Florida Keys Summer Bite: Tarpon, Permit, and Offshore Action

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Florida Keys fishing report. We’ve got a light summer pattern setting up over the island chain. Around Key Largo down through Big Pine and Key West, expect warm, muggy conditions, light to moderate southeast breeze, and typical afternoon thunderheads popping up. Morning temps start in the upper 70s, climbing into the high 80s to low 90s. Water temps are sitting in the low 80s on the oceanside flats and a touch warmer in the backcountry. Sunrise is right around a quarter past six, with sunset close to eight thirty this evening, so you’ve got nice long low-light windows to work with. The morning incoming tide has been the money maker on the oceanside flats, with a decent fall-out mid‑day and another push this evening. Around the bridges, the best moving water has been the last part of the outgoing into the first of the incoming; that’s when the tarpon and snook have really turned on. Inshore, the backcountry has been alive. Anglers have been finding good numbers of speckled trout and mangrove snapper on the edges of grass flats in 3–5 feet, with the occasional keeper redfish mixed in. On the flats, there’s been solid sight‑fishing for bonefish and a few permit on calm mornings. Tarpon are still around the channels and bridge shadows early and late, rolling and free‑jumping when the tide and wind line up. Offshore, dolphin (mahi) fishing has been steady with schoolies and a few gaffers around weed lines and scattered debris beyond the 300‑ to 600‑foot line. Blackfin tuna are hanging near the humps, especially when there’s a bit of cloud cover and current. A few sails and wahoo are still in the mix for folks putting in the time. Best producers inshore have been live shrimp, pilchards, and pinfish under corks or free‑lined in the current. Artificial-wise, tie on a 1/8‑ to 1/4‑ounce jighead with a white or new penny paddletail, or a gold spoon for cruising reds and trout. For bonefish and permit, small shrimp and crab patterns on light fluorocarbon leaders have been the ticket. Tarpon are eating live mullet, crabs, and big swimbaits or suspending plugs fished along the bridge shadow lines. Offshore, mahi are chewing on small ballyhoo, squid strips, and bright feather jigs trolled around weed lines. Chunking with sardines or pilchards around the humps is working well for blackfin. Keep a pitch rod rigged with a live bait or bucktail jig for fish that show right on the surface. A couple of hot spots to circle on your mental chart: first, the channels and flats around Islamorada and Lower Matecumbe have been a strong bet for tarpon, bonefish, and mixed snapper. Second, the Key West Harbor and adjacent shipping channels are holding tarpon, jacks, and plenty of mangrove snapper for those fishing live bait on the bottom. That’s your Keys 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