Episode Details
Back to Episodes
Islamorada Fishing Report: Tarpon, Snook, and Bonefish Abound in the Upper Keys
Published 7 months, 1 week ago
Description
Good morning from Islamorada, this is Artificial Lure and here’s your up-to-the-minute fishing report for Saturday, September 20th, 2025.
Starting off, the sunrise hit at 7:11 this morning with sunset coming at 7:22 tonight, giving us a solid window of daylight and prime fishing hours. Right now, we’re riding a high tidal coefficient of 88—according to the Flamingo (Florida Bay) tide logs that equals big water movement and some lively bites. The day’s tides set up like this: low at 3:16 am, a push to high tide at 10:17 am, dropping out to another low around 3:14 pm, then a healthy upsurge to the final high tonight at 11:08 pm. These conditions mean plenty of bait flushing through the channels and flats all day, and the fish have been responding accordingly.
Weather’s been classic late September Keys—temperatures holding in the low 80s early, climbing towards the upper 80s by midday. Winds out the east-southeast at about 10 to 15 knots, which isn’t too much to keep you off the water but just right to kick up some action along the reef edges and the Gulf-side banks. Water clarity is looking good after a string of steady weather, so if you’re sight-fishing, get your sunnies and be ready for those flashes.
Recent catches in and around Islamorada have been red hot, according to the latest Daily Fish Report for the Florida Keys. The mullet run is on, which pulls in a parade of tarpon, snook, and big jacks around the bridges and backcountry channels. Guides and local anglers have been scoring limits of mangrove snapper on the patch reefs and inshore structure, with plenty of keeper yellowtail snapper mixed in for those drifting cut bait over the reefs. Offshore, the mahi bite has slowed slightly since the height of summer but there are still decent schoolies showing south of Alligator Reef, particularly around floating debris and weedlines.
Early morning on the flats has been all about bonefish and permit. Shrimp-tipped jigs, live crabs, and small soft plastics—especially Gulp! or natural-tone Z-Man lures—have been landing bones in the 4-6 pound range. Some big permit over the 15-pound mark were reported hooked and landed just this week around Channel 2 and Channel 5 bridges. If you’re looking for action, hit those outgoing tide periods and work the bait edges.
Backcountry hot spots to check this weekend: the Snake Bight and Trout Creek area is loaded with snook and redfish. Tossing live pilchards or topwater lures early should put you into solid numbers, especially on the higher water. Those looking for tarpon should swing by the bridges at first light or just before sunset—big mullet or a plug bounced along the shadow lines will do the trick.
For live bait, you can’t go wrong with pilchards or pinfish, but if you’re fishing artificials, MirrOlure Suspending Twitchbaits and DOA glow shrimp have been out-producing most other plastics, especially around the mangrove edges. Offshore folks, troll bright skirted ballyhoo for mahi, and switch to vertical jigs for any blackfin tuna hanging off the humps.
My top spots of the day:
- Channel 5 Bridge for snook, snapper, and permit on the tide change.
- The flats off Whale Harbor for early bonefish and the occasional cruising tarpon.
That’s the scene from right here in the Heart of the Upper Keys. Thanks for tuning in to your Islamorada fishing report—don’t forget to subscribe for the next round of on-the-water updates and the hottest bite intel.
This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.
Starting off, the sunrise hit at 7:11 this morning with sunset coming at 7:22 tonight, giving us a solid window of daylight and prime fishing hours. Right now, we’re riding a high tidal coefficient of 88—according to the Flamingo (Florida Bay) tide logs that equals big water movement and some lively bites. The day’s tides set up like this: low at 3:16 am, a push to high tide at 10:17 am, dropping out to another low around 3:14 pm, then a healthy upsurge to the final high tonight at 11:08 pm. These conditions mean plenty of bait flushing through the channels and flats all day, and the fish have been responding accordingly.
Weather’s been classic late September Keys—temperatures holding in the low 80s early, climbing towards the upper 80s by midday. Winds out the east-southeast at about 10 to 15 knots, which isn’t too much to keep you off the water but just right to kick up some action along the reef edges and the Gulf-side banks. Water clarity is looking good after a string of steady weather, so if you’re sight-fishing, get your sunnies and be ready for those flashes.
Recent catches in and around Islamorada have been red hot, according to the latest Daily Fish Report for the Florida Keys. The mullet run is on, which pulls in a parade of tarpon, snook, and big jacks around the bridges and backcountry channels. Guides and local anglers have been scoring limits of mangrove snapper on the patch reefs and inshore structure, with plenty of keeper yellowtail snapper mixed in for those drifting cut bait over the reefs. Offshore, the mahi bite has slowed slightly since the height of summer but there are still decent schoolies showing south of Alligator Reef, particularly around floating debris and weedlines.
Early morning on the flats has been all about bonefish and permit. Shrimp-tipped jigs, live crabs, and small soft plastics—especially Gulp! or natural-tone Z-Man lures—have been landing bones in the 4-6 pound range. Some big permit over the 15-pound mark were reported hooked and landed just this week around Channel 2 and Channel 5 bridges. If you’re looking for action, hit those outgoing tide periods and work the bait edges.
Backcountry hot spots to check this weekend: the Snake Bight and Trout Creek area is loaded with snook and redfish. Tossing live pilchards or topwater lures early should put you into solid numbers, especially on the higher water. Those looking for tarpon should swing by the bridges at first light or just before sunset—big mullet or a plug bounced along the shadow lines will do the trick.
For live bait, you can’t go wrong with pilchards or pinfish, but if you’re fishing artificials, MirrOlure Suspending Twitchbaits and DOA glow shrimp have been out-producing most other plastics, especially around the mangrove edges. Offshore folks, troll bright skirted ballyhoo for mahi, and switch to vertical jigs for any blackfin tuna hanging off the humps.
My top spots of the day:
- Channel 5 Bridge for snook, snapper, and permit on the tide change.
- The flats off Whale Harbor for early bonefish and the occasional cruising tarpon.
That’s the scene from right here in the Heart of the Upper Keys. Thanks for tuning in to your Islamorada fishing report—don’t forget to subscribe for the next round of on-the-water updates and the hottest bite intel.
This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.