Keys Fishing Report: Timing, Tides, and Tackling Fall Inshore and Offshore Bites

Artificial Lure here, bringing you your boots-on-the-dock fishing report for Wednesday, November 5th, 2025, right here in the heart of the Florida Keys. It's all about timing, tides, and tuning in to those subtle shifts only a local sees. Sunrise broke at 6:36 AM with lines hitting the water as streaks of gold colored the flats, and sunset will come pretty early tonight at 5:44 PM. Conditions are set up smooth—with a light morning breeze and spotty clouds. The real story’s in the water: according to NOAA’s tide predictions, your low tide hit at 2:52 AM, followed by a nice rising high at 9:51 AM, and another low at 2:31 PM before a healthy evening flood pushes in at 9:04 PM. That means excellent moving water and good current for the bite, especially around the bridges and channels. Temps are hovering in the low 80s, water clarity is solid, and minor king tides are still hanging around, but nothing too crazy for flooding this week, per Local 10 News. Out past the reefs, the ocean’s laying down just enough for boats to get offshore without hammering the kidneys. Now, on to the action—it's been another banner week for inshore, with recent reports from Key Largo and Marathon showing plenty of snook and mangrove snapper coming over the rails. Anglers have hooked into snook up to 34 inches in the mangroves, especially at dawn and dusk on the falling tide, as noted by FishingBooker reports. Tarpon are still lingering in the backcountry channels, though the bigger push is slipping south as temps cool. Mangrove snapper and a few chunky yellowtails are stacked on patch reefs from Tavernier down to Big Pine, and you can't count out Goliath grouper around bridge pilings. Sharks—blacktip, bonnethead, even a few hammerheads—are shadowing the mullet schools just offshore. Offshore, the Islamorada fleet's lighting up the radio with sailfish flags. Multiple boats have released sailfish this week as that classic fall bite fires off over the edge of the reef, according to November reports from FishingBooker. Mahi-mahi numbers have dipped, but there are still enough gaffers cruising just outside the color change to make the run worth it. As for the tools of the trade, chartreuse is absolutely the color du jour—Spacefish calls it the “secret power” this week. Top inshore lures include soft plastic paddle tails like the Z-Man DieZel MinnowZ in chartreuse or root beer, especially when rigged weedless for those tight mangrove pockets. Live pilchards and finger mullet always produce, but morning and evening plugs—think Rapala X-Rap or MirrOlure MR17—are red-hot around dock lights and drop-offs. Offshore, deckhands are slow-trolling live ballyhoo for sails, with the occasional bonita strip getting nailed by kingfish. If you want numbers, the last few days have seen catches of a dozen or more snappers per trip, with the occasional slot red and keeper-sized grouper mixed in. There’s been a reliable tarpon each morning for those with patience, while lucky crews out of This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.