Bonefish Fishing Trips

Bonefish are a flats fish. A bonefish trip means fishing shallow water by sight: you look for a fish, then cast to it. In the Keys, guides offer this on both fly and light tackle.

They live across the warm western Atlantic, in the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, the Caribbean and parts of Mexico, Belize and Cuba. Bonefish & Tarpon Trust research shows these fish form one connected population. Bonefish spawn offshore at night, and their larvae drift in ocean currents for 41 to 71 days before settling, sometimes hundreds of miles from where they hatched. Some Keys bonefish were spawned in Belize, Mexico or southwest Cuba. Healthy flats in one country help the fishing in another.

Where to go for bonefish

The Florida Keys. Bonefish are in the Keys all year. Florida Bay, the backcountry between the Keys and the mainland, holds them along with tarpon, permit, redfish and snook. The Keys tourism council says some of the largest bonefish in the world are often caught near downtown Islamorada. Flats guides in Key West and the Lower Keys offer fly and light-tackle sight fishing for bonefish, permit and tarpon. Start with the Florida Keys overview.

The Bahamas. The Bahamas are part of the same connected bonefish population and an option for a trip outside the U.S. If you look at lodges there, ask about guide ratios, the flats they fish and local license rules before you book.

The Caribbean, Mexico and Belize. Bonefish & Tarpon Trust’s research follows bonefish in Belize, Mexico and Cuba as well as the Keys and Bahamas. These trips involve international travel, so check entry rules and the local fishing license before you go.

When to go

In the Keys, bonefish are catchable all year, and the prime stretch runs from about March through October. That window overlaps with Keys tarpon season in spring and early summer and with permit, which are most plentiful from April through September. A late spring trip lets you try for all three.

Our April and October pages show other options in those months. Flats fishing depends heavily on weather, light and tide. Treat these months as a pattern, and ask your guide what to expect in your week.

How the trips work

A guided bonefish day is a sight-fishing trip on the flats, on fly or light tackle. Ask the guide how they fish: from the boat, wading or both. If fly fishing is the goal, book a guide who specializes in it and read our fly-fishing trips page.

In the Keys, Florida Bay’s shallow, unmarked water is confusing and can be dangerous for newcomers. The Keys tourism council recommends a backcountry guide rather than going on your own. Our guided vs DIY fishing guide covers the tradeoffs.

Release, done right

Bonefish need gentle handling, and Bonefish & Tarpon Trust’s guidelines are simple:

• Keep air time short. A bonefish held out of the water for more than ten seconds is six times less likely to survive.
• Use a dehooker so you can unhook the fish without touching it or lifting it out of the water.
• If you lift a fish for a photo, use clean, wet hands with no gloves or sunscreen. Have the camera ready, hold the fish low over the water and put it back quickly.
• Release a strong fish. A weak fish released near predators may not survive, so make sure it can swim off.
• Agree on the plan before you fish, including which fish get photographed. Some major Keys tournaments count catches this way.

Choosing a destination

• A short trip from the U.S. mainland: the Florida Keys. Book a guide by the day and add tarpon, permit or offshore fishing.
• A trip abroad: the Bahamas, Mexico or Belize, all part of the same bonefish population.
• Big fish: Islamorada, where some of the largest bonefish in the world are often caught.

Before you book

• Licenses. In Florida, ask whether the guide’s license covers you. In other countries, check the local license rules. Our fishing license guide explains the basics, and rules change, so check before each trip.
• Ask your guide how many anglers they take, whether they provide rods and flies, whether they fish fly or spin, and which flats they run in your season.
• Ask what to bring. Guides can tell you what eyewear, clothing and footwear work on their flats.

For more shallow-water fishing, see tarpon and redfish.