Keys Fishing Report October 23, 2025: Snapper, Tuna, and Tarpon Abound

Good morning from the Florida Keys—this is Artificial Lure coming to you with your narrative fishing report for October 23rd, 2025.

We’re kicking things off with a beautiful sunrise at 7:29 AM, while the sun’s set tonight is right around 6:52 PM, giving us plenty of daylight to chase those prized catches from dawn to dusk according to tide-forecast.com. The weather today is holding mild and breezy, with early morning temps sitting in the high 70s and a steady southeast wind picking up as the afternoon rolls in. Expect a stray shower during midday, but nothing that’ll keep you off the water for long.

Tidal conditions are prime for action. Around Key Largo and Channel Key, you’re looking at high tide at 1:58 AM and again at 3:12 PM, with lows at 8:33 AM and 7:59 PM. The tidal coefficients for the upper Keys are notably high—today peaking around 76—which means those currents are rolling, bait is on the move, and it’s a solid bet for all kinds of bite-windows. The solunar tables are showing above-average fish activity, particularly in the hours around midday and late afternoon, so plan to be anchored or drifting on key structure as those tides turn and push[1][2].

Now, on to what’s biting. Inshore, the fall transition is pouring schools of pilchards and small baitfish into the backcountry, and the mangrove snapper and sea trout are responding. Guides from spreaker.com’s Daily Fish Report say anglers working the patch reefs around Islamorada and the mainland side of Florida Bay are reporting steady limits of *mangrove snapper*, scattered keeper *seatrout*, and some nice slot-size *redfish*. Live shrimp and pilchard chunks fished on jigheads or popping corks are flying off the tackle shelves. Don’t hesitate to drop a finesse worm, small swimbait, or compact jig into those current edges—fall’s all about matching the hatch and scaling down your presentation, as LakeHomes.com reminds us.

Offshore, the word is *blackfin tuna* in good numbers at the humps, especially the Marathon and West Hump, with blue runners and live sardines producing most bites. Trolling early with feathers and vertical jigs later on are getting hits as midday approaches. Dolphin (*mahi-mahi*) are still scattered, especially around floating debris in blue water, and a few boats pushed out deep this week landed gaffers up to 20 pounds. Out past Alligator Reef, the deep droppers have gotten on a few nice tilefish and queen snapper by daylight.

On the bridges—Channel 5 and Long Key are heating up. Nighttime and dusk anglers are finding *tarpon* (nothing huge, but plenty of action), *snook*, and more keeper mangroves moving in on the tide. Use live mullet or chunk baits, and if you’re casting artificials, try a DOA shrimp or paddle tail with a slow retrieve. The bridges are a solid bet as currents are strong and bait is stacking up.

Best baits right now: live pilchards, shrimp, cut mullet, or sardines. On the lure side, go with smaller paddle tails, bucktail jigs, and light-colored swimbaits; subtle action outperforms the flash. For snapper, a yellow jighead with a fresh shrimp will outfish most other presentations.

A couple hot spots to circle on your chart:
- The edges of Florida Bay’s numerous flats and deeper potholes off Flamingo—especially on the outgoing tide for redfish and trout.
- Alligator Reef and the Hump for blackfin tuna, especially at dawn with live runners.
- Long Key Bridge for night-time tarpon and early morning mangrove snapper.

That’s it for today's Florida Keys fishing report. Thanks for tuning in, and make sure you subscribe so you never miss the bite. 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):
Good morning from the Florida Keys. This is Artificial Lore
coming to with your narrative fishing report for October twenty third,
twenty twenty five. We're kicking things off with the beautiful
sunrise at seven twenty nine am, while the sunset tonight
is right around six point fifty two pm, giving us
plenty of daylight to chase those prize catches from dawn

(00:20):
to dusk. According to tide forecast dot com, the weather
today is holding mild and breezy, with early morning tempts
sitting in the high seventies and a study southeast wind
picking up as the afternoon rolls in. Expect a stray
shower during midday, but nothing that'll keep you off the
water for long. Tidal conditions are prime for action around

(00:41):
Key Largo and Channel Key. They're looking at high tide
at one fifty eight am and again at three twelve pm,
with lows at eight thirty three am and seven fifty
nine pm. The tidal coreefficients for the upper Keys are
notably high today, peaking around seventy six, which means those
currents are rolling. Bait is on the move, and it's

(01:04):
a solid bet for all kinds of bite. Windows. The
solar tables are showing above average fish activity, particularly in
the hours around midday and late afternoon, so plan to
be anchored or drifting on key structure as those tides
turn and push one two now onto what's biting. Inshore,

(01:26):
The fall transition is pouring schools of pilchards and small
baitfish into the back country, and the mangrove snapper and
sea trout are responding. Guides from spreaker dot COM's Daily
Fish Report say anglers working the patch reefs around Islamarada
and the mainland side of Florida Bay are reporting steady
limits of mangrove snapper, scattered keeper sea trout, and some

(01:49):
nice slot sized redfish. Live shrimp and pilchered chunks fished
on jigheads or popping corks are flying off the tackle shelves.
Don't hesitate to drop a fin sworm, small swim bait,
or compact jig into those current edges. Falls all about
matching the hatch and scaling down your presentation. As lakehomes

(02:10):
dot com reminds us offshore, the word is black fintuna
in good numbers at the humps, especially the Marathon and
west hunt with blue runners and live sargines producing most bites.
Trolling early with feathers and vertical jigs later on are
getting hits as midday approaches. Dolphin manhimahi are still scattered,

(02:32):
especially around floating debris and blue water, and a few
boats pushed out deep this week landed gaffers up to
twenty pounds out past Alligator Reef. The deep droppers have
gotten on a few nice tilefish and queen snapper by daylight.
On the bridges. Channel five and Long Key are heating
up nighttime and dusk anglers are finding tarpin, nothing huge,

(02:54):
but plenty of action snook and more keeper mangros moving
in on the tide. Use live mullet or chunk baits,
and if you're casting artificials, try a doa shrimp or
paddle tail with a slow retrieve. The bridges are a
solid bet as currents are strong and bait is stacking up.
Best baits right now live pilchards, shrimp, cut mullet or

(03:14):
sardines on the lure side go with smaller paddle tails,
bucktail jigs and light colored swin baits. Subtle action outperforms
the flash for snapper A yellow jighead with a fresh
shrimp will outfish most other presentations. A couple hotspots to
circle on your chart. The edges of Florida Bay's numerous
flats and deeper potholes off Flamingo, especially on the outgoing

(03:39):
tide for redfish and trout, Alligator reef and the hump
for blackfintuna, especially at dawn with live runners. Long Key
Bridge for nighttime tarpin and early morning mangrove snapper. That's
it for today's Florida Keys Fishing Report. Thanks for tuning
in and make sure you subscribe so you never missed
the bite. This has been a quiet please production. For

(04:02):
more check out Quietplease dot ai