Keys Fishing Report: Fall Patterns Heating Up Inshore and Offshore

This is Artificial Lure with your September 13th, 2025 fishing report for the Florida Keys.

We eased into the morning with sunrise set for 7:13 AM and sunset coming up tonight at 7:33 PM, giving us nearly 12 hours of Florida sunshine. Today’s tides for Sand Key Light showed a **high tide just before 1 AM**, a **low tide at 8:25 AM**, another **high at 2:49 PM**, and a falling tide toward **low at 6:58 PM**, so plan your runs and reef drops around those prime water movements—just like the locals do. Expect light winds out of the east and a touch of humidity, with a fair chance of pop-up showers this afternoon. Remember, these shifting tides get the bite going for both inshore and offshore crews according to predictions from Tide-Forecast.com.

Fish activity has picked up with the start of early fall patterns. Snapper action stays red hot, especially yellowtail loading up on the patch reefs. Grouper hunters have been putting a couple big ones in the cooler with the bonus of mangrove and mutton snapper. Over the last day, guides from the Daily Fish Report for Florida Keys counted solid hauls of **mahi-mahi out deep**, and the bite still holding up on floating debris or weed lines out from the Marathon Hump. That’s your ticket for both schoolies and some larger slammers if you’re willing to cover a little distance. Closer to home, the tarpon are still rolling on bridge runs, and bonefish are rooting in the skinny backcountry flats as the tides fall out.

As for lures and baits, locals are favoring **live pilchards and ballyhoo** for chumming snapper and grouper. For artificial, you can’t beat a white bucktail jig tipped with shrimp bounced on the patch reefs. Out deeper, troll up those mahi with small rigged ballyhoo or bright skirted trolling lures. Captain Mike Genoun recently showed off his setup for wahoo, including a wire leader and high-speed skirted plugs, especially in that deeper bluewater just off the edge. For inshore action, topwater plugs at dawn and soft plastic paddletails on a jighead are drawing hard strikes from redfish and the occasional snook.

Hot spots this week:
- **Western Sambo Reef:** Yellowtail and mutton snapper stacked up at dawn and dusk; fish the edge as tide’s turning.
- **Long Key Bridge:** Tarpon in the early evening and snook tucked tight to the structure on live mullet.

Farther offshore, the Marathon Hump remains the epicenter for mahi, plenty of boats coming back with double-digit catches when currents align and birds are working. If you’re after trophy grouper, hit the deeper ledges between Alligator Reef and Pickles during slack water.

Word from Bar Jack Fishing and other charter captains confirms kingfish are making a showing, especially on the troll just outside the reef, mixing with the bonitas and blackfin. Spanish mackerel action is expected to be steady until federal waters close north of the Keys later this month, as per NOAA Fisheries updates.

Summing up—today’s screaming tides, coupled with easing September weather, are making for ideal conditions, whether you’re trolling the blue or poking around mangrove channels on light tackle. Bring plenty of fluorocarbon, keep that livewell stacked, and don’t forget a rain jacket in the aft locker just in case.

Thanks for tuning in to your daily fishing update from the Florida Keys. Be sure to subscribe for all your local fishing reports and inside tips. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is artificial lore. With your September thirteenth, twenty twenty
five fishing report for the Florida Keys, we eased into
the morning with sunrise set for seven thirteen AM and
sunset coming up tonight at seven thirty three pm, giving
us nearly twelve hours of Florida sunshine. Today's tides for
San Key lights showed a two times Most eighteen forty three,

(00:20):
two times Most eight two fifty five am, two times
Most eighteen forty five am, and a falling tide toward
eight two forty nine pm another two times Most eighteen
fifty five two times Most eight two forty nine pm.
So plan your runs and reef drops around those prime
water movements just like the locals do. Expect light winds

(00:43):
out of the east in a touch of humidity with
a fair chance of pop up showers this afternoon. Remember
these shifting tides get the bike going for both inshore
and offshore cruise. According to predictions from tide forecast dot com,
fish activity has picked up with the start of early fall. Patters.
Snapper action stays red hot, especially yellowtail loading up on

(01:07):
the patch reefs. Grouper hunters have been putting a couple
big ones in the cooler with the bonus of mangrove
and mutton snapper. Over the last day, guides from the
Daily Fish Report for Florida Keys counted solid halls of
mahi mahi out deep and the bite still holding up
on floating debris or weed lines out from the marathon hump.

(01:27):
That's your ticket for both schoolies and some larger slammers
if you're willing to cover a little distance Closer to home.
The tarpin are still rolling on bridge runs and bone
fisher rooting in the skinny back country flats as the
tides fall out. As for lures and baits, locals are
favoring live pilchards and ballyhoo for chumming snapper and grouper.
For artificial, you can't beat a white bucktailed jag tipped

(01:50):
with shrimp bounced on the patch reefs out deeper. Troll
up those mahi with small rig ballyhoo or bright skirted
trolling lures. Captain Mike Janoon recently showed off his set
up for wahoo, including a wire leader and high speed
skirted plugs, especially in that deeper blue water just off
the edge. For inshore action. Top water plugs at dawn

(02:14):
and soft plastic paddle tails on a jighead are drawing
hard strikes from red fresh and the occasional snook hotspots.
This week, Western sambo reef, yellowtail and mutton snapper stacked
up a dawn in dusk fish the edge as tide's turning.
Long Key Bridge tarpan in the early evening, and snoke

(02:35):
tucked tight to the structure on live mullet. Farther offshore,
The Marathon Hump remains the epicenter for mati plenty of
boats coming back with double digit catches when currents aligne
and birds are working. If you're after trophy grouper hit
the deeper ledges between alligator reef and pickles during slackwater.
Word from Barjackfishing and other charter captains confirms kingfish are

(02:59):
making is showing, especially on the troll just outside the reef,
mixing with the benitas and blackfen. Spanish mackerel. Action is
expected to be steady until federal waters closed north of
the Keys later this month. As per Noah Fisheries updates
summing up today's screaming tides coupled with easing September weather

(03:20):
are making for ideal conditions whether you're trolling the blue
or poking around mangrove channels on light tackle. Bring plenty
of fluorocarbon, keep that live well stacked, and don't forget
a rain jacket in the aflocker just in case. Thanks
for tuning in to your daily fishing update from the
Florida Keys. Be sure to subscribe for all your local

(03:43):
fishing reports and inside tips. This has been a quiet
please production. For more checkout Quiet Please dot ai