Islamorada Fishing Report: Late Fall Heat and Hungry Pelagics

This is Artificial Lure reporting from beautiful Islamorada, Florida—where November’s cool mornings heat up quick and the bite is keeping lines tight from the backcountry to bluewater. Let’s get right into your Saturday fishing report for November 8, 2025.

We’re seeing classic late fall conditions: clear skies, a fresh breeze out of the east at about 8 to 12 knots, and temps starting in the upper 70s before pushing into the low 80s by midday. The humidity is hanging around, but it’s nothing the locals can’t handle. According to MarineWeather.net, yesterday’s calm held, so expect nice seas early with a little chop building into the afternoon. Sunrise came at 6:43 a.m. and we’ll fish daylight until sunset at 8:14 p.m.—plenty of time for a full day’s action.

Tides are working in our favor right now. Per the US Harbors tide chart, Islamorada’s next high is due just after 9 a.m. with a 0.7-foot push, falling to a low at 11:15 a.m., before another building high later in the day. This kind of cycle means a good moving tide for the backcountry and bridges through mid-morning, and hungry pelagics on the reef-edge current in the afternoon.

Offshore, the action’s been hot. According to recent guides out of Islamorada and Marathon, mahi-mahi are still running—plenty of lifters (small fish) but respectable gaffers and the odd bull showing up under frigate birds and floating debris. Blackfin tuna are working deep wrecks and humps, fish up to 20 pounds common using vertical jigs and small feathers trolled behind planers. King mackerel are here and mean; cigar minnows or blue runners as live bait are the ticket, but shiny silver spoons and Yo-Zuri Bonitas are also putting fish in the boat.

The reef line is loaded with snapper. Captains are putting clients on yellowtail thick on the deep edge, with some lanes and mangroves mixed in. Chum heavily, use 12–15 lb. fluorocarbon leaders and tiny hooks. The best bait has been cut ballyhoo or fresh silversides, but some sharp-shooters are doing real damage with small pink bucktails tipped with shrimp. Reports from recent trips say boats are decking 20–25 keeper yellowtails by lunch.

The backcountry and flats are loaded too. According to recent trip logs, snook and speckled trout are hot in the runoffs and potholes, especially as the sun pushes higher and the water warms. Freelined pilchards, shrimp under popping corks, or soft paddle-tail artificials are the local favorites. Tarpon are still rolling at sunrise on both the Oceanside and west bridges, with topwater plugs at first light. Redfish are working mangrove mouths—live shrimp or gold spoons have been pulling them in.

Hot spots you shouldn’t miss:
- **Alligator Reef:** For mahi and blackfin. Watch for birds and weed lines.
- **Channel 2 Bridge:** Redfish, snook, and trout pushing with the tide and plenty of structure.
- **Snake Creek and Whale Harbor Channels:** Early morning tarpon and mixed bag action as the sunrise heats the shallows.

No red tide effects have been reported locally this week, says the FWC, so both water clarity and air quality remain excellent. Recent tournament reports tell of boats catching over 150 fish—snapper, tarpon, jacks, bonito, and more—so things are about as good as it gets for anglers of every skill level.

Best lures this week: pink or chartreuse bucktails, natural color paddletails, and hard plugs with a rattle for snook and tarpon early. Live bait remains king offshore—pilchards, ballyhoo, and blue runners. If you’re bottom fishing, nothing beats shrimp.

That’s it for today’s Islamorada fishing report—plenty of fish, picture-perfect weather, and lots of reasons to get on the water now.

Thanks for tuning in to your local report. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a bite, and tight lines until next time!
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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is artificial lure reporting from beautiful Islamorada, Florida, where
November's cool mornings heat up quick and the bite is
keeping lines tight from the backcountry to blue water. Let's
get right into your Saturday fishing report for November eighth,
twenty twenty five. We're seeing classic late fall conditions. Clear skies,
a fresh breeze out of the east at about eight

(00:21):
to twelve knots, and temps starting in the upper seventies
before pushing into the low eighties by midday. The humidity
is hanging around, but it's nothing the locals can't handle.
According to marineweather dot Net, yesterday's calm held, so expect
nice seas early with a little chopped building into the afternoon.
Sunrise came at six point forty three am and will

(00:43):
fish daylight until sunset at eight fourteen pm. Plenty of
time for a full day's action. Tides are working in
our favor right now, curR. The US Harbor's tide chart
Islamar at His next high is due just after nine am,
with a zero two point seven foot push, falling to
a low at eleven fifteen a m before another building

(01:06):
high later in the day. This kind of cycle means
a good moving tide for the back country and bridges
through mid morning, and hungry pelagics on the refedged current
in the afternoon. Offshore, the action's been hot. According to
recent guides out of Islamorada and Marathon Mayu May are
still running. Plenty of lifters, small fish, but respectable gaffers

(01:27):
and the odd bowl showing up under frigate birds and
floating debris. Black fintuna are working deep wrecks and humps.
Fish up to twenty pounds common using vertical jigs and
small feathers trolled behind planers. King mackerel are here and
mean cigar menos are Blue runners is live bait or
the ticket, but chiny silver spoons and yozeri benitas are

(01:48):
also putting fish in the boat. The reef line is
loaded with snapper. Captains are putting clients on yellowtail thick
on the deep edge, with some lanes and mangroves mixed
in chum heavily. U use twelve to fifteen pounds four
carbon liters and tiny hooks. The best bait has been
cut ballyhoo or fresh silver sides, but some Sharpshooters are

(02:09):
doing real damage with small pink bucktails tipped with shrimp.
Reports from recent trips say boats are deck in twenty
twenty five keeper yellow tails by lunch. The back country
and flats are loaded to According to recent trip logs,
Snoke and speckled trout are hot on the runoffs and potholes,
especially as the sun pushes higher and the water warms.

(02:30):
Freelined pilchards, shrimp under popping corks or soft paddle tail
artificials are the local favorites. Tarpin are still rolling at
sunrise on both the ocean side and west bridges with
top water plugs at first light. Red fish are work
in mangrove mouths. Live shrimp or gold spoons have been
pulling them in hot spots. You shouldn't miss alligator reef

(02:50):
for mahi and blackfin wash for birds and weed lines.
Channel two bridge red fish, snook and trout pushing with
the tide, and plenty of structure. Snake Creek and whale
harbor channels. Early morning tarpin and mixed bag action as
the sunrise heats the shallows. No red tide effects have
been reported locally this week. Says the FWC, so both

(03:13):
water clarity and air quality remain excellent. Recent tournament reports
tell of boats catching over one hundred and fifty fish, snapper, tarpin,
jack's benito, and more. So things are about as good
as it gets for angers of every skill level. Best
lures this week pink or charterers, bucktails, natural colored paddle tails,

(03:34):
and hard plugs with a rattle for snook and tarpan
early live bait remains king offshore pilchards, ballyhoo and blue runners.
If you're bottom fishing, nothing beats shrimp. That's it for
today's is Lamorada Fishing Report. Plenty of fish, picture perfect weather,
and lots of reasons to get on the water now.
Thanks for tuning in to your local report. Be sure

(03:55):
to subscribe so you never miss a bite, and tight
lines until next time. This has been a quiet please production.
For more check out Quiet please dot ai