Florida Keys

Why go

The Florida Keys give you four kinds of saltwater fishing on one road. On the Atlantic side, the reef sits a short run from shore and the deep water beyond it holds sailfish, mahi and tuna. On the bay side, shallow grass flats and mangrove islands run toward Florida Bay and the Everglades. Bridges between the islands double as fishing platforms.

That range is the reason to come. A couple can split a week between a flats day hunting tarpon and a reef trip for snapper. A family can ride a party boat in the morning and snorkel in the afternoon. A serious angler can chase a grand slam (a bonefish, permit and tarpon released in one day), a combination the Keys are known for.

It suits almost anyone who wants warm-water fishing with good access to charters. It suits less well if you want to fish cheaply on your own from a boat, since most of the fishing worth traveling for is done with a guide.

The fishing

Flats and backcountry

This is the fishing the Keys are best known for. Guides pole skiffs across clear shallow flats while you watch for bonefish, permit and tarpon, then cast to the fish you see. Toward Florida Bay, the backcountry adds mangrove shorelines, channels and passes, home to snook, redfish, juvenile tarpon and spotted seatrout.

The flats season runs roughly March through November. The Keys visitor bureau’s fishing calendar rates tarpon peak from April through July, permit peak from April through October, and bonefish peak in early summer and again in September and October. December through February rate lower for all three, while redfish and seatrout are at their best in the cooler months.

Flats fishing is fly and light-tackle territory. If you want to fly fish, say so when you book so the guide brings the right gear. Our fly-fishing trips page covers how these trips work.

Reef and wreck

Living coral reef and a long line of shipwrecks run from Key Largo to Key West. Bottom fishing here produces yellowtail, mutton and mangrove snapper, grouper, amberjack and hogfish. Snapper are around all year, with yellowtail peaking April through August. Black and red grouper rate peak in midwinter.

Offshore

Past the reef, the water drops into blue water where boats troll, kite fish and drift. Sailfish are the winter fishery, rated peak from November through March. Mahi-mahi take over from May into September. Blackfin tuna are around all year, best in the cooler months, and wahoo and kingfish peak in winter. Islamorada boats also run daytime swordfish trips, a method developed by local captains. Blue marlin appear on the calendar only in June and July.

How the year breaks down

Think of the Keys in two halves. From November through March, the offshore fishing is about sailfish, kingfish, wahoo and blackfin tuna, the backcountry is good for redfish and seatrout, and the weather is dry and mild. From April through October, the flats come alive with tarpon, permit and bonefish, and mahi fill the offshore boxes.

The shoulder months are where the two overlap. In April you can still find sailfish while tarpon are arriving. In October, permit and bonefish are still rated peak while tuna and kingfish pick up again. Snapper and sharks are around in every month, so a reef trip is a dependable fallback.

Catch and release on the flats

Flats fish are usually released, and how you handle them matters. Bonefish & Tarpon Trust recommends keeping big tarpon in the water, keeping fights short, using circle hooks with bait, and breaking off a fish if a shark shows up. For bonefish, the advice is to keep them in the water as much as possible and have the camera ready before you lift one.

Where to fish

Key Largo

The first island south of the mainland, about an hour’s drive from Miami. Guides fish the Florida Bay backcountry for bonefish, tarpon and snook, and run offshore for mahi, sailfish and wahoo.

Islamorada

Islamorada bills itself as the Sportfishing Capital of the World, and it has more charter listings than any other town in the visitor bureau’s directory. Its flats sit where Florida Bay, the Everglades and the Atlantic meet. See our Islamorada guide.

Marathon

The Middle Keys, ending at the Seven Mile Bridge. Offshore, reef and backcountry fishing are all close, and rental homes with boat slips are common.

The Lower Keys

From the Seven Mile Bridge to Stock Island, with tarpon on the flats and sailfish offshore, and a quieter feel than the towns on either end. Fly and light-tackle guides work out of places such as Cudjoe Key.

Key West

The end of the road, with offshore, wreck and flats fishing and trips west toward the Marquesas and the Dry Tortugas. See our Key West guide.

Bridges

The visitor bureau lists about a dozen bridges open to fishing, including Channel 2 and Channel 5, Long Key, the south end of the Seven Mile Bridge, Spanish Harbor and Bow Channel. Some of the historic bridges near Bahia Honda are closed to fishing. Snapper, snook, tarpon and grouper all show up around the bridges. Bring a cooler, a bucket, a cast net, flashlights and a tide chart.

Charters and guides

Charters fall into a few types. At Bud N’ Mary’s in Islamorada, for example, flats skiffs take at most three anglers and most trips are for two, bay boats take three or four and fish better in wind, offshore sportfishing boats take up to six, and center consoles up to four. Other marinas work along similar lines, but ask.

Party boats are the budget option. They run trips of about four hours, supply bait and tackle, and clean your catch at the dock.

Charters commonly include the fishing license, bait, tackle and ice. You usually bring food, drinks, sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat. Tipping the crew is customary. Our guides to choosing a fishing charter and charter etiquette and tipping cover the questions to ask before you book.

Where to stay

Base yourself near the fishing you want most. Islamorada for backcountry and flats, Key West for offshore and the far western trips, Marathon if you want a bit of everything in the middle. Lodging runs from old-style motels and inns to marina resorts, waterfront rentals with boat slips, and high-end resorts. Our where-to-stay guide goes key by key.

Beyond fishing

The Keys are an easy place to mix fishing with time off the boat. Key Largo is known for diving and snorkeling, including John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. Marathon has the Turtle Hospital, hiking at Crane Point and snorkeling on Sombrero Reef. The Lower Keys offer Bahia Honda’s shoreline, Key deer and snorkeling at Looe Key. Key West adds the Hemingway Home, the sunset at Mallory Square and Duval Street. Kayaking mangrove creeks and eco-tours run throughout.

Trip costs

The biggest cost is guiding. Flats days, backcountry trips and offshore charters are all priced per boat, so splitting a boat lowers the cost per person. Party boats and bridge fishing are far cheaper. The busiest part of the tourist season traditionally starts the week between Christmas and New Year’s, so book winter trips early. Check charter rates directly with operators.

Getting there and around

Key West International Airport has commercial flights. Most visitors fly into Miami or Fort Lauderdale, drive the Florida Turnpike to Florida City, then follow U.S. 1, the Overseas Highway, south across 42 bridges. Key Largo is about 22 miles past Florida City. Addresses use mile markers, which count down from 127 near Florida City to 0 in Key West. Marathon’s airport has no commercial service. A passenger ferry runs from Southwest Florida to Key West.

Weather is mild all year. Winter is close to rain-free, with Key West highs in the mid-70s. Summer highs reach the upper 80s. Hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, with most activity between mid-August and mid-October. See the month-by-month seasons guide.

Licenses and rules

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission sells licenses and sets the saltwater rules. If you fish from a licensed charter, the captain’s license generally covers you. If you fish on your own from a boat, bridge or shore, you need a Florida saltwater license, and some species need extra permits or tags. Our fishing licenses page explains how this works.

The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary adds its own zones. Fishing is banned in its preservation and conservation zones, which are marked with yellow buoys. Don’t anchor on coral, and steer clear of seagrass. Everglades and Dry Tortugas national parks have their own rules as well. Size limits, bag limits and seasons change, so check FWC and the sanctuary before every trip.