Early June Upper Keys: Tarpon at First Light, Mahi Building Offshore

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your South Florida salt report from the Upper Keys through Miami. We’re sitting under a classic early‑June pattern: hot, humid, and breezy. Overnight showers offshore, then a mix of sun and passing clouds through the day. Expect low 80s at first light, pushing upper 80s by afternoon. Southeast wind about 10–15 knots along the reef and inside Biscayne Bay, a bit stronger outside. Seas 2–4 feet on the ocean side, with a light chop in the Bay. Typical summer stuff: build‑up of clouds and a shot at a thunderstorm late afternoon. Tide‑wise, we’re on those summer higher highs and decent moving water. Around the Upper Keys and Government Cut, look for an early incoming pushing mid‑morning, topping out late morning, then a solid outgoing through the afternoon. That morning flood around the channels and bridges has been the prime chew, with another good window right as that water starts dumping out in the evening. Sunrise is right around six‑thirty, with sunset just after eight. That gives you long low‑light windows, and those have absolutely been the money bites. Inshore from Key Largo to Islamorada, guides have been reporting solid tarpon action at the bridges on the darker tides and first light, mostly fish in the 60–100‑pound class with a few big girls pushing well over that. Live mullet, crabs, and big pinfish are the ticket, but the dawn surface bite on black‑and‑purple or root‑beer swimbaits and big soft‑plastic jerkbaits has been hot when the current’s right. On the flats and backcountry edges, snook and redfish have been chewing on the incoming. Pilchards and shrimp under a popping cork, or 3–4 inch paddle tails in natural greenback or gold hues, have been putting plenty of fish in the boat. Bonefish are still active on the oceanside flats with the higher sun; small shrimp patterns on light jigs have been producing tailers mid‑morning. Offshore from the Keys and Miami, the early summer mahi run has been getting better every day. Boats working weedlines and birds in 500–900 feet have been bringing in good numbers of schoolies with some gaffers mixed in. Pilchards, ballyhoo strips, and small trolling lures in blue‑and‑white or pink‑and‑chartreuse are doing damage. Keep a spinning rod rigged with a small bucktail or epoxy jig to pitch at followers. On the reef edge, the snapper bite has been strong. Yellowtail and mangrove snapper are piling up on the 40–80 foot marks on that evening outgoing. Chumming heavy and fishing light leaders with small pieces of cut bait or shrimp has been key. Add a little glow or chartreuse bead above the hook if the water’s got some color. In and around Miami, Biscayne Bay has been giving up seatrout, small mangroves, and a few keeper snook along the mangrove edges and finger channels. Live shrimp and small white or glow paddletails have been consistent. Around Government Cut, there’ve been some tarpon and jacks at dawn and dusk, plus a mixed bag of snapper and the odd grouper around structure using live pilchards and pinfish. Best lures and baits right now: - For tarpon: live crabs and mullet, big black‑and‑purple swimbaits, and silver‑black hard plugs. - For snapper: cut ballyhoo, squid strips, and shrimp on light tackle. - For inshore snook/redfish: white or new penny paddletails, gold spoons, and live pilchards. - For mahi: trolling feathers in blue/white, pink/chartreuse, and small chuggers, plus chunked ballyhoo for followers. A couple of hot spots to circle on the chart: - The Islamorada bridge chain and Channel 2/5 for tarpon and snapper on those moving tides. - The outside edge of Biscayne Bay and Government Cut mouth at dawn for tarpon, jacks, and mixed bottom fish. That’s the word from the water. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn