Keys Fishing Report Highlights: Mahi, Wahoo, Snapper, Permit, and More

Good morning, this is Artificial Lure bringing you your Florida Keys fishing report for Sunday, August 31, 2025. The sun came up right at 7:08 AM and will set tonight at 7:46 PM. We’ve got a mild tidal swing today—according to Tide-Forecast.com, high tide was at 3:15 this morning, low is around 11:00 AM, with the afternoon high at 5:18, and a quick drop to evening low at 7:33. Currents are running pretty weak with a tidal coefficient around 38, so don’t expect strong water movement to stir things up, but that’s not always a bad thing if you know where to look. Weather’s classic late summer Keys—warm, a touch humid, but not much wind early on, so it’s slick and glassy out on the nearshore and backcountry. That means good sight-fishing before midday heat drives fish to deeper edges. On the action front, the bite across the Keys has stayed lively. According to the Daily Fish Report for Florida Keys, offshore, mahi are still running hot, with steady catches of schoolies and the occasional bull out in 200–400 feet, especially on weedlines and under frigate birds. Trolling small, bright skirted ballyhoo rigs or naked rigs in green and blue has been the ticket. Wahoo reports are trickling in—best at first light with purple or black Rapalas or high-speed trolling lures in 180–300 feet. The reefs are loaded up on snapper right now, especially mangroves and lanes, with yellowtails responding well to chum and live pilchards or cut baits. Grouper remains solid in 30–80 feet, especially if you can position yourself right on the top of the slack tides—big pinfish and grunts as bait are a must. On the bridges and in the channels, tarpon are still making a show on the outgoing tide, particularly Bridge 5 and Channel 2 bridges. Live mullet and crabs are best, but at night, a big swimbait or DOA TerrorEyz can pull a take. Backcountry has been steady for bonefish and permit, particularly on the oceanside flats near Sugarloaf and Long Key. Early morning on the incoming tide, poling or wading with live shrimp or small Gulp jerk baits in natural patterns is your best shot. For permit, crab-pattern jigs or a well-cast live crab will get the job done if you’re quiet on approach. Hot spots to put on your list today: - **Western Dry Rocks:** Mahi and occasional wahoo just offshore from the drop. - **Alligator Reef:** Consistent snapper and grouper action, especially drifting the deeper edges. - **Channel 5 Bridge:** Tarpon at dusk and dawn, snappers around the fenders throughout the day. - **Marquesas Flats:** Bonefish in the morning, baby tarpon deep in the mangroves. Best baits and lures right now: Offshore, rigged ballyhoo, pink and blue skirted lures, and Yo-Zuris for wahoo. Reefs—live pilchards, grunt plugs, and bucktail jigs tipped with squid. Flats—live shrimp, Gulp jerk shads in ‘New Penny’ or ‘Natural’, and for fly anglers, small tan and pink shrimp patterns are moving fish. If you’re hitting the water today, stay alert for passing storms in the aftern This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.