Early Summer Tarpon and Reef Action: Islamorada Fishing Report

This is Artificial Lure checking in with your Islamorada fishing report. We’ve got classic early-summer conditions in the Upper Keys. Overnight temps sat in the upper 70s, climbing into the mid to upper 80s this afternoon with humidity running high. Winds are light to moderate out of the east-southeast, generally 8 to 15 knots, laying down a bit toward evening. Skies are partly cloudy with the usual chance of a passing shower or thunderhead building over the bay in the afternoon. Sunrise is right around 6:30 a.m., with sunset close to 8:10 p.m., giving you a long, fishy day to work with. Tide-wise, around Islamorada and Whale Harbor you’re seeing an early morning incoming that tops out late morning, then a falling tide through the afternoon into early evening. That morning push of clean ocean water on the edge of the reef and around the bridges has been key, while the afternoon outgoing has lit up the backcountry creeks and mainland shorelines as that warmer bay water drains. On the reef line in 60 to 90 feet, the mutton snapper bite has stayed solid with boats picking a half-dozen or more quality fish when they hit the tide right, plus plenty of keeper yellowtail and a mix of mangroves. A few blackfin tuna are still hanging on the deeper humps at first light, though not as thick as spring. Sailfish are mostly a bonus bite now, but an occasional fish is still sliding through if you keep a flat line out. Live pilchards, cigar minnows, and ballyhoo are the ticket on the edge, but folks are also doing well on cut ballyhoo and squid for yellowtail. For artificials, small white bucktail jigs tipped with shrimp or strip baits and 3- to 4-inch paddletails in pearl or chartreuse on light jigheads are producing on the patch reefs. Inshore and backcountry, the tarpon bite around the bridges has been good on the late evening outgoing and the pre-dawn incoming. Fish in the 60- to 120-pound class are rolling and free-jumping around Channel 2, Channel 5, and the Long Key bridges. Live mullet and crabs are still king, but big soft-plastic jerkbaits in dark patterns and 1- to 2-ounce flare hawk jigs worked deep are getting eaten too. Make sure you’ve got heavy leader; there are some real bruisers around. Florida Bay and the Everglades side are seeing steady action on redfish, snook, and sea trout along the shorelines, island edges, and potholes on that afternoon falling water. Anglers poling the shallows are finding tailing reds and laid-up snook where the slightly cooler, cleaner water is moving. Topwater plugs at first light – classic walk-the-dog baits in bone or mullet patterns – have been hot, followed by 1/8- to 1/4-ounce jigheads with shrimp or Gulp tails once the sun gets up. Live shrimp under a popping cork is still a sure thing for trout and mangroves on the edges. If you’re looking for hot spots today, I’d put time in around: – The Islamorada and Whale Harbor bridge spans at first light and again late evening for tarpon, snook, and the odd big jack. – The patch reefs off Alligator Reef and Crocker Reef in 20 to 40 feet for a mixed bag of yellowtail, mangroves, muttons, and the occasional grouper when that tide is moving. Offshore, when the weeds set up right, mahi are starting to show more consistently as the water warms, with schoolies and a few larger gaffers showing under weedlines and debris. Trolling small skirted ballyhoo, naked ballyhoo, or bright chuggers and dinks in green and blue has produced, and once you find them, cutting the motor and pitching small live baits or chunks keeps the school around. Best overall bet today: fish early and late around moving water, keep your tackle versatile – a live bait rod, a jig rod, and something ready for a passing cobia or mahi – and watch the sky for those afternoon boomers. This is Artificial Lure signing off. 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