How much does a fishing charter cost?

A private half-day fishing charter (about 4 hours) typically costs $600 and a full day $1,037, going by the median across 68 towns where at least 3 boats publish their prices. Below: every town, from the prices 627 captains publish.

$600 typical half day$1,037 typical full day68 towns compared

By town

Fishing charter prices by town

Town	Half day median	Half day range	Full day median	Full day range
Mountain Home, AR	$325	$320–$430	$440	$400–$550
Lake Okeechobee, FL	$350	$350–$400	$550	$500–$600
Kentucky Lake, KY	$350	$300–$425	—	—
Branson, MO	$362	$350–$400	$650	$550–$700
Guntersville, AL	$387	$250–$450	—	—
Denver, CO	$395	$315–$500	$495	$395–$600
Lake Fork, TX	$400	$350–$450	$600	$500–$650
Broken Bow, OK	$400	$400–$550	—	—
Navajo Dam, NM	$400	$400–$550	$575	$475–$600
Okoboji, IA	$400	$400–$450	—	—
Milford Lake, KS	$400	$300–$400	—	—
Savannah, GA	$450	$400–$500	$650	$650–$1,000
Lake Tahoe, CA	$450	$425–$1,000	—	—
Crystal River, FL	$475	$300–$500	$525	$450–$800
South Padre Island, TX	$499	$475–$1,200	—	—
Morehead City, NC	$500	$400–$650	$1,187	$850–$1,300
Erie, PA	$500	$285–$800	$487	$400–$1,100
Mille Lacs, MN	$500	$500–$700	$700	$700–$800
Jacksonville, FL	$500	$375–$675	$987	$525–$1,600
Basalt, CO	$532	$400–$575	$772	$550–$850
Jupiter, FL	$550	$500–$750	$1,250	$950–$1,400
Fort Myers, FL	$550	$400–$1,250	$1,075	$900–$1,800
Port Aransas, TX	$550	$450–$750	$750	$650–$900
Charleston, SC	$550	$550–$650	$1,275	$850–$1,800
Gulf Shores, AL	$550	$550–$600	$2,000	$1,850–$2,000
Missoula, MT	$562	$500–$650	—	—
Marco Island, FL	$587	$550–$600	$1,000	$900–$1,200
Portland, ME	$597	$550–$650	$1,375	$1,250–$1,400
Dutch John, UT	$599	$550–$675	$700	$699–$725
Naples, FL	$600	$500–$800	—	—
Tampa, FL	$600	$450–$650	$1,000	$950–$1,600
Hatteras, NC	$600	$500–$800	$1,550	$1,000–$2,200
Cocoa Beach, FL	$600	$450–$1,000	$950	$700–$3,500
Dauphin Island, AL	$600	$550–$1,150	$1,475	$750–$2,100
Carolina Beach, NC	$600	$400–$1,100	$1,250	$650–$1,800
Grand Haven, MI	$605	$425–$700	—	—
Sarasota, FL	$625	$550–$700	$1,400	$925–$2,500
Pensacola, FL	$650	$600–$650	$1,625	$1,600–$1,650
Clearwater, FL	$650	$450–$850	$1,150	$550–$1,800
Galveston, TX	$650	$495–$750	$1,200	$800–$3,800
Anna Maria Island, FL	$650	$500–$1,050	$1,000	$900–$1,650
Milwaukee, WI	$660	$550–$795	$950	$900–$1,295
Murrells Inlet, SC	$675	$550–$750	$1,000	$950–$1,200
Biloxi, MS	$700	$575–$800	$1,175	$1,000–$1,900
Jackson, WY	$700	$675–$740	$857	$795–$880
Michigan City, IN	$700	$475–$800	—	—
Point Judith, RI	$750	$600–$800	$1,000	$950–$1,175
Key West, FL	$775	$550–$1,100	$1,225	$850–$1,800
Cape May, NJ	$775	$750–$980	$1,500	$1,000–$3,300
Miami, FL	$800	$650–$850	$1,200	$1,050–$1,700
Lewes, DE	$800	$450–$850	$1,200	$700–$1,680
Fort Lauderdale, FL	$800	$750–$900	$1,547	$1,400–$1,700
Daytona Beach, FL	$800	$450–$1,000	—	—
Gloucester, MA	$814	$450–$850	$1,400	$1,250–$1,600
Destin, FL	$820	$742–$850	—	—
Stuart, FL	$887	$600–$1,450	$1,750	$900–$2,000
Islamorada, FL	$900	$500–$1,475	$1,350	$800–$2,475
Marathon, FL	$995	$500–$1,500	$1,600	$800–$2,500
Kona, HI	$1,050	$974–$1,495	$1,545	$700–$1,895
Honolulu, HI	$1,050	$800–$1,399	$1,400	$1,300–$1,899
Key Largo, FL	$1,100	$750–$1,600	$1,700	$900–$2,200
Ketchikan, AK	$1,300	$1,100–$1,700	—	—
Corpus Christi, TX	—	—	$850	$650–$1,750
Nags Head, NC	—	—	$1,450	$550–$2,600
Asheville, NC	—	—	$500	$350–$650
Seward, AK	—	—	$339	$335–$465
Oswego, NY	—	—	$900	$550–$1,000
Island Park, ID	—	—	$736	$500–$850

Private trips for the whole boat (usually up to 4 to 6 anglers), not per-person party-boat fares. A town is shown when 3 or more boats publish that trip length. Checked October 2026; prices change, so confirm with the captain.

Explained

Why charter prices differ

What moves the price

Trip length. Half days (about 4 hours) suit inshore and nearshore fishing; offshore and deep-sea trips run 6 to 12 hours or more because of the run out and back.
The boat. A 22-foot bay boat for 3 anglers costs less than a 50-foot sportfisher with a crew. Bigger boats carry more people, so the price per person can be close.
How far you go. Fuel is a large part of an offshore trip. Some captains add a fuel surcharge when prices rise.
Group size. Most private prices cover up to 4 or 6 anglers; extra passengers often cost more. A party boat (head boat) charges per person instead and is the lowest-cost way to fish offshore.
What is included. Rods, bait, tackle and licenses are usually included on a licensed charter. Fish cleaning and the mate’s tip usually are not. How much to tip.

Questions

Charter price questions

How much does a half-day fishing charter cost?

The median published price for a private half-day trip is $600 across the towns compared here, from $325 in the lowest-priced town to $1,300 in the highest.

How much does a full-day fishing charter cost?

The median published price for a private full-day trip (about 8 hours) is $1,037 across the towns compared here.

Is a party boat cheaper than a charter?

Usually, per person. A party boat (head boat) sells individual spots on a large boat, while a charter rents the whole boat to your group. A charter costs more in total but you choose the plan and share the boat only with your group.

Where do these prices come from?

From the rates captains publish, as of October 2026. We only use published prices – never quotes or estimates.

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