Florida Keys & Miami Fishing Update: Fall Transitions, Big Tides, and Hot Spots for Snapper, Tarpon, and Flats Targets

Artificial Lure here, bringing you your Florida Keys and Miami fishing report for Sunday, October 5th, 2025. We started the day with **sunrise at 7:14 am and expect sunset to hit at 7:02 pm**. The moon set early at 5:30 am, with moonrise slated for 6:07 pm this evening. The skies are soft gray with a weak disturbance rolling in from the Bahamas, so you’ll notice **light south to southwest winds early, swinging east-southeast mid-morning, with seas easing off to 2–3 feet and the chop mellowing out a touch**. You might see a wandering shower, but the day is mostly stable—great conditions to ply the waters across the flats and bridges. **The tides are running big today—an excellent setup for working current edges and structure:** - **Low Tide:** 1:05 am, 0.44 ft - **High Tide:** 7:19 am, 3.35 ft - **Low Tide:** 1:30 pm, 0.39 ft - **High Tide:** 7:38 pm, 3.35 ft With today's **tidal coefficient at a whopping 98**, current flows are strong and the bite window should be wide, especially around dawn and again near dusk. Fish are in a Fall transition. Last week, anglers reported **good numbers of mangrove snapper around the bridges and deeper patches**, with catches up to 16" common. **Yellowtail snapper** action is steady on the outer reef edges—chumming with cut bait has been hot, and folks fishing near Tennessee Reef and Carysfort have been hauling in coolers full. Reports just yesterday said **mutton snapper up to 8 lbs** were taken drifting live pilchards near the ledges off Islamorada. **Tarpon activity has picked back up along the bridges at dusk, with several fish over 80 lbs hooked beneath Channel 5 and Long Key**. Miami inshore found **sea trout and jack crevalle in Biscayne Bay working soft plastics early**, especially in the outflow creeks. **Permit and bonefish** have been active across the flats from Marathon and Key Largo—most success coming on small crabs or shrimp-tipped jigs presented on the incoming tide. Best baits and lures today: - Live bait: **Pilchards** (for mutton and snapper), **shrimp** (for bonefish and permit), **small crabs** (permit on flats) - **Ballyhoo chunks and squid strips** on the patch reefs - Artificial: **Gulp! shrimp in new penny or white**, **DOA paddletails in electric chicken** for trout and jacks - Fly folks have been scoring on **tan Clouser minnows** and **spawning shrimp** patterns on the flats Hot spots to hit: - **Channel 2 Bridge and Long Key Bridge** for snapper, tarpon, and the chance at migratory grouper - **Carysfort Reef and Tennessee Reef** for yellowtail on a chumslick - **Biscayne Bay Mangrove Creeks** north of Card Sound for trout and juvenile tarpon - Flats off **Islamorada and Lower Keys** for permit and bonefish This week's best advice: fish moving water at tide change, anchor over structure edges, and adjust rigs for high current. Early morning and the last hour before sunset will be peak bite windows, especially with the moonrise matching that sunset pulse. Thanks for tu This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.