The Florida Keys fishing conditions and tides
Florida · Atlantic coast · 1.6 ft mean tide range · 36 ppt
Flats, patch reefs and a barrier reef with bluewater a few miles off the beach
Current conditions
Excellent
Fishing score 89/100
How this score is calculated
79°F against a 74–86°F band for tarpon.
Incoming (flood) at 0.2 ft, moving 0.1 ft/hr. Moderate movement; fish the tightest current seams you can find.
5 mph out of the NW. Workable wind with useful chop.
1.6 ft at 11 seconds. Good working surf for beaches and inlets.
Good working clarity with some colour for cover.
30.03 inHg and falling.
56% illumination — neap tides with a smaller exchange.
Fall pattern is fully established for this zone.
What should I do today?
The highest-percentage pattern for this tide and this wind.
Backup pattern
Bonefish — sight casting small shrimp flies or live shrimp in 1–4 ft. Tail on the ocean-side and bay-side hard-bottom flats on the first push of a warm flood.
Right now
Current conditions
Tide
Incoming (flood)
0.2 ft, +0.1 ft/hr
Next high
8:31 AM
1.4 ft
Next low
2:44 PM
0.2 ft
Mean range
1.6 ft
Typical high-to-low swing
Water temp
79°F
-1.3°F / 3 days
Water clarity
Lightly stained
Salinity about 36 ppt
Swell
1.6 ft
11 second period
Wind
5 mph
Out of the NW
Pressure
30.03"
Falling pressure — a change is moving in
Air temp
87°F
29% cloud cover
Moon
56%
First Quarter · solunar 12/100
Daylight
6:30 AM
Sunset 5:49 PM
Timing
Today's tides and fishing windows
- Low tide (0.2 ft) — tide change window1:19 AM – 3:19 AM
- Morning prime window6:05 AM – 8:50 AM
- Solunar major 26:06 AM – 8:06 AM
- Sunrise6:30 AM
- High tide (1.4 ft) — tide change window7:31 AM – 9:31 AM
- Low tide (0.2 ft) — tide change window1:44 PM – 3:44 PM
- Evening window3:49 PM – 6:24 PM
- Sunset5:49 PM
- Solunar major 16:06 PM – 8:06 PM
- High tide (1.4 ft) — tide change window7:56 PM – 9:56 PM
Targets
Target species in this zone
| Species | Activity | Depth | Best tide | Technique | Bait | Active temp | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarpon | ★★★★★ | 4–25 ft | Strongest hour of the outgoing under the bridges | Live crab drifted with the current, fly on the flats | Pass crabs, mullet | 74–86°F | March through July |
| Bonefish | ★★★★★ | 1–4 ft | Incoming over warm flats | Sight casting small shrimp flies or live shrimp | Live shrimp | 72–86°F | Year-round, best March through May and September through November |
| Permit | ★★★★☆ | 2–110 ft | Calm water on a rising tide | Crab fly or live crab on light leader | Live crab | 74–86°F | March through June |
| Yellowtail Snapper | ★★★★★ | 30–90 ft | Steady current over the reef | Light leader knocker rig in a chum slick | Silversides, cut ballyhoo | 72–86°F | Year-round |
- Tarpon: Stage under the bridge channels on strong tides in April through June, and roll the flats edges at dawn.
- Bonefish: Tail on the ocean-side and bay-side hard-bottom flats on the first push of a warm flood.
- Permit: Hold on the wrecks in 60–120 ft and cruise the flats on calm days; notoriously selective.
- Yellowtail Snapper: Chum them up behind the boat on the reef in 40–80 ft — the most reliable meal fish in the Keys.
Structure
Habitat and structure that holds fish
- Turtle grass flat
- Patch reef
- Barrier reef
- Bridge channel
- Blue water edge
- Seven Mile Bridge channels
- Content Keys flats
- Alligator Reef
- Marathon Hump
- Bahia Honda channel
Surf and beach notes
There is no real surf — wind is the limiting factor. Anything over 15 knots shuts down flats sight fishing.
Bait in the zone
Live shrimp and pass crabs inshore, pilchards and ballyhoo on the reef.
Patterns
Season-by-season patterns
Spring
74–82°FTarpon migration peaks, permit are on the flats, and the reef bite is steady — the strongest overall season.
Summer
84–90°FFlats fishing is a dawn and dusk game; the reef and offshore dolphin fishing carry the daytime.
Fall
80–86°FBonefish return in numbers, mutton snapper move shallow, and pressure drops with the crowds.
Winter
70–76°FCold fronts push fish off the flats into deeper channels; sailfish show on the reef edge behind north winds.
Outlook
7-day fishing forecast
| Day | Score | Water | Wind | Swell | First high tide | Best species | Morning window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | 89Excellent | 79°F | 5 mph NW | 1.6 ft | 8:31 AM (1.4 ft) | Tarpon | 6:05 AM – 8:50 AM |
| Tue | 78Very Good | 78°F | 22 mph E | 2.2 ft | 9:22 AM (1.5 ft) | Tarpon | 6:06 AM – 8:51 AM |
| Wed | 88Excellent | 79°F | 16 mph S | 2.6 ft | 10:12 AM (1.6 ft) | Tarpon | 6:06 AM – 8:51 AM |
| Thu | 94Excellent | 80°F | 15 mph S | 2 ft | 11:03 AM (1.7 ft) | Tarpon | 6:07 AM – 8:52 AM |
| Fri | 88Excellent | 78°F | 19 mph SE | 3.2 ft | 11:53 AM (1.7 ft) | Tarpon | 6:07 AM – 8:52 AM |
| Sat | 91Excellent | 80°F | 15 mph NW | 2.2 ft | 12:18 AM (1.8 ft) | Tarpon | 6:08 AM – 8:53 AM |
| Sun | 95Excellent | 80°F | 12 mph W | 0.9 ft | 1:59 AM (1.8 ft) | Tarpon | 6:08 AM – 8:53 AM |
Trends
Last 7 days
Water temperature
78°F → 79°F
Wind
6 mph → 5 mph
Swell
1 ft → 1.6 ft
Daily score
94 → 89
Water temperature has been stable within 1°F all week, so the established fall pattern should hold.
The water
About The Florida Keys
The Keys are three fisheries stacked within sight of each other: the shallow backcountry flats of Florida Bay, the patch reefs and the main reef line in 20–80 ft, and the Gulf Stream edge in blue water. Tide range is small at under 2 ft, but the water that moves across those flats is everything — bonefish and permit follow it in, and tarpon sit in the channels it drains through.
Local knowledge
Expert notes
- On the flats, the fish are looking up-current. Approach from down-current, and lead a cruising bonefish by about six feet on a calm day, ten if it's breezy.
- Under the bridges, tarpon sit in the shadow line on the up-current side of a piling. Drift a crab so it passes into that shadow, not across the open channel.
- Yellowtail come up in the chum slick, not down to your bait. Start with a long leader and no weight, and only add weight when you can't reach them.
Logistics
Access, ramps and launches
boat ramp
Marathon public ramp
Central access to both the ocean and bay sides.
camping
Bahia Honda State Park
Camping, kayak launch and shore access to a deep channel.
kayak launch
Islamorada backcountry launch
Paddle access to the bay-side flats and mangrove shorelines.
marina
Key West Bight marina
Full service, charters and fuel.
Rules
Regulations
- Florida saltwater fishing license required unless fishing from a licensed charter or pier.
- Tarpon, bonefish and permit are catch-and-release in most Keys waters; tarpon over 40 inches must remain in the water.
- Special rules apply inside Everglades National Park and Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary zones.
Always verify current regulations with the relevant state wildlife agency before fishing. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Transparency
Data sources
Where this data comes from
Conditions are modelled from each water's documented climate, structure and seasonal patterns. Modules marked “Live data integration pending” are not yet pulling from their API, so those values are clearly labelled as sample data rather than presented as real-time readings.
Weather API
PendingNOAA / National Weather Service — Air temperature, wind, cloud cover, rainfall and barometric pressure with a 7-day forecast.
Water Level & Flow API
PendingUSGS Water Services — Reservoir stage, discharge and 7-day level trend from the nearest gauge.
Water Temperature
PendingUSGS / NOAA buoys — Surface water temperature and its multi-day trend.
Tide & Current API
PendingNOAA CO-OPS — Tide predictions, current direction and speed for coastal zones.
Moon & Solunar
LiveComputed on-site — Moon phase, illumination and solunar major/minor periods are calculated from date and coordinates.
Water Clarity
PendingSatellite imagery + angler reports — Visibility estimates by lake arm, refined by submitted fishing reports.
Fishing Regulations
PendingState wildlife agencies — License, size and creel rules, linked to the official agency page for verification.
Map Data
PendingBathymetry + access point database — Depth zones, structure locations and boat ramps for the lake infographic.
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