Bonefish, Tarpon, and Offshore Pelagics - Your Keys Fishing Report for September 28, 2025

Good morning from the heart of the Florida Keys—this is Artificial Lure with your September 28, 2025 fishing report. Sunrise was at 7:18 AM and sunset is set for 7:17 PM, so you’ve got a solid window for all-day action. According to Tide-Forecast for Key West, your first high tide hit at 1:44 AM, and the morning low rolled in at 8:54 AM. The afternoon brings another high at 3:15 PM and the last low at 6:50 PM. That means optimal current swings line up well for both early risers and late-shift anglers. Weather’s starting off mild, with light east-southeasterly winds and skies expected to drift between partly cloudy and sunny. After a muggy night, water clarity is solid on both the bay and ocean sides—prime conditions for chasing everything from bonefish to pelagics. The Snapper and Grouper bite is still strong. The Daily Fish Report for Florida Keys says mangrove snapper are stacked up around the bridges and patch reefs, with a healthy dose of yellowtail holding on the deeper reefs. Grouper, especially reds and blacks, have been coming up steadily from spots around Tennessee Reef and the Islamorada humps—live pinfish or pilchards are money in these areas. Offshore, the pelagics are making some noise again. Mahi are moving through weed lines and debris fields 10 to 20 miles out—balanced tackle and drifting fresh ballyhoo or squid strips is pulling bigger fish, according to the latest Balanced Tackle offshore report. Wahoo are showing after the new moon with the first edge of the outgoing tide—run deep-diving plugs or high-speed troll bonita strips for your best shot. But don’t sleep on the backcountry. Everglades Fly Fishing Guide reports the juvenile tarpon action is still “crazy consistent” in both the early morning and late evening calm. These little acrobats are blasting topwater poppers at dawn, and streamer fans are pulling steady snook around the river mouths and creek inlets, especially near Flamingo and the Cape Sable channels. Your best bets for lures today: - **Poppers and walk-the-dog plugs** for early morning tarpon and snook. - **Chartreuse bucktail jigs** with a little scent for mangrove snapper and shallow-water grouper. - **Pilchards, pinfish, or fresh ballyhoo** if you’re after big reef-dwellers or aiming offshore at dolphin. Preferred baitwise, nothing beats a fresh pilchard on the patch reefs right now—free-line for yellowtail, or send one down on a knocker rig for grouper. If you’re fishin' the bridges, shrimp worked slow around the pilings is hooking plenty of mangrove snapper and the occasional mutton. For hotspots, hit Alligator Reef early for mutton snapper and scattered sailfish, and swing by Channel 5 bridge for a reliable mixed bag—mangrove snapper, keeper grouper, and roaming jacks. If you’re sight-fishing the flats, the stretch around Sugarloaf Key is loaded with bonefish and the occasional permit, especially on an incoming tide. The fall run’s building momentum—expect numbers and sizes to improve as we slide t This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.