Keys Catch Up: Tuna, Snapper, and Tarpon Bite Heats Up Across South Florida

This is Artificial Lure reporting in from the Florida Keys and Miami waters for September 24th, 2025. Here’s your on-the-water scoop, delivered local—just the way you like it.

Starting at first light, sunrise hit at 7:10 a.m. and the sun will duck out at 7:14 p.m. today. Tides lined up with a low at 4:15 a.m., high at 10:33 a.m., a second low at 4:37 p.m., and another high rolling in at 10:35 p.m. According to tide-forecast.com, expect that morning push of water to fire up the bite, especially as we hit the latter half of September—prime time for Keys action.

Weather hasn’t raised a ruckus yet this hurricane season, and according to Keys Weekly, it’s been unusually settled—knock on wood—though caution’s always the name of the game late-season with storms possible any day. This morning felt balmy and seasonably humid, holding mid-80s through the day, with just a breeze and partly cloudy skies—classic Keys fall conditions.

Now, for the bite: Offshore, those iconic humps south of Marathon and Islamorada are seeing steady action with blackfin tuna, with a few pushing hefty sizes. Charter captains report boats returning loaded with schools of football-sized blackfins, sometimes mixing in skipjack. Out deeper, dolphin (mahi-mahi) have been scattered but still showing up around weedlines, especially mid-morning as the tide turns.

On the reefs, yellowtail snapper are schooling up in good numbers. Anglers have been dropping blocks of chum around Carysfort and Tennessee Reef and limiting out within a couple hours. Mangrove and mutton snapper are available if you shift inshore, and there’s been an uptick in grouper, especially off ledges between Tavernier and Key Largo.

Staying closer to the mainland, Biscayne Bay flats and inlets are alive right now. Tarpon are cruising the bridges at dawn and dusk, rolling big in the twilight. Snook and sea trout are hitting live pilchards and DOA shrimp along the grass beds near Stiltsville and Haulover Inlet. Early morning topwater action is heating up for jack crevalle and the occasional surprise bonefish inside the bay.

Best lures and baits today: Offshore, nothing beats trolling small feather jigs in pink or blue for tuna, with natural Ballyhoo working wonders for dolphin. Inshore, live shrimp and pilchards are the ticket for snapper and snook, while classic bucktail jigs tipped with GULP! shrimp work when the bait is tough to find. For tarpon, a big live mullet or pinfish freelined on the outbound tide has been hard to beat.

Hot spots to circle on your chart:
- The Islamorada Hump for tuna and dolphin.
- Carysfort Reef for snappers, with a chance at grouper on the bottom.
- The west end of Long Key Bridge for dusk tarpon.
- Biscayne Channel edges for morning bonefish and sea trout.

Word on the docks is that most crews are boxing 10–20 yellowtail per trip, with barracuda and sharks still pestering lines—but that’s the Keys for you, always full of surprises. Don’t forget, lobster divers are still snatching tasty tails out of shallow patch reefs, but make sure you’re respecting limits and checking for egg-bearing females.

That wraps it up for the Florida Keys and Miami fishing report. Tight lines to everyone this week—thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for more local insight. 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 war. Reporting in from the Florida Keys
and Miami Waters for September twenty fourth, twenty twenty five.
Here's You're on the water scoop delivered local, just the
way you like it. Starting at first light, summrise hit
at seven ten am, and the sun will duck out
at seven fourteen pm. Today tides lined up with a
low at four fifteen am, high at ten thirty three am,

(00:23):
a second low at four thirty seven pm, and another
high rolling in at ten thirty five pm. According to
tidefecast dot com. Expect that morning push of water to
fire up the bite, especially as we hit the latter
half of September, prime time for Keys action. Weather hasn't
raised a ruckus yet this hurricane season, and according to

(00:45):
Keys Weekly, it's been unusually settled knock on wood, though
caution's always the name of the game late season, with
storms possible any day. This morning fell balmy and seasonably humid,
holding mid seventies through the day with just a breeze
and partly cloudy skies, classic Keys fall conditions. Now for

(01:06):
the bite. Offshore, those iconic humps south of Marathon and
Islamorada are seeing steady action with black finn tuna, with
a few pushing hefty sizes. Charter captains report boats returning
loaded with schools of football sized black fens, sometimes mixing
in skipjack out, deeper, Dolph and Mai Mai have been
scattered but still showing up around weed lines, especially mid

(01:29):
morning as the tide turns on the reefs. Yellowtail snapper
are schooling up in good numbers. Anglers have been dropping
blocks of chum around Carry's Fort and Tennessee Reef and
limiting out within a couple hours. Mangrove and mutton snapper
are available if you shift in shore, and there's been
an uptick in grouper, especially off ledges between Tavernir and

(01:51):
Key Largo. Staying closer to the mainland. Biscayne Bay flats
and inlets are alive right now. Tarpin are cruising the
bridges at dawn and dus rolling big in the twilight.
Snook and sea trout are hitting live pilchards and doa
shrimp along the grassbeds near Stiltsville and Haulover Inlet. Early morning.

(02:11):
Topwater action is heating up for jack cravall and the
occasional surprise bonefish inside the bay best lures and baits
today offshore, Nothing beats trolling small feather jigs in pink
or blue for tuna, with natural bellahoo working wonders at dolphin. Inshore,
live shrimp and pilchards are the ticket for snapper and snook,

(02:33):
while classic bucktail jigs tipped with gulp shrimp work when
the bait is tough to find. For tarpin, a big
live mullet or pinfish free lined on the outbound tide
has been hard to beat. Hotspots to circle on your chart.
The Islamorada hump for tuna and dolphin carries fort reef
for snappers with a chance at grouper on the bottom

(02:54):
the west end of long Key Bridge for dust, tarpin,
bis gang channel edges for morning bonefish and sea trout.
Word on the docks is that most crews are boxing
ten to twenty yellowtail per trip, with barracuda and sharks
still pestering lines. But that's the keys for you, Always
full of surprises. Don't forget lobster divers are still snatching

(03:15):
tasty tails out of shallow patch reefs, but make sure
you're respecting limits and checking for egg bearing females. That
wraps it up for the Florida Keys and Miami Fishing
report tight lines to everyone this week. Thanks for tuning in,
and don't forget to subscribe for more local insight. This
has been a quiet Please production. For more check out
Quiet Please dot ai