Angling Adventures in the Florida Keys and Miami: A Crisp Fall Fishing Forecast

Good morning anglers, Artificial Lure here with your local fishing report for the Florida Keys and Miami waters, Friday November 14, 2025. Fishing conditions are prime as we kick off a crisp fall morning. Sunrise came at 6:57AM and we’ll see sunset at 5:38PM, so plan those sessions for max daylight. According to Tide-Forecast, tides around the Keys are shifting nicely: low at 3:40AM and again at 4:14PM, highs at 9:35AM and 10:12PM. Miami’s Haulover Inlet saw a bump early with a 6:51AM high and a midday dip to low at 1:28PM. These moving waters will get the fish fired up. Weather’s in our favor too. National Weather Service out of Key West says expect light ENE winds near 10 knots, with calm seas 1-2 feet. Skies are mostly clear and temps starting near 74°F, warming those flats and nearshore reefs. With that, water clarity is good and bait schools are working their way inside. Fish activity peaked right at dawn and will surge around those morning and evening high tides. Recent catches from holiday visitors and locals alike have been solid. Offshore, charter boats out of Islamorada landed nice blackfin tuna up to 20 pounds, a few sailfish, and plenty of mahi-mahi cruising weedlines. Reef action has been stellar for yellowtail snapper and mangrove snapper; most boats returned with limits, and mutton snapper are particularly frisky right after the shift at high tide. On the flats and bridges, bonefish and permit have been tailing shallow as waters warm, with schools reported near Channel 5 and Long Key. Tarpon are showing around bridges, especially at dusk; smaller juveniles are aggressive and taking live baits. Miami wrecks and reefs are loaded with Spanish mackerel. Get on the bite at Government Cut or down at Fowey Rocks—trolling silver spoons or casting Gotcha plugs has produced fast limits. Snook and juvenile tarpon have been active in the back bays near Biscayne Bay, feeding around structure right at first light and dusk. Haulover Sandbar’s been productive for sea trout and jacks hunting shrimp under popping corks. Best lures right now: Offshore, rigged ballyhoo and blue/white skirted lures are calling in the tuna and mahi. Around reefs, you can’t beat a yellow bucktail tipped with squid for snapper. Shallow flats, tie on a 1/8 oz jig with Gulp! shrimp in new penny or chartreuse—bonefish and permit can’t resist. For bridge tarpon, big live mullet drifted with a circle hook gets it done. Hotspots today: - **Channel 5 Bridge**: Heavy bonefish and permit traffic early, with mangrove snapper under the pilings. - **Islamorada Hump**: Blackfin tuna stacked, mahi cruising edges on weedlines. - **Fowey Rocks, Miami**: Spanish mackerel blitz, best with drifting spoons and small white jigs. - **Bayside near Dinner Key Marina**: Snook and juvenile tarpon feeding hard near mangrove edges. Live bait’s strong this week—pilchards and live shrimp are working magic for inshore and reef fish. Offshore, rigged ballyhoo and fresh bonito strips get the nod f This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.