Florida Keys Fishing Report Sept 12 2025: Snook, Redfish, and Yellowtail Snapper Bite Strong

Good morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure coming at you with your Florida Keys fishing report for Friday, September 12, 2025. It's a gorgeous sunrise at 7:14AM, with sunset set for 7:39PM. Skies are mixed to partly cloudy, wind a light SE at 8 knots, and we're looking at a high of 86°F, so bring some shade and hydrate out there. For the tides, Longboat Key is seeing its high at 3:32AM at 3.31 ft, with low set for mid-morning. Over at Siesta Key, highs line up late morning and again midday—so plan to hit your prime fishing window around those changes. Tidal movements are moving moderate this week, so fish are feeding actively at changeover, especially with the moon dark and the water a bit cooler after last night's breeze. Offshore action is buzzing with yellowtail snapper. The deep reef patches—40 to 80 feet—have produced steady flags this week according to Captain Rick Murphy on the Florida Insider Fishing Report. Most fish are running from a pound and topping out over 4 lb for slabs. The best approach is heavy chumming (ground bonito, glass minnows, and silver sides), letting the fish boil up before you drop a line. Light spinning tackle with 12–15 lb test, matched with a #20 hook and clear mono leader, is putting meat in the cooler. Top baits are strips of bonito, squid, or ballyhoo—cut ‘em small and let ‘em drift back naturally. Dolphin (mahi-mahi) are still on the chew with several nice schoolies caught, plus a few bulls pushing 20 lbs, especially around floating debris and weed lines. Trolling small feathers and casting live pilchards or blue runners once you mark fish has been the ticket. Let your baits soak and the big ones are there if you’re patient. Inshore, it’s prime time for snook—September is basically snook Christmas. The outgoing tide is fishing best, especially near inlets, bridges, and seawalls. Live mullet and pilchards are working great, but don’t sleep on a black shad-colored Bass Assassin or a 4–5 inch jerkbait in Flamingo Flash. Stealth is key: cast close to structure, work soft plastics in the dusk/dawn hours, and expect most fish to be chunky with plenty over 40". Fort Doto and the mouth of the Manatee River are producing great numbers, and nighttime bridge bites are solid. Redfish are rolling into the bays strong as we hit these midday low tides. Reports from Bull Bay, Turtle Bay bars, and Rattlesnake Key show top results fishing pinfish under a cork or a quarter-ounce gold weedless spoon. The fish are settling in 4–5 ft depth, falling off the oyster bars and flats with the tide drop. Numbers are good, especially if you put time in and work the area slow. Charlotte Harbor, Long Bar Point, and Emerson Point have produced nice groups. Bonefish are tailing early on the flats. Look for pushes and flashes around Lower Keys’ sandy runs. Captain Jared Seir says live shrimp, rigged weedless and tossed just ahead of cruising fish, is the best bet. If you’re after grouper, shallow water gags are showing well, especiall This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.