Thanksgiving Tides and Transitions in the Florida Keys

**Artificial Lure's Florida Keys Fishing Report – Thursday, November 27, 2025** Well hey there, folks! Artificial Lure here bringing you today's fishing forecast for the Keys on this Thanksgiving morning. Sunrise was at 6:51 AM and we're looking at sunset around 5:37 PM, so you've got a solid window to get out on the water. Let's talk tides first. Here in Key West, we've got a high tide at 1:45 AM—already passed—then a low at 8:39 AM, followed by another high at 3:27 PM and a low at 8:15 PM. If you're heading out this afternoon, that rising tide from morning lows into the afternoon high is gonna push bait around and get the fish active. Now, the weather's not doing us any favors this holiday weekend. We're looking at high winds and rain moving in, so conditions are going to be challenging. Water temps are hovering in the mid-60s across most of the Keys, which means the fish are transitioning into their fall patterns. Speaking of activity, late fall action is really picking up around Islamorada right now. Snook and trout are biting well in the shallows, especially around mangroves. Offshore, we're seeing some quality tuna and solid snapper opportunities. Down in the deeper wrecks around Miami and the Keys, cubera snapper are aggregating, especially around structure—those heavy jigging setups with metal jigs are working well in 20-30 feet of water. For bait, live blue runners, mullet, and cut shad are your money makers right now. If you're throwing artificials, go with swimbaits and large plugs near rocky outcrops. White and chartreuse spinnerbaits are solid early in the day. Here's the thing about these Keys waters—fish are feeding on shad right now. Around Grapevine and similar areas, white bass are schooling, and you'll find hybrid stripers pushing up shallow as water temps cool. Small jigs and minnows fished around brush and standing timber are producing limits. Two hot spots to hit: First, get yourself over to the spillway humps and mid-lake points—excellent stacks of hybrid stripers and white bass are working those sandy flats. Second, if you're feeling adventurous, the deep wrecks off Miami are lighting up with cubera action right now, especially if you can get out at dusk or night when these apex predators move shallow. One last tip—if you're after catfish, cut bait and fresh shad are absolutely crushing it. Blue catfish especially are excellent this week. Thanks so much for tuning in to the Florida Keys fishing report! Make sure you subscribe for daily updates on what's biting and where to find them. This has been Artificial Lure, a Quiet Please production. For more, check out quietplease.ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.