Keys Fishing Report: Mellow Conditions, Mixed Bag Bites

Morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure reporting your Florida Keys fishing report for Monday, October 27, 2025. We’re kicking off with a quick summary of the water and weather. Today, Key West and the Middle Keys see sunrise at 7:27 AM and sunset at 6:46 PM. We’re looking at comfortable conditions with mostly clear skies and moderate winds, a perfect backdrop for a full day’s fishing in the islands. Tide-wise, it’s an average day on the flats and channels. Around Conch Key, the first high tide slid in at 12:06 AM at 1.79 feet, then we’ve got a low at 7:36 AM at 0.27 feet, another high at 1:56 PM (1.1 feet), and a low toward dusk at 5:49 PM (0.61 feet), as reported by Tide-Forecast.com. The tidal coefficient today sits at 51, dropping throughout the afternoon, which means decent water movement this morning and into early afternoon, tapering off as we get later. Channel Two and Lower Matecumbe show similar numbers for flow. If you’re looking for max activity, early to mid-morning and just after noon should be prime. The solunar tables and Farmers’ Almanac mark today as “fair” for fishing, especially in the evening hours—so don’t pack it in early. Strong outgoing tides round midday should get the current rolling across the flats and bridge channels, sparking action. Now for what’s biting—local guides and fresh reports say mahi-mahi remain steady offshore, especially under frigate birds or floating debris. Capt. Dan’s crew recently put plenty in the boat, with some tripletail bonus catches while trolling dead ballyhoo. On the reef and patch edges, mangrove snapper and yellowtail are coming in well on cut bait, and there’s still the odd grouper willing to smash a pinfish or live grunt fished tight to structure. The bridges and backcountry keep producing snook, reds, and trout, with the “Gulf of Mexico, Florida Fishing Report” highlighting a hot bite along mangrove points and outflows. Shrimp-tipped jigs and live finger mullet are scoring big on redfish and snook—especially during moving water. For artificials, the local favorite soft plastic paddle tails in chartreuse or white on a 1/4 ounce jighead are tough to beat for trout and mangrove snapper. DOA shrimp and small walk-the-dog topwater lures are also getting nice topwater explosions at first light. A couple of hotspots to check: - **Channel Five Bridge:** Great for snapper, grouper, and the odd tarpon cruising through. Try live shrimp by the pilings on an incoming tide. - **Long Key State Park:** Walk the flats for bonefish and permit at sunrise, or wade out in the late afternoon when tides are falling—small crab or shrimp imitations work best here. Offshore, look for weedlines or color changes in 300-800 feet between Islamorada and Marathon for your mahi and occasional blackfin tuna. Baitwise today: - Offshore: Rigged ballyhoo for trolling, or live pilchards if you can find them. - Inshore and bridges: Live shrimp, pilchards, and pinfish. Artificial lures in white, chartreuse, or nat This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.