FLORIDA KEYS & MIAMI FISHING REPORT: Snapper Sizzle, Tarpon Tangle, Mahi Mahi Madness

Artificial Lure here with your Florida Keys and Miami fishing report for Friday, September 19, 2025. We woke up to calm, warm conditions this morning, with air temps right around 80 degrees and only a slight breeze ruffling the water—perfect for a day on the salt.

Let’s break down the tides, starting in Miami. According to Tide-Forecast, we had a low tide at 1:51 AM, and the first high tide smacked in at 7:54 AM, bringing in a solid 2.69 feet. Around 2:13 PM, expect another low at 0.34 feet, then evening anglers can target the second high tide at 8:21 PM with a bump to 2.74 feet. Sunrise was at 7:08 AM, sunset is at 7:20 PM. Down in Conch Key, you saw similar patterns, with a high tide at 7:57 AM (1.94 ft) and another crest at 8:43 PM (1.52 ft). Key West’s high tides line up at 9:06 AM and 9:52 PM. That means the bite turns “ON” mid-morning and again near dusk—classic Florida fishing windows.

Weatherwise, the forecast remains consistent with late-summer heat, mainly clear skies, and just a chance of scattered afternoon showers typical for the region. That’ll keep water clarity good and fish on the hunt near reef edges and flats.

Fish activity’s been heating up. Snapper, especially yellowtail and mangrove, are showing in excellent numbers from Miami cut down to Islamorada. Local guides and Florida Insider Fishing Report note catches of respectable snapper up to 20 fish per boat, with legal mangrove and flag yellowtail mixed in. Plenty of lane snapper, grunt, and the occasional mutton reported out deeper.

Inshore along Biscayne Bay, snook are busting mullet at dawn on the incoming tide. Tarpon continue to roll near bridges at first light, with a few fish breaking the 80-pound mark. Bonefish action remains steady off Miami Beach and Upper Keys flats, mostly in the 2–5 pound range, best in early morning before the sun gets high.

Out in the bluewater, dolphin (mahi-mahi) are moving just past the reef line; yesterday, a handful of boats landed 6–10 fish apiece in the 8–12 pound class, mostly on trolled ballyhoo or skirts. Permit are cruising wrecks between Key Largo and Duck Key, with some hefty fish reported—bring crabs if you’re targeting these brutes.

Hot lures and bait? For yellowtail, chum heavy and use small live pilchards or silversides. Locals swear by 1/16 oz pink or chartreuse jigheads tipped with shrimp for snapper—especially when the current runs hard at peak tides. Snook are hitting white paddle-tail soft plastics, DOA Baitbusters, and live mullet. For bonefish, the go-to remains live shrimp or pink ‘Gotcha’ jigs fished slow on the edge of the flats. Offshore, skirted ballyhoo or pink-and-blue trolling lures are nailing mahi; if you’re after blackfin tuna near the humps, try dark feathers and vertical jigs.

A couple of proven hot spots:

- Government Cut and Haulover Inlet in Miami for snook and tarpon on the morning flood tide.
- The bridges near Islamorada, especially Channel 5 and Long Key, are producing good snapper, sea trout, and the occasional snook.
- For bonefish, hit the flats around Biscayne National Park or Lower Matecumbe—look for hard sand mixed with turtle grass.

Remember, keep an eye on the tide swings to optimize your bite and always respect the harvest limits—keepers are running pretty thick, but let the small ones go to grow.

Thanks for tuning in to today’s Florida Keys and Miami fishing report. Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss tomorrow’s update. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Artificial lure. Here with your Florida Keys and Miami fishing
report for Friday, September nineteenth, twenty twenty five. We woke
up to calm, warm conditions this morning, with air temps
right around eighty degrees and only a slight breeze ruffling
the water. Perfect for a day on the salt. Let's
break down the tides. Starting in Miami, according to tide forecast,

(00:22):
we had a low tide at one fifty one am
and the first high tide smacked in at seven fifty
four am, bringing in a solid two point six nine feet.
Around two thirteen PM, expect another low at zero point
three four feet. Then evening anglers can target the second
high tide at eight twenty one pm with a bump

(00:43):
to two point seven four feet. Sunrise was at seven
zero eight am, sunset is at seven to twenty pm.
Down in Conch Key, you saw similar patterns with a
high tide at seven fifty seven am one point nine
four feet and another crest at eight forty three pm
one point five to two feet. Key West high tides

(01:04):
line up at nine zero six am and nine fifty
two pm. That means the bike turns on mid morning
and again near dusk classic Florida fishing windows. Weatherwise, the
forecast remains consistent with late summer heat, mainly clear skies,
and just a chance of scattered afternoon showers typical for

(01:27):
the region that'll keep water clarity good and fish on
the hunt. Near ref edges and flats, fish activity has
been heating up. Snapper, especially yellowtail and mangrove, are showing
in excellent numbers from Miami Cut down to Islamorada. Local
guides in Florida Insider Fishing Report note catches of respectable

(01:48):
snapper up to twenty fish per boat, with legal mangrove
and flag yellowtail mixed in. Plenty of lane snapper, brunt
and the occasional mutton reported out deeper inshore along Biscayne Bay.
Snooker bustin' mullet at dawn on the incoming tide. Tarpin
continue to roll near bridges at first light, with a
few fish breaking the eighty pound mark. Bonefish action remains

(02:11):
steady off Miami Beach and Upper Keys Flats, mostly in
the two to five pound range, best in early morning
before the sun gets high. Out in the blue water
Doff and my Ma are moving just past the reef line. Yesterday,
a handful of boats landed six to ten fish apiece
in the eight to twelve pound class, mostly on trolled

(02:31):
ballyhoo or skirts permit our cruisin' wrecks between Key Largo
and Duck Key, with some hefty fish reported. Bring crabs
if you're targeting these brutes. Hot lures and bait For
yellowtail chum heavy and use small live pilchards or silver sides.
Locals swear by one six ounce pink or Chartreu's jigheads

(02:52):
tipped with shrimp, especially when the current runs hard at
peep tides. Snook are hitting white paddle tail, soft plastics,
de bait busters and live mullet. For bonefish, the go
to remains live shrimp or pink gotcha jigs fished slow
on the edge of the flats. Offshore. Skirted ballely who

(03:12):
or pink and blue trolling lures are nailing mahi. If
you're after blackfintuna near the humps, try dark feathers and
vertical jigs. A couple of proven hotspots Government cut and
haulover Inlet in Miami for snook and tarpin on the
morning flood tide. The bridges near Islamarrada, especially Channel five
and Long Key, are producing good snapper, sea trout and

(03:35):
the occasional snook. For bonefish, hit the flats around Biscayn
National Park or lower Metecham. Look for hard sand mix
with turtle grass. Remember, keep an eye on the tide
swings to optimize your bite, and always respect the harvest limits.
Keepers are running pretty thick, but let the small ones
go to grow. Thanks for tuning in to today's Florida

(03:56):
Keys and Miami Fishing Report. Make sure to subscribe so
you don't miss tomorrow's update. This has been a quiet
please production. For more check out Quiet Please dot ai