Where to Stay in Islamorada for a Fishing Trip

Stay where your fishing starts. In Islamorada that usually means picking between the oceanside and the bayside, then picking a lodging type that fits how you fish: a room at a working marina, a resort that books charters, or a rental house with its own dock. This guide is about choosing within Islamorada. If you are still deciding which part of the Keys to base in, start with our Florida Keys where-to-stay guide.

Islamorada is spread along the Overseas Highway, and addresses are mile markers. The chamber’s visitor center sits at Mile Marker 87 bayside. Distances are short, but traffic on U.S. 1 and a 5 a.m. departure make a few miles matter. For an overview of the fishing, see our Islamorada guide.

Base by trip type

Backcountry and Florida Bay trips

If most of your days will be on a skiff in Florida Bay, you are booking a guide more than a place. Backcountry guides fish the bay toward the Everglades for snook, permit, redfish and tarpon, and they leave from marinas and ramps all over town. Ask your guide where they launch first, then book lodging nearby. A bayside base can save time, and a quiet inn or rental suits the early-to-bed rhythm of a flats trip.

If you plan to run your own boat into the bay, know what you are getting into. Everglades National Park requires boaters to have a park pass, and the bay is a maze of shallow basins separated by mud and seagrass banks, with narrow channels between them. Read the park’s boating page before you go, and consider a guide for at least the first day.

Flats trips

Guides fish both oceanside and bayside flats for bonefish, tarpon and permit. If you book an evening tarpon trip, a base close to your guide’s dock makes the late return easier. Fly anglers should tell the guide when booking, and leave room in the rental car or room for rod tubes. See traveling with fishing gear.

Offshore trips

Offshore boats run into the Atlantic for sailfish in winter and mahi-mahi in summer. An oceanside base near the marina where your boat docks is the practical choice. Bud N’ Mary’s also runs a full-day party boat, the lower-cost way to get on the water.

Family trips

For families, pick lodging with a pool or beach and keep fishing trips short. A half-day charter or a party boat trip fits a child’s attention span better than a full flats day. Resorts with kids’ programs let one parent fish while the kids are busy. See fishing with kids and family fishing vacations.

Lodging types

The chamber groups Islamorada lodging into luxury, moderate and economy stays, vacation rentals, and camping and RV resorts. The visitor bureau describes the range as beachfront inns and old-style motels up to waterfront resorts. For fishing, three styles stand out.

Rooms at a working marina

Some marinas rent rooms right beside the charter fleet. Bud N’ Mary’s, founded in 1944 at Mile Marker 79.8 oceanside, rents hotel rooms, an oceanfront house, a penthouse suite and several houseboats, with views over its fleet of 44 fishing boats. More than 40 captains and guides work from the marina, along with the Miss Islamorada, which it describes as one of the only full-day party boats in Islamorada. Dockage is usually available for guests’ own boats for an extra charge, but there is no ramp or trailer storage, children under 15 are not allowed on the houseboats, and pets are not allowed.

Resorts that book fishing

Full-service resorts suit trips where fishing is one part of the plan. Cheeca Lodge & Spa offers fishing charters, from deep-water big game to backcountry snook. It hosts the Presidential Sailfish Tournament each January, part of the Gold Cup series, and the All American Backcountry Tournament each fall. Camp Cheeca, a seasonal program for ages 5 to 12, is a draw for families; confirm it runs during your dates.

Rentals and smaller inns

Vacation rentals with a kitchen work well for groups and for anyone planning to cook the catch. A rental with its own dock suits anglers bringing a boat, as long as the slip fits it. Smaller inns and motels are the budget choice and pair well with a party boat day. For resort-style stays elsewhere, see our fishing resorts guide.

What to ask before you book

• Where does my guide launch? Ask before booking a room. Islamorada has more charter listings than any other town in the Keys visitor directory, and guides leave from many different marinas.
• Can the guide pick you up at the dock? If your lodging has a dock, ask both the guide and the property whether a pickup there works for the guide’s boat. Do not assume it does.
• Slips and dockage. If you bring a boat, confirm slip length, draft, power and the nightly charge. Ask whether there is a ramp and trailer parking, since not every marina has them.
• Fish cleaning. Ask whether there is a cleaning station on site or whether your charter cleans the catch at the dock.
• Freezer and kitchen. Useful if you plan to keep mahi or snapper.
• Rules for kids and pets. Some lodging, especially houseboats, has age limits.
• Tournament dates. Check the Keys tournament calendar before you lock in dates. Cheeca’s Presidential Sailfish Tournament falls in January and its backcountry tournament in the fall, and tournaments keep guides busy.

When to book

The week between Christmas and New Year’s traditionally starts the busiest part of the Keys tourist season, so book winter sailfish trips well ahead. Late spring and early summer are prime flats and mahi months, so book guides early then too. Our Florida Keys fishing seasons guide shows which months suit which fish, and choosing a fishing charter covers what to ask a captain.