Islamorada Fishing Report June 22, 2025: Prime Conditions for Backcountry, Reef, and Offshore Action

Good morning anglers, Artificial Lure here with your Islamorada fishing report for June 22, 2025.

We’re heading into a classic summer pattern in the Upper Keys. Conditions are prime: sunrise was at 6:34 AM and sunset’s coming up at 8:14 PM. Today’s tides are running strong—high tide rolled in at 9:39 AM with a solid 1.1 feet, falling to a low at 6:16 PM. According to Tides4Fishing, we’re peaking with tidal coefficients in the low 70s, so you can expect good current and active fish movement all day.

Weather’s on our side—clear, with a light southeast breeze pushing just enough to keep things comfortable on the water. Water temps are running in the upper 70s to low 80s, and overall clarity is excellent, especially in the backcountry and at the patch reefs.

Reports from Captain Experiences this week confirm the backcountry bite is still hot. Anglers have been boating snook, redfish, and sheepshead over the grass flats and channels. Speckled seatrout are hanging steady in the shallows, while black drum and snapper have kept lines tight in the creeks and around mangrove islands. Reef action’s no slouch either—yellowtail snapper are stacking up on the edge, and there’s been more than a few good blackfin tuna and mahi-mahi caught offshore. Just last week, a group limited out on nice-sized mahi, and another crew hooked into sharks and a mess of yellowtail with Captain Troy.

Best baits in the backcountry are still live shrimp, pilchards, and pinfish. For artificials, try a white paddle-tail or gold spoon for redfish, and DOA shrimp or Gulp! baits for trout and snook. At the reef, cut baits and live pilchards are pulling in snapper, with small jigs or bucktail lures also doing the job. Offshore, troll rigged ballyhoo or squid skirts for mahi and tuna—chartreuse and pink have been top colors this week.

For hot spots, check out Snake Creek and the Whale Harbor Channel for snook and redfish. Trout and snapper are hugging the grass beds in Florida Bay near Sandy Key and the Buchanan Bank edge. On the ocean side, Alligator Reef and Pickles Reef are loaded with yellowtail and the occasional mutton snapper. Offshore, look for weed lines and rips starting at the 600-foot mark—this is where most mahi action has been happening.

That’s the bite for today around Islamorada. Thanks for tuning in to your daily fishing report! Make sure to subscribe for tomorrow’s update—and remember, this has been a Quiet Please production. For more, check out quietplease dot ai.