Saturday Fishing Report: Tides, Tackle, and Targets in the Florida Keys and Miami

Good morning anglers, Artificial Lure here with your Florida Keys and Miami fishing report for Saturday, September 20, 2025. If you’re heading out today, you’ve got a prime September sunrise at 7:08 AM and sunset at 7:19 PM. We’re in for a solid 12 hours of fishing light—plenty of time to wet a line and haul in some beauties.

Let’s talk tides: In North Miami, today’s tidal coefficient is 88, which is considered high and means we’re seeing strong tides—great for fish movement and those feeding windows. High tide hits at 7:59 AM (3.2 ft), rolling into a low at 2:09 PM (0.5 ft), and another high swings in at 8:19 PM (3.2 ft). That early morning and late evening push? Prime time for big bites. Out in the lower Keys and around Key West, tide charts show similar patterns, so wherever you launch, plan your trip around those peak changes for best results.

Weather’s a typical late September Florida mix: expect muggy conditions and an air temp climbing into the upper 80s. Water temps are about 86°F, which keeps pelagics active and pushes the flats species to hunt strong at dawn and dusk. Winds are light—perfect for small craft and kayaks, and the surf’s mellow enough for clear water on the edges. There is a bit of a heads-up from state weather officials: tides could run a foot or so above usual and bring minor saltwater flooding in some low spots. Make sure to check your launch points and be wary of high water on the backcountry trails.

Now let’s get to the fish—there’s been no shortage of action this week. Inshore, guides and regulars out of Flamingo and Tavernier report solid snook and redfish on the move, especially near the mangroves and channels at first light. Live pilchards and small pinfish are top, but artificial shrimp and paddle tails in white or chartreuse have been getting aggressive hits. Plenty of legal mangrove snapper are hitting around structure—bridges, rocks, and the edges of flats. A few slot-size trout are still mixed in on the deeper edges, with popping corks and Gulp! shrimp drawing them up.

Offshore around the reef line and just past, mahi-mahi (dolphin) are showing in good numbers, particularly under weeds and debris in about 400-800 feet. Trolling small rigged ballyhoo, feather jigs, or even flashy bucktail combos has produced nice gaffers, while the schoolies are smashing live pilchards drifted behind the boat. Blackfin tuna have been hitting vertical jigs and small live baits deeper along the Hump off Islamorada. For reef hounds, yellowtail bite is steady—bring plenty of chum and try a small jig tipped with cut bait for best luck.

Down in Key West and around Vaca Key, bonefish and permit are tailing across the flats—morning incoming tide is your best bet. Crustacean imitations are working wonders: try a small, tan crab fly or the classic pink skimmer jig. Tarpon are shifting to deeper channels but can still be jumped at first and last light on live mullet or DOA Baitbusters.

Popular hot spots today include the bridges at Channel 5 and 7 Mile for snapper and grouper, as well as the flats around Snake Creek for bones and permit. Offshore enthusiasts should make a run to Islamorada Hump for big tuna, while in Miami, Haulover Inlet is delivering steady snook at dawn and dusk, and the Government Cut jetties are loaded with jacks and the occasional tarpon busting bait.

Remember, with these stronger tides and daybreak hours, early missions and evening sessions are the ticket. Downsized baits and lighter leader help with finicky snapper, while flash and vibration catch the attention offshore with all that moving water.

Thanks for tuning in to the Florida Keys and Miami fishing report—don’t forget to subscribe for more local tips and updates. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease dot ai.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, anglers, Artificial Lore here with your Florida Keys
and Miami fishing report for Saturday, September twenty, twenty twenty five.
If you're heading out today, you've got a prime September
sunrise at seven zero eight am and sunset at seven
nineteen pm. We're in for a solid twelve hours of
fishing light, plenty of time to red a line and

(00:21):
haul in some beauties. Let's talk tides in North Miami.
Today's title coefficient is eighty eight, which is considered high
and means we're seeing strong tides, great for fish movement
and those feeding windows. High tide hits at seven fifty
nine am three point two feet, rolling into a low
at two zero nine pm zero point five feet, and

(00:42):
another high swings in at eight nineteen pm three point
two feet. That early morning and late evening push primetime
for big bites out in the lower Keys. In around
Key West, tide charts shows similar patters, so wherever you launch,
plan your trip around those peak changes for BetUS results.
Weather's a typical late September Florida mix. Expect muggy conditions

(01:05):
and an air temp climbing into the upper eighties. Water
temps are about eighty six degrees fahrenheit, which keeps pelagus
active and pushes the flat species to hunt strong at
dawn and dusk. Winds are light, perfect for small craft
and kayaks, and the serf's mellow enough for clear water
on the edges. There is a bit of a heads
up from state weather officials tides could run a foot

(01:27):
or so above usual and bring minor saltwater flooding in
some low spots. Make sure to chew your launch points
and be wary of high water on the back country trails. Now,
let's get to the fish. There's been no shortage of
action this week. Inshore guides in regulars out of Flamingo
and Tavernir reports solid snook and redfish on the move,

(01:50):
especially near the mangroves and channels. At first light. Live
pilchers and small pinfish are top, but artificial shrimp and
paddle tails in white or chartreuse have been getting aggressive hits.
Plenty of legal mangrove snapper are hitting around structure, bridges, rocks,
and the edges of flats. A few slot sized trout
are still mixed in on the deeper edges with popping

(02:13):
corks and gold shrimp drawn them up offshore. Around the
refline and just past Mahi Rahi dolphin are showing in
good numbers, particularly under reeds and debris in about four
hundred to eight hundred feet. Trolling small rig balahou, feather
jigs or even flashy bucktail combos has produced nice gaffers

(02:34):
while the schoolies are smashing live pilchards drifted behind the boat.
Blackfin tuna have been hitting vertical jigs and small live
baits deeper along the hump off Islamorada for refounds. Yellowtail
bite is steady. Bring plenty of chum and try a
small jig tip with cut bait for best luck. Down
in Key West and around Vodka key bonefish and permit

(02:57):
are tailing across the flats morning inc coming tide is
your best back. Crustacean imitations are working wonders. Try a
small tan crabfly or the classic pink skimmer jig. Tarpin
are shifting to deeper channels but can still be jumped
at first and last light on live mullet or doa
bait busters. Popular hotspots today include the bridges at Channel

(03:21):
five and seven mile for snapper and grouper, as well
as the flats around Snake Creek for bones and permit.
Offshore enthusiasts should make a run to Isla Morada Hump
for big tuna, while in Miami, Haulover Inlet is delivering
study snoke at dawn and dusk, and the government cut
jetties are loaded with jacks and the occasional tarpin busting bait. Remember,

(03:45):
with these stronger tides and daybreak hours, early missions and
evening sessions are the ticket. Downsize baits and lighter leader
help with finicky snapper, while flash and vibration catch the
attention offshore with all that moving water. Thanks for tuning
in to the Florida Keys and Miami Fishing Report. Don't

(04:07):
forget to subscribe for more local tips and updates. This
has been a quiet please production. For more check out
Quiet please dot a I