Redfish Fishing Courses
Where Can You Find Redfish in Cold Water?
Successful winter redfish location depends on matching your spots to current water temperature and understanding daily movement patterns.
What Are the Best Deep Water Spots for Winter Redfish?
The best deep water spots are channels, holes, and canals in the 4 to 15-foot range that offer temperature stability near shallow feeding areas. Deep marsh cuts and canals that dead-end away from main waterways are prime spots because they provide protected water that cools more slowly than open areas. River channels and holes in the 8-to-15-foot range concentrate fish during the coldest periods.
What Structure Holds Redfish in Winter?
Structure that absorbs and radiates solar energy holds the most winter redfish. Dark mud flats warm fastest under direct sunlight, often gaining several degrees during a few hours of midday sun. Oyster bars and shell bottoms are winter gold because the hard substrate absorbs heat throughout the day and releases it slowly.
When Is the Best Time to Fish for Redfish in Winter?
The best time to fish for winter redfish is late morning through early afternoon when sun warms shallow water, combined with an incoming tide. Water temperature directly determines whether redfish hold in deep refuges or move to shallow feeding areas. Carry a reliable thermometer and check temperature at multiple locations throughout the day. A difference of just 2 to 3 degrees often determines whether you'll find active or lethargic fish.
How Do Cold Fronts Affect Winter Redfish Fishing?
Cold fronts create a predictable 4-phase fishing cycle. The day before a front arrives often provides the best fishing of the week as dropping barometric pressure triggers aggressive feeding. As the front arrives, fishing typically deteriorates. The magic happens during the recovery phase, typically 2 to 4 days after the front passes, when conditions stabilize and feeding resumes with increasing intensity.
What Tides Are Best for Winter Redfish Fishing?
Incoming tides during late morning to early afternoon produce the best winter redfish action by flooding warming shallows. This combination of rising water and increasing temperature creates the prime feeding window many winter days. Negative low tides that drop below normal levels concentrate fish dramatically, making finding fish easier because they're literally trapped in limited deep water.
What Tackle Do You Need for Winter Redfish Fishing?
A 7 to 7.5-foot medium to medium-light spinning rod paired with a 2500-4000 class reel and 10-15 lb braided line provides optimal winter performance. Fluorocarbon leader material in the 15 to 20-pound range handles most winter applications, with 2 to 4 feet being standard length. In gin-clear conditions, extend leaders to 8 or even 12 feet of fluorocarbon for near-invisible presentation.
What Are the Best Lures for Catching Redfish in Winter?
The best lures for winter redfish are 3-4 inch soft plastics (paddle-tails, shrimp, jerkbaits), 1/4 oz gold spoons, jigs, and small suspending plugs in natural colors. Downsize from summer's 5-inch paddletails to 3 to 4-inch versions that represent easier meals for lethargic fish.
Soft Plastics: The Winter Foundation
Soft plastic swimbaits remain the most versatile winter tools. The Z-Man DieZel Minnowz in 4-inch length and DOA CAL paddle-tails all produce when worked slowly along bottom structure. Rig these swimbaits weedless on 1/16 to 1/4-ounce weighted hooks. Color selection should emphasize natural tones: white, pearl, new penny, root beer, natural baitfish patterns, and pumpkin.
Gold Spoons and Hard Baits
Gold spoons remain cold-weather classics. A 1/4-ounce Johnson Silver Minnow in gold or copper catches redfish across the entire Gulf and Atlantic coast. Work spoons very slowly, letting them flutter down after each cast, or bounce them deliberately off oyster bars to create noise and vibration.
Can You Catch Winter Redfish on Topwater?
Yes, you can catch winter redfish on small topwater lures during warming trends in the mid-to-upper 50s, especially on calm afternoons. While topwater is generally low-percentage during true cold snaps, small walk-the-dog style lures like the Rapala Skitter Walk in 4-inch size produce during stable warming trends. Keep a small topwater rigged and ready for those special windows.
What Baits Work Best for Winter Redfish?
The best winter baits are dead bait (cut mullet, ladyfish, pinfish, blue crab) for deep holes, live shrimp fished slowly, and scented soft plastics.
Does Dead Bait Work for Winter Redfish?
Dead bait is extremely effective for winter redfish in cooler water. The most effective dead baits include chunks of oily fish: ladyfish cut into 3-4 inch sections, mullet chunks, pinfish, and blue crabs (halved or quartered). The sliding egg sinker rig (Carolina rig) provides optimal presentation. Thread an egg sinker (1/2 to 2 ounces) onto your main line, tie to a barrel swivel, attach 18-24 inches of fluorocarbon leader, and finish with a 3/0 to 5/0 circle hook.
What Live Baits Work Best for Winter Redfish?
Live shrimp fished very slowly is the best winter redfish live bait. Rig live shrimp on light jig heads (1/16 to 1/8 ounce) through the tail, and fish them with minimal movement. Cast to structure, let the shrimp settle to bottom, and barely twitch it occasionally. Mud minnows and finger mullet work well when kept near bottom. Small crabs excel around oyster bars and shell bottom.
Why Does Scent Matter for Winter Redfish?
Scent matters for winter redfish primarily because cold water reduces their activity levels and causes them to hold tighter to structure, making scent trails an effective way to draw fish from refuges without requiring them to actively hunt. Redfish use a combination of smell, lateral line vibration detection, and sight to locate prey. While winter water can be stained or choppy in some conditions (reducing visibility), it's often crystal clear on calm days, so the scent advantage comes more from fish being sedentary and energy-conserving than from poor visibility.
What Are the Best Techniques for Winter Redfish Fishing?
The best winter redfish technique is a two-phase strategy: deep-hole fishing with dead bait early, then switching to shallow warming flats with slow artificals in afternoon.
What Is the Best Daily Strategy for Winter Redfish?
Begin your day targeting the deepest available structure. Dead bait fished on bottom with sliding egg sinker rigs produces most effectively during this phase. Position your boat to drift or anchor up-current of productive structure. This phase typically extends from pre-dawn through mid-morning. Watch your thermometer; once surface temperatures in shallower adjacent areas climb within 2 degrees of your deep-hole temps, fish begin transitioning.
How Slow Should You Retrieve Lures for Winter Redfish?
Retrieve winter redfish lures significantly slower than summer speed, with 3-10 second pauses between movements. In the coldest water, your retrieve should barely move the lure. Cast paddle-tails and soft plastics, let them settle completely to bottom, then crawl them back with gentle lifts and long pauses. Many strikes occur during these pauses as fish slowly approach and inhale stationary baits.
How Do You Fish Structure for Winter Redfish?
Docks with deeper water underneath (4 feet or more) hold redfish throughout winter. Skip soft plastics under docks to reach back areas where fish hold tightest. Vertical presentations work well when positioned beside pilings, dropping soft plastics or live shrimp straight down.
Weedless gold spoons excel for covering oyster bars efficiently. Focus on edges rather than working across the tops of bars. Fish often hold along the deeper sides where they have access to both the bar for feeding and adjacent deeper water for retreat.
What Are the Biggest Mistakes in Winter Redfish Fishing?
The biggest winter redfish mistakes are fishing too fast, using oversized lures, ignoring water temperature, fishing only at dawn, and making too much noise. Anglers accustomed to summer's aggressive presentations often retrieve winter lures at speeds that cold fish simply won't match. That 6-inch paddle-tail that crushed summer reds becomes an unrealistic meal size for lethargic winter fish.
Winter Redfish FAQs
What is the best water temperature for catching redfish in winter?
The best water temperature for catching winter redfish typically falls between the mid-50s and low-60s°F, when fish remain active enough to feed readily but have concentrated into predictable locations. Fish continue feeding as temperatures drop further, but become increasingly lethargic and require extremely slow presentations. Actual behavior varies by region, acclimation, and salinity.
Where do redfish go when water gets cold?
When water gets cold, redfish migrate to deeper channels, holes, and canals where temperature remains most stable, typically in the 4 to 15-foot range. They concentrate around heat-holding structure like oyster bars, dark mud bottoms, docks, and residential canals. During the coldest periods, many fish push deep into tidal creeks and rivers. Spring-fed systems that maintain constant warmer temperatures become major winter sanctuaries.
Can you catch redfish on topwater in winter?
Yes, you can catch redfish on topwater in winter during specific conditions. Topwater works best during stable warming trends when water temperatures climb into the mid-to-upper 50s, particularly on calm, sunny afternoons when fish slide shallow to feed on warming flats. Small profile topwater lures like 4-inch walk-the-dog style plugs produce better than larger versions.
How slow should you retrieve lures for winter redfish?
Retrieve lures for winter redfish significantly slower than summer speeds, with long pauses of 3 to 10 seconds between movements. In the coldest conditions, slow down to barely crawling pace. Many strikes occur during these pauses when fish slowly approach and inspect stationary baits. The colder the water, the slower the retrieve must be.
What is the best bait for redfish in cold weather?
The best bait for redfish in cold weather depends on conditions and water temperature. In the coldest conditions, dead bait (cut mullet, ladyfish, pinfish, or blue crab) fished on bottom excels because it creates strong scent trails. Live shrimp fished very slowly remains productive across winter temperatures. For artificials, scented soft plastic shrimp (particularly Gulp) and 3 to 4-inch paddle-tail swimbaits in natural colors produce best.
What tide is best for winter redfish fishing?
The best tide for winter redfish is an incoming tide during late morning to early afternoon, combining rising water with the daily warming period. This floods shallow flats, mud banks, and oyster bars with moving water just as temperatures peak, triggering fish to move from deep refuges to feed actively.
How deep do redfish go in winter?
Redfish typically go to depths of 4 to 15 feet in winter, depending on the specific water system and available structure. In marsh environments, holes and channels of 4 to 8 feet serve as primary refuges. In larger bays and river systems, fish may occupy channels of 10 to 15 feet or deeper during the coldest periods. However, they move much shallower (1 to 3 feet) during afternoon warming periods.
Do redfish feed in very cold water?
Redfish can feed when water temperatures drop into the 40s but become extremely lethargic and feed minimally. At these temperatures, they're much less active and unlikely to move far for food. Focus on the deepest available thermal refuges, use dead bait for maximum scent attraction, and fish during the warmest part of the day when temperatures may climb several degrees.
How Should You Handle Winter Redfish for Conservation?
Handle winter redfish quickly with minimal air exposure and revive thoroughly before release. The primary conservation concern in winter is the extreme concentration of fish in limited areas, making local populations highly vulnerable to overharvest. When schools containing dozens or hundreds of fish stack into small refuges, removing even modest numbers can significantly impact that specific location.
Fight fish quickly and efficiently to minimize exhaustion. Handle fish in the water whenever possible. If you must lift fish for photos, do so quickly and return them to water immediately. Revive fish thoroughly before release by holding them upright in the water and moving them gently forward and backward to push water through their gills. Don't release until they swim away strongly under their own power.
Conclusion: Embrace the Winter Challenge
Winter redfishing separates casual anglers from dedicated students of the sport. The fish are there, often in greater concentrations than any other season, but success requires understanding how temperature drives behavior, where fish seek thermal refuges, and how to adjust every aspect of your presentation.
Start by focusing on temperature as your primary guide. Check readings constantly, note what triggers fish activity, and adjust locations and presentations accordingly. Master the two-phase daily approach of deep-water fishing early followed by shallow warming-flat tactics in afternoon. Slow down every aspect of your fishing, from retrieves to approaches to your overall pace.
Build a winter-specific tackle selection centered on smaller, more natural presentations. Stock your box with 3 to 4-inch soft plastics in paddle-tail, shrimp, and jerkbait profiles, gold spoons, suspending twitchbaits, and scented options. Upgrade your leaders for ultra-clear water, extending them to 8 feet or more when fish are spooky.
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