Late Summer Fishing in the Florida Keys and Miami

Good morning anglers, Artificial Lure here bringing you the Florida Keys and Miami fishing report for Wednesday, September 10, 2025. We’re starting off with classic late summer conditions. The National Weather Service Key West reports a lingering surface trough with winds light out of the south, mostly in the 5-10 knot range. That means smooth bay waters with a light chop at times, but you’ll need to keep a rain jacket handy—moisture’s high and scattered thunderstorms are back in play again, especially by midday. According to CBS Miami, flooding remains a concern in low-lying land around high tide, thanks to those seasonal king tides. Temperatures will push into the low 90s by afternoon, and with dew points as high as they are, the ‘feels-like’ temp is going to break into the triple digits before storms roll through to offer some relief. On the tidal side, expect a low tide in the early morning—right around 6 a.m. in Big Pine Key and 4:51 a.m. up in Key Largo. High tide is mid-morning, peaking near 11:20 a.m. at both locations, while Miami’s Biscayne Bay fills up close to 10:30 a.m. and again later tonight. Sunrise was right at 6:57 a.m. and you’ve got sunlight till about 8:04 p.m., giving you plenty of daylight to chase that bite on both sides of the tide swing. Fish activity is picking up as we’re getting deeper into September. Reports from Coastal Angler Magazine say the shallow patch reefs in Key Largo are on fire, with good numbers of yellowtail snapper, mangrove snapper, and keeper muttons stacking up, especially on the last of the incoming and the first of the outgoing tide. Dolphin (mahi-mahi) are still popping up offshore—nothing as thick as early summer, but there are still gaffers to be had out past the edge, especially under bigger weed mats and floating debris. Captains out of Islamorada and Marathon have seen scattered schoolies as close as eight to ten miles offshore, with the odd blackfin tuna around the humps if you can dodge the storms. Inshore, the mullet run is just beginning to trickle in, so keep an eye peeled for glass minnows and ballyhoo thick off the flats and around points—tarpon and big snook are on the hunt. Veteran captains at Bud N’ Mary’s Marina highlight early morning topwater action for snook and schoolie tarpon near bridges and mangrove cuts, especially as water temps are still warm. For hot spots, I’d stake out Alligator Reef off Islamorada for snapper and muttons—the last of the incoming tide lines up perfect with the moon. In Miami, pack your gear for Government Cut and the flats around Biscayne Channel: bonefish and permit are feeding hard, especially after summer’s scattered storms push clean water back onto the flats. As for tackle, live pilchards and ballyhoo are the top baits for snapper, mutton, and inshore species. Drop a knocker rig or split shot rig just past the reef line—if you run out of live bait, cut squid or fresh shrimp will keep the party going, especially on mangroves. For dolphin and This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.