Late Summer Bite: Mahi, Snook, and Tarpon in the Florida Keys and Miami

Artificial Lure here with your local fishing report for the Florida Keys and Miami, Thursday, August 28, 2025. Let’s get right into it—today was a classic late summer day on the water, with solid action for those who timed their trips around some dynamic tides and favorable weather.

In Miami, sunrise hit at 6:58 a.m., and sunset’s wrapping up tonight at 7:45 p.m. Over in Key West, first light was at 7:01 a.m. and we’ll see the sun down at 8:01 p.m. If you were out early, you know that’s when things started to pop. Both Miami Beach and the Keys are seeing strong tidal swings today: high tidal coefficients of 81 in Miami and 80 in Key West mean heavy current and solid water movement—a big trigger for feeding activity according to Tides4Fishing and Tide-Forecast. Low tide came just before sunrise, then built to a late morning high: Miami’s first high tide was at 11:05 a.m., Key West’s at 1:53 p.m. If you missed those moving water windows, you probably found the mid-afternoon bite a little slow.

Weather-wise, we’re still under warm, muggy skies with those classic southeast breezes laying down enough chop to keep the bait nervous. No major storms reported, just that persistent subtropical energy we expect in August.

Let’s talk about what’s biting. The Florida Insider Fishing Report has been lit up all week with catches of mahi-mahi out past the reefs, especially off Marathon and Islamorada—most fish running schoolie size, but some bigger bulls pushing 20 pounds in the mix by the color changes and rips. On the reefs, mangrove snapper are still loaded up, and yellowtail are thick just outside the patch reefs in 40 to 70 feet. Tarpon are running steady on the bridge channels around channel 2 and 5, with a few big boys reported at sunset.

Inshore, bonefish and permit have been tailing early on quiet flats—especially around Sugarloaf and Biscayne Bay on that tide switch. Snapper and grouper reports are solid from nearshore ledges, and for the bridge crowd, steady action with snook in the shadow lines just about everywhere from Tavernier to the Miami causeways. According to Captain Experiences, most guides are running a mix of light tackle, live bait, and artificial lures—trolling plugs and vertical jigs offshore, while beach and jetty anglers are doing well on paddle tails and topwater walkers early.

As for what’s pulling best: early morning and just after tide changes are your prime windows. Offshore, trolled ballyhoo and bonita strips with bright skirts are out-catching everything, but don’t overlook big, flashy diving plugs. On the reefs, cut pilchards and live shrimp are still king for snapper, while a 2-ounce pink bucktail jig can fire up just about anything sitting below the bait schools. If you’re chasing tarpon at dusk, nothing beats a big mullet or live crab drifted near current edges.

Top lure picks for this week:
- **Topwater poppers** at first light for snook and bonefish
- **White or chartreuse paddle tails** on a 1/4 oz jighead for the mangroves
- **Metal vertical jigs** or big swimbaits offshore over structure

Hot spots to target? Try **Islamorada Hump** for mahi action and blackfin tuna, or drift the **Mile Marker 88 reefs** for steady mangrove and yellowtail bite. Closer to Miami, fish the **Bear Cut** or **Government Cut** for a shot at snook, tarpon, and the occasional permit cruising early.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Artificial lure. Here with your local fishing report for the
Florida Keys in Miami, Thursday, August twenty eighth, twenty twenty five.
Let's get right into it. Today was a classic late
summer day on the water, with solid action for those
who timed their trips around some dynamic tides and favorable weather.
In Miami, sunrise hit at six fifty eight am and

(00:20):
sunsets wrapping up tonight at seven forty five pm. Over
in Key West, first light was at seven oh one am,
and we'll see the sun down at eight oh one pm.
If you were out early, you know that's when things
started to pop. Both Miami Beach and the Keys are
seeing strong tidle swings today. High title coefficients of eighty
one in Miami and eighty in Key West mean heavy

(00:43):
current and solid water movement, a big trigger for feeding activity.
According to Tide's fore Fishing and Tide Forecast, low tide
came just before sunrise, then built to a late morning high.
Miami's first high tide was at eleven oh five am,
key West's at one fifty three pm. If you miss
those moving water windows, you probably found the mid afternoon

(01:04):
bite a little slow weatherwise, were still under warm, muggy
skies with those classic southeast breezes laying down enough chop
to keep the bait nervous. No major storms reported, just
at persistent subtropical energy we expect in August. Let's talk
about what's biting. The Florida Insider fishing report has been
lit up all week with catches of Mahi ma'i out

(01:25):
past the reefs, especially off Marathon and Islamorada. Most fish
running schoolly size, but some bigger bowls pushing twenty pounds
in the mix. By the color changes and rips on
the reefs, mangrove snapper are still loaded up, and yellowtail
are thick just outside the patch reefs from forty to
seventy feet tarpin or running steady on the bridge channels
around Channel two and five, with a few big boys

(01:47):
reported at sunset. Inshore bone fish and permit have been
tailing early on quiet flats, especially around Sugar Loaf and
Biscayme Bay on that tide, Slitch, snapper and grouper reports
are solid from near shore legs and for the bridge crowd,
steady action with snoke in the shadow lines just about
everywhere from Tavernir to the Miami Causeways. According to captain experiences,

(02:10):
most guides are running a mix of light tackle, live
bait and artificial lures, trolling plugs and vertical jigs offshore,
while beach and jetti anglers are doing well on paddle
tails and topwater walkers early. As for what's pulling best,
early morning and just after tide changes are your prime windows. Offshore,
trolled bally Hue and Benita strips with bright skirts are

(02:31):
out catching everything, but don't overlook big flashy diving plugs
on the reefs. Cup pilchards and live shrimp are still
keen for snapper, while a two ounce pink bucktailed jig
can fire up just about anything sitting below the bait schools.
If you're chasing tarpain at dusk, nothing beats a big
mullet or live crab drifted near current edges. Top layer

(02:52):
picks for this week, topwater poppers at first light for
snooke and bonefish, white or Chartreu's paddle tails on a wall,
unfour thaws, jighead for the mangroves, Metal vertical jigs or
big swim baits offshore over structure hotspots to target try
Islamorada Hump for mahi action and blackfintuna or drift the

(03:12):
mile marker eighty eight reefs for steady mangrove and yellowtail
bite closer to Miami fish, the bear cut or government
cut for a shot at Snooke Tarpin, and the occasional
permit cruising early. Thanks for tuning in, folks. Don't forget
to subscribe so you never miss an update. This has
been a quiet please production. For more check out quiet

(03:32):
please dot ai