Early Summer Islamorada: Dawn and Dusk Bites on the Flats and Bridges

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Islamorada fishing report from the heart of the Upper Keys. We’ve got classic early-summer conditions in the islands right now: light to moderate southeast breeze, warm humid air, and clear, hot days. Skies are mostly fair with a chance of a passing shower or two riding in off the Atlantic. Wind has been running in that 8–12 knot range, enough ripple to keep things comfortable but not enough to blow you off the water. Expect that sticky midday heat, so plan to fish dawn and dusk hard. Sunrise is right around six-thirty in the morning, with sunset just after eight in the evening, giving you a long window to work those low-light bites along the edges of the flats and around structure. Those first two hours of daylight and last two before dark have been the money shots this week. Tides around Islamorada are in that moderate summer pattern: a decent incoming pushing up onto the oceanside flats mid-morning, then a falling tide through the afternoon. On the bay side, it’s running a little later. That incoming has been key for bones and permit on the oceanside flats, and the first of the outgoing has fired up the tarpon and snook around the bridges and deeper edges. Offshore, the humps have been alive. Boats running out to the Islamorada Hump and nearby structure have been finding good numbers of schoolie mahi with a few gaffers mixed in, plus blackfin tuna deeper in the column. Anglers have been boxing solid mahi limits on trolled feathers, small chuggers, and ballyhoo, with some nicer fish on live pilchards and cigar minnows. A few sails are still popping up in the spread when you hit cleaner edges. On the reef, the yellowtail bite has been steady in 60–90 feet. A light chum slick, 12–20 pound fluoro leaders, and small hooks have been the ticket. Cut ballyhoo and squid chunks are producing steady flags with some mangrove and mutton snapper mixed in. Grouper are still hanging around the ledges and patch reefs early, hitting live pinfish and big plugs bounced tight to the bottom. Inshore, the backcountry has been classic Islamorada. Snook and redfish are holding along mangrove shorelines and creek mouths on the bay side, especially where the current pushes bait across points. Live shrimp, pilchards, or soft plastics like paddletails in natural hues have all been getting eaten. Tarpon are still around the bridges and channels; dusk and after dark have been best. Drift live mullet or crabs along the shadow lines and hang on. On the flats, bonefish and the occasional permit have been showing on that incoming water when the sun gets high enough to see. Small shrimp-pattern jigs, light fluorocarbon, and a quiet approach are key. Fly anglers have done well with small, tan or olive shrimp flies. Best lures right now: Soft plastic paddletails and jerkbaits in pearl, new penny, and olive for snook and reds. Topwater walkers and small poppers at first light around shorelines and points. Bucktail jigs tipped with shrimp or strip baits around the bridges and channels. Offshore, small trolling feathers, skirted ballyhoo, and diving plugs are all putting mahi and tuna in the box. Bait-wise, live pilchards, pinfish, mullet, shrimp, and crabs are king. If you can black out the well with pilchards, you can chum your way into a serious snapper, tuna, or mahi bite. A couple of hot spots to circle: – The Islamorada Hump for mahi and blackfin, especially working the edges with live bait. – The channels and bridges around Channel 2 and Channel 5 for tarpon, snook, and mixed snapper on moving water. That’s your Islamorada rundown from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a 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