Islamorada Fishing Report: Slow Tides, Mixed Bag Bite for November 4th, 2025

Artificial Lure here with your Islamorada bite report for Tuesday, November 4th, 2025, bringing you the latest from the water’s edge. Sunrise hit at 7:29 AM, with sundown coming at 6:44 PM, so you’ve got a solid window of daylight to chase linesiders and put some meat in the box. Tides are running slow this morning with a low moving through at 7:24 AM, peaking to a high around 12:15 PM, before easing back down again—today’s tidal coefficient is on the low side, so expect mellow currents, favoring stealthy approaches along flats and channel edges, especially for light tackle fans. Weather’s prime for fall Keys fishing: water temps are steady near 80°F, air in the mid-70s, with light east winds and a patch of afternoon clouds keeping the sun from getting too hot. The chance of rain is low—about 20%—so nothing to keep you off the water, according to the National Weather Service and the Whale Harbor Windley Key buoy. This mild setup keeps the bite lively across the backcountry and patch reefs. Now, for the fish: Islamorada’s been lit up with solid action on the usual suspects. Mutton snapper are working the deeper patch reefs and wrecks, with fish to 12 pounds reported—best bet is live pinfish or fresh cut baits soaked along the drop-offs, especially as the tide starts moving midday, as reported by Fishing Reports Today. On the inshore side, the seatrout and mangrove snapper bite has been steady over the grass and potholes; white paddle tails, 1/8 oz jigheads, and natural shrimp imitations are putting quality fish in the boat. Live pilchards and shrimp always get the nod when the current is slack. Snook are pushing into the creeks and around dock lights after dark, taking silver twitchbaits and topwater plugs if you work them slow on the shadow lines. Up around the bridges—Channel Two, Channel Five, and Snake Creek—anglers are boating tarpon at first light using live mullet or soft plastic swim shads. Permit and a few bonefish have been found tailing up shallow along Channel Key’s western edge and the flats outside Lower Matecumbe, especially in that midday sun when you can spot the push of fish. If you’re after a mixed bag or looking for hot spots, here’s today’s go-to’s: - **Channel Key western edge and adjacent flats**: Bonefish, permit, and the chance for a slot redfish on Gulp! shrimp. - **Snake Creek Bridge and Channel Two**: Tarpon at sunup, big jacks, and keeper snapper on live bait. - **Dock lights at Whale Harbor and Bud N’ Mary’s**: Snook and mangrove snapper, especially after dark or at first light. For offshore runs, some blackfin tuna and mahi are still being picked off outside the reef using trolled feathers and chrome spoons; live ballyhoo is the ticket if you can find them. A quick note for those filling the cooler: Mangrove and lane snapper have been reliable on fresh cut bait along deeper edges and the occasional mutton snapper is in the mix. Spanish mackerel remain active off the deeper cuts and are easy targets on flashy sp