Stella Fishing Co. is the longest running big game charter on Clearwater Beach, a family operation four generations deep, owned by a Coast Guard veteran, fishing out of the Clearwater Beach Municipal Marina. It runs proper offshore sportfishers rather than a head boat or a bay boat, and it backs them with the most consistent record of finding fish in the port. For a group that wants one boat to itself and the best shot at a full cooler, this is the call. It is also the most expensive way to fish Clearwater, and it is worth understanding why before you book.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 8.5 Stella is the top of the Clearwater ranking and the one private boat we would book with confidence. It earns the place on three things: captains who find fish across a deep, strong review record, two well kept offshore sportfishers, and a trip menu that runs from a half day on the nearshore reefs to an overnight at the Middle Grounds. The catch is the price. A private whole boat day starts around $950 and climbs past $2,000, so for a couple or a first timer on a budget the Queen Fleet or Double Eagle head boats make more sense. Among the private boats, Reel Deal Sportfishing and Fisheye Sportfishing are strong, smaller alternatives, and Gulfstream Fishing Charters takes the bigger groups. See the full Clearwater field.
The boat
Stella fishes three boats from Dock A: The Legend, a 43 foot Torres custom sportfish, The Lore, a 42 foot Post, and the Stella, a 32 foot Jupiter for lighter, faster trips. Each takes up to 6 anglers. These are cabin boats with the range, electronics, and fighting gear for a real offshore day, which is the practical difference from a center console: a drier ride, shade, and a head on a long trip. The trade for that quality is the booking model. You take the whole boat, so the per person cost only works out when you fill the deck with your own group.
The fishing and what you target
The water off Clearwater is a bottom fishing coast first, and Stella works it for red grouper year round, mangrove, lane, and vermilion snapper, amberjack, cobia, hogfish, and king and Spanish mackerel. The big game name is earned on the longer trips: the extended offshore and overnight runs reach the Middle Grounds for bigger grouper, red snapper in season, and pelagics including blackfin tuna, wahoo, and mahi mahi. Set expectations by the trip you book. A half day is reef bottom fishing, and the bluewater species come on the long runs, not the short ones. Gag grouper is closed for most of 2026, so red grouper carries the inshore reefs.
Trips and prices
Stella posts a clear ladder of whole boat rates. A nearshore half day of 4 to 5 hours starts at $950, an offshore 6 to 8 hour day at $1,350, and an extended 10 to 12 hour offshore trip at $2,395, with overnight Middle Grounds trips by quote. Summer adds short sunset trolling and evening shark trips. Split across a group of six, the half day lands near a head boat fare per person with none of the crowd; for two anglers it is far more than a walk on seat. Our cost guide and the party boat versus private charter guide lay out that math.
The crew
The crew is the reason Stella sits where it does. Across a deep set of reviews, the steady themes are captains who consistently find fish, mates who work hard on deck, and an accommodating front office. Reviewers single out captains and mates by name and describe coming home with full coolers trip after trip, including repeat customers on their third or fourth booking. This is an owner run, veteran led operation, so the person who books you is close to the boat, which is the opposite of the rotating head boat model.
Booking and what to know
Book direct through the Stella site, which uses an online system, and book ahead in summer, since the best dates fill first. The minimum age is 6, and military and first responder discounts are offered. Bring food, drinks, sunscreen, and a cooler; rods, tackle, bait, and licenses are covered. For an overnight, ask exactly how many hours are fishing time versus running time, since the Middle Grounds is a long steam each way.
How we scored it
Stella scores 8.5, the only top of the port grade in Clearwater, on the strength of its captains, its boats, and its full trip range, with the high private price the one factor that keeps value from matching the rest. Captain and crew, its heaviest weighted factor, is also its best. See how we scored this boat for the rubric, and the Clearwater ranking for the field.