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Winter Fishing Report From the Florida Keys

Winter Fishing Report From the Florida Keys

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 Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in from the Florida Keys.

We’re sitting on a mellow winter pattern: light northeast breeze early, laying out mid‑day, air in the low 70s, water temps hovering upper 60s to low 70s inshore. Skies are mostly clear, and that “bluebird” look has the water gin‑clear on the flats.

According to Tides4Fishing’s Key West tables, we’ve got a moderate two‑stage tide today, with a pre‑dawn high easing into a late‑morning low and a solid afternoon push. That falling water at first light and the start of the incoming this afternoon are your key feed windows. Sunrise in the Lower Keys is around 7:10 a.m., sunset just before 6 p.m., so plan to fish hard first and last light.

Offshore out of Key West and Islamorada, the winter bite is classic Keys. Recent reports from local charter captains have sailfish showering ballyhoo along the edge in 100–200 feet, with blackfin tuna stacked on the humps and a few wahoo and kings mixed in. Boats working live ballyhoo, pilchards, and cigar minnows have been putting multiple sails in the air and boxing good numbers of football‑size tuna, plus a handful of mahi on the cleaner water edges.

On the reef, yellowtail and mutton snapper have been steady. Chum hard, drop back cut ballyhoo or squid on light leaders, and you’ll pick a limit of tails with a shot at a nice mutton or grouper on the bottom where it’s open. Shrimp and small jigs are knocking down porgies and lane snapper for those looking to bend the rod and fill the cooler.

Inshore around the mangroves and backcountry, Islamorada reports snook and redfish chewing on the falling tide, with speckled trout and mangrove snapper in the potholes and channels. Live shrimp under a popping cork or freelined to the bushes is money. Artificial‑wise, a 3‑ to 4‑inch paddle‑tail in natural bait colors on a light jighead, or a small gold spoon, has been producing consistent redfish and snook. At night, bridge lights are holding schoolie snook and snapper; free‑lined shrimp or small white jigs will keep you busy.

Bonefish and permit on the oceanside flats have been more of a late‑morning, early‑afternoon game once the sun gets up and warms that skinny water. Live shrimp or small crabs are top baits. For artificials, think small, tan shrimp patterns and light jighead shrimp imitations, worked slow and subtle.

Best overall baits right now:
- Live shrimp, pilchards, and ballyhoo offshore and reef.
- Shrimp and small crabs inshore and on the flats.
- For lures: 3‑inch paddle‑tails, bucktails, and white or pink jigs around bridges and channels; small topwaters or twitchbaits at first light on calm mornings in the backcountry.

Couple of hot spots if you’re heading out:
- The Islamorada Hump and surrounding edge for blackfin tuna and the occasional wahoo; work the live‑bait drift or vertical jigs when the current is right.
- Bahia Honda Bridge area for snapper, jacks, and night‑time snook, plus tarpon starts to show early some years when the water stays warm.

That’s the word from the Keys for now. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
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