Summer Tarpon & Snapper: Upper Keys & Miami Fishing Report

Artificial Lure here, checking in with your South Florida fishing rundown for the Upper Keys and Miami waters. We’ve got classic summer conditions setting up. Around the Upper Keys and Biscayne Bay this morning, winds are light southeast, building to 10–15 knots by afternoon, with scattered clouds and a good dose of heat and humidity. Nearshore seas are running 1–3 feet, a touch bumpier out past the reef. Air temps are topping out near the high 80s, feeling like mid‑90s once that sun gets up. Sunrise is right around 6:30 a.m. with sunset near 8:15 p.m., so you’ve got a long light window, but the best bite is still early and late when that sun’s not blazing. Tides around the Upper Keys and Miami inlets are on a moderate cycle today. Figure a morning high pushing through shortly after sunup and a falling tide through late morning, then another push late afternoon into evening. Inshore fish have been loving that first hour of moving water on either side of the peaks, especially around channels and cuts. Inshore action has been solid. Guides out of Key Largo and Islamorada have been picking good numbers of **mangrove snapper** on the patch reefs and around mangrove edges, with plenty of fish in the 11–14 inch range and a few bigger keepers mixed in. There’s also been steady **yellowtail snapper** on the reef in 35–70 feet, with some boats limiting out on flags when the current’s right and the water has a little color. Along the flats and bay side, anglers are reporting **sea trout**, **jack crevalle**, and the odd **redfish** and **snook** tucked deep in the mangroves. Tarpon are still in the mix, especially around the bridges at dawn and dusk. The early morning outgoing tide has been best for big fish rolling in the shadow lines, with multiple hookups reported the past few days on both live bait and big artificials. Around Miami’s Government Cut and Haulover, there’ve been **bonito**, **kingfish**, and schoolie **mahi** just offshore when weedlines set up, plus some nice **blackfin tuna** around the edge of the Gulf Stream for folks trolling early. For bait, it’s hard to beat **live shrimp**, **pilchards**, and **pinfish** right now. Live shrimp on a light jig head is money for mangroves and trout along the edges. Pilchards slow‑trolled or drifted on circle hooks are producing tarpon, snook, and mixed reef fish. If you’re fishing the reef for yellowtail, a steady chum slick with small pieces of cut bait or shrimp on light leaders will get them fired up. On the artificial side, keep it simple. Inshore, 3–4 inch paddle‑tail soft plastics in natural green or white on 1/8–1/4 oz jig heads are drawing bites from trout, jacks, and small snook. For the bridges and channels, beef up to larger swimbaits and heavy jig heads to get down in the flow. Silver spoons and small metal jigs are working around the inlets for bonito and schoolie mahi just outside. For tarpon, big soft‑plastic jerkbaits and slow‑rolled swimming plugs in mullet or pilchard patterns are worth having tied on. A couple local hot spots to circle on the map: – **Channel 2 and Channel 5 bridges** in the Upper Keys – great for tarpon at dawn and dusk, plus snapper and jacks during the day when the tide’s moving. – **Biscayne Bay edges from Matheson Hammock down toward Featherbed Bank** – good for trout, mangroves, and cruising bonefish on the right tides, especially early morning with a light breeze. That’s the scoop from your buddy Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next 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