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Islamorada Late-Fall Fishing Frenzy: Snook, Tuna, Sailfish, and More!
Published 5 months, 1 week ago
Description
Artificial Lure here with your boots-on-the-dock fishing report for Islamorada, Thursday, November 20, 2025.
We’re waking to perfect late-fall Keys weather—skies are clear, humidity’s down, and that breeze off the Atlantic is settling in around 15 mph, just enough to keep the bugs down and the fish moving. The temperature’s running from a pleasant 73°F up to about 81°F this afternoon, with the water temp steady at 77°F—prime conditions for just about every target in these waters. Sunrise came at 7:25 a.m., and sunset will be at 6:48 p.m., giving you more than 11 hours of bright, beautiful daylight to chase that bite, and believe me, it’s on.
Today’s tides are textbook for aggressive feeding. We’ve got a high tide at 3:09 p.m., with a low at 9:26 a.m., so expect the bite to really get going late morning and again on the full push this afternoon. Solunar tables rate today as a hot one for fishing, with peak major activity windows running from 1:19 to 3:19 a.m. and 1:37 to 3:37 p.m.—that afternoon run should be electric for both inshore and offshore crews, especially with the moon up during those hours according to Tideschart.com and Tide-Forecast.
Let’s talk action. Inshore, it’s been an all-you-can-eat buffet with mangrove snapper and sea trout absolutely stacked on the flats and along the bridges—reports from Florida Insider Fishing and Captain Experiences say they’re biting shrimp-tipped jigs and live pilchards hard. Spanish mackerel are showing up in solid numbers too, chasing glass minnows, so try flashy spoons or sardine-pattern swimbaits near the surface for a fast hit.
Snook are cruising mangrove shorelines and the back bays—best bets are live pilchards, finger mullet, or a walk-the-dog topwater at first light. If you’re out at night, target dock lights with shrimp or small paddle tails—the “thump” is for real this week. Tarpon still aren’t done; they’re rampaging through mullet schools west in the backcountry, especially on the evening tides.
Offshore, the Islamorada Humps are red hot for blackfin tuna—anglers are doubling down with live pilchards dropped deep, or vertical jigs in pink and silver to trigger that reaction bite. Dolphin (mahi-mahi) are still in the mix just past 120 feet, smoking trolled rigged ballyhoo or bright-skirted lures. Early runs out east have spotted sailfish biting especially well—kite up a live goggle eye and stick close to the color change.
The reefs are steady money: yellowtail and mutton snapper can’t resist strip baits of squid or cut ballyhoo fished light. Grouper are still coming in—there’s a few more weeks left before the season closes, so drop big pinfish or blue runners tight to structure and get ready to tussle.
Best baits of the week:
- Inshore—live pilchards, finger mullet, and paddle tails, plus topwater plugs for that snook thunder.
- Offshore—ballyhoo and bright-skirted trolling lures for dolphin; vertical jigs and live pilchards for tuna; kite fished goggle eyes for sailfish.
- Reef and bridge—strips of squid or ballyhoo, and big live baits for grouper.
Hot spots you’ll want to hit:
- Government Cut at first light for snook and tarpon.
- Haulover Inlet for jack crevalle and Spanish mack attacks near the rocks.
- Islamorada Humps for those tuna and early arrivals of sailfish.
- Long Key Bridge for steady mangrove snapper and sea trout feeding on shrimp jigs.
For the fly crowd, cobia and tripletail are still loafing in clear water—white Deceivers or olive Clouser Minnows have been getting the eats.
That’s your Islamorada fishing fix for today. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for daily Florida Keys reports and more top tips. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
We’re waking to perfect late-fall Keys weather—skies are clear, humidity’s down, and that breeze off the Atlantic is settling in around 15 mph, just enough to keep the bugs down and the fish moving. The temperature’s running from a pleasant 73°F up to about 81°F this afternoon, with the water temp steady at 77°F—prime conditions for just about every target in these waters. Sunrise came at 7:25 a.m., and sunset will be at 6:48 p.m., giving you more than 11 hours of bright, beautiful daylight to chase that bite, and believe me, it’s on.
Today’s tides are textbook for aggressive feeding. We’ve got a high tide at 3:09 p.m., with a low at 9:26 a.m., so expect the bite to really get going late morning and again on the full push this afternoon. Solunar tables rate today as a hot one for fishing, with peak major activity windows running from 1:19 to 3:19 a.m. and 1:37 to 3:37 p.m.—that afternoon run should be electric for both inshore and offshore crews, especially with the moon up during those hours according to Tideschart.com and Tide-Forecast.
Let’s talk action. Inshore, it’s been an all-you-can-eat buffet with mangrove snapper and sea trout absolutely stacked on the flats and along the bridges—reports from Florida Insider Fishing and Captain Experiences say they’re biting shrimp-tipped jigs and live pilchards hard. Spanish mackerel are showing up in solid numbers too, chasing glass minnows, so try flashy spoons or sardine-pattern swimbaits near the surface for a fast hit.
Snook are cruising mangrove shorelines and the back bays—best bets are live pilchards, finger mullet, or a walk-the-dog topwater at first light. If you’re out at night, target dock lights with shrimp or small paddle tails—the “thump” is for real this week. Tarpon still aren’t done; they’re rampaging through mullet schools west in the backcountry, especially on the evening tides.
Offshore, the Islamorada Humps are red hot for blackfin tuna—anglers are doubling down with live pilchards dropped deep, or vertical jigs in pink and silver to trigger that reaction bite. Dolphin (mahi-mahi) are still in the mix just past 120 feet, smoking trolled rigged ballyhoo or bright-skirted lures. Early runs out east have spotted sailfish biting especially well—kite up a live goggle eye and stick close to the color change.
The reefs are steady money: yellowtail and mutton snapper can’t resist strip baits of squid or cut ballyhoo fished light. Grouper are still coming in—there’s a few more weeks left before the season closes, so drop big pinfish or blue runners tight to structure and get ready to tussle.
Best baits of the week:
- Inshore—live pilchards, finger mullet, and paddle tails, plus topwater plugs for that snook thunder.
- Offshore—ballyhoo and bright-skirted trolling lures for dolphin; vertical jigs and live pilchards for tuna; kite fished goggle eyes for sailfish.
- Reef and bridge—strips of squid or ballyhoo, and big live baits for grouper.
Hot spots you’ll want to hit:
- Government Cut at first light for snook and tarpon.
- Haulover Inlet for jack crevalle and Spanish mack attacks near the rocks.
- Islamorada Humps for those tuna and early arrivals of sailfish.
- Long Key Bridge for steady mangrove snapper and sea trout feeding on shrimp jigs.
For the fly crowd, cobia and tripletail are still loafing in clear water—white Deceivers or olive Clouser Minnows have been getting the eats.
That’s your Islamorada fishing fix for today. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for daily Florida Keys reports and more top tips. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn