Tarpon Fishing off Siesta Key: Big Pass, the Beach, and the Reopened Midnight Pass

Siesta Key sits between two tarpon highways. Big Sarasota Pass anchors the north end, and from May through July migratory tarpon stage off its unmarked outer bar, rolling on the first hours of outgoing tide.

The south end has the newest story on the coast: Midnight Pass, closed by dredge and bulldozer in 1983, was blown open by Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024 and now runs 11–17 feet deep as a functioning inlet. The restored flow through Little Sarasota Bay has brought bait, snook, sharks, and tarpon to water that sat stagnant for forty years — see the passes-and-inlets reference for the new layout.

Run the beach from Point of Rocks south to Turtle Beach at first light in 10–25 feet, look for rolling strings, and present a live crab or threadfin ahead of the lead fish on 60–80 lb fluorocarbon and a 5/0–7/0 circle hook.

On the strong new- and full-moon outgoing tides, anchor uptide of the Big Pass bar and drift crabs back with the current — the tide tables tell you when. Tackle is 5000–8000 spinning, 40–50 lb braid, and patience with the boat traffic, because the pass gets busy in June.

Launch at Turtle Beach ramp mid-key for the shortest run to Midnight Pass, or come through Big Pass from Centennial Park (see the boat-ramp directory). Tarpon are catch-and-release only here and fish over 40 inches must stay in the water (FWC tarpon rules), so rig heavy, land them fast, and revive them fully.