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Key West Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The end of the road and the start of everything: flats, wrecks, the Marquesas and the Gulf Stream, all sailing from one storied harbor.

3/5
Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.
Next tide
Low 8:25 PM
Air / High
90 / 93 F
Wind
ESE 4 mph

Sources: NOAA tides 8724557, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.

Key West locks in another hot, bright day: the fish know the drill and so should you. Today brings a mixed sky, wind ESE around 4 mph, steady pressure near 1014 hPa and a high of 93. Tides: high 2:12 AM and 4:43 PM, low 10:01 AM and 8:25 PM: the moving water either side of each change is when this place feeds. Water sits around 85 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: plan around them and beat the heat.

The plan, species by species

Redfish (red drum)Excellent

Dawn topwater over grass flats and shorelines, then follow them to deeper guts and channel edges with gold spoons and paddletails. Look for wakes and nervous bait.

Speckled troutGood

First light topwater over grass and shell, then deeper: free-lined live shrimp or croaker over 4-8 ft structure. The bite dies with the sun; night lights fish well.

Tomorrow: Cooler at 86 F with a rain chance. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings.

Tides

NOAA station 8724557 (Key West, White Street Pier). Fish the moving water either side of each change.

Fri
HIGH2:12 AM2.3 ft
LOW10:01 AM0.3 ft
HIGH4:43 PM1.1 ft
LOW8:25 PM0.8 ft
Sat
HIGH3:27 AM2.3 ft
LOW11:22 AM0.3 ft
HIGH6:19 PM1.2 ft
LOW9:49 PM0.9 ft

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp90 F
High / Low93 / 82 F
WindESE 4-4 mph
Pressure1014.3 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain40% cloud, 15%
Sunrise / Sunset07:09 / 19:42
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~85 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 93/82 F, wind 9 mph, rain 15%

Fair or better. A 9 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Key West: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Redfish (red drum) illustration

Redfish (red drum)

Best: Sep-Nov bull run

The copper-flanked king of the flats and surf: tailing in inches of water, schooling by the hundred in fall. Dawn topwater over grass flats and shorelines, then follow them to deeper guts and channel edges with gold spoons and paddletails. Look for wakes and nervous bait.

Speckled trout illustration

Speckled trout

Best: spring and fall

The Gulf coast's everyday obsession: soft mouths, violent topwater strikes and a fishery that lives by tide and bait. First light topwater over grass and shell, then deeper: free-lined live shrimp or croaker over 4-8 ft structure. The bite dies with the sun; night lights fish well.

When to come: the Key West calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Redfish (red drum)
Speckled trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 85 F (estimated, not a reading).

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~85 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Key West today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Redfish (red drum) led the card at excellent. High of 91 F, wind to 9 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Redfish (red drum) led the card at excellent. High of 91 F, wind to 7 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Redfish (red drum) led the card at excellent. High of 92 F, wind to 7 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Florida requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Florida saltwater license (covered on charters). Permit zones and tarpon handling rules: strict. Reef fish rules split state/federal at 3 miles: know your distance.

Access

Charter fleet at Historic Seaport, Garrison Bight ramps, White Street Pier and bridge rail access, kayak flats east of town.

About this water

Island city at the end of US-1, Monroe County, FL. The southernmost harbor in the continental US, 106 miles from Cuba.

Fishing Key West: the full guide

Four fisheries from one dock

Key West stacks its fisheries in rings: the harbor and flats (tarpon, permit, bones within sight of Mallory Square), the near reefs and wrecks (yellowtail, grouper, mutton snapper, kings), the Gulf-side wrecks (cobia, permit schools, goliath encounters), and the blue water where the Stream swings closest (sailfish, mahi, tuna). Pick a ring by weather and appetite: the fleet runs them all daily.

Flats royalty

The Marquesas, 25 miles west, are American flats fishing's cathedral: permit schools on the flood, tailing bones, laid-up tarpon in the basins. Closer, the Northwest Channel edges and harbor flats hold worthy targets on every tide. This is poled-skiff, long-leader, one-good-cast fishing: book the best guide you can afford and listen.

Harbor tarpon and the bridges

Key West Harbor's resident tarpon eat shrimp and crabs around the shrimp-boat lights year-round: night charters and dock-side casters both connect. Spring stacks migratory fish in the channels: 100-lb-class battles within sight of the sunset bars. Fleming Key and Cow Key bridges add the rail-fishing standby.

Reef-to-stream calendar

Winter: sailfish on the color changes, kings on the wrecks, flats windows between fronts. Spring: tarpon everywhere, permit spawning aggregations (release them), mahi starting. Summer: mangrove snapper spawns, mahi runs, calm-day Marquesas trips. Fall: bait blitzes, wahoo moons, the quietest crowds. The Stream sits 10-20 miles out: closer than anywhere in the Keys.

Common questions

What is a Key West grand slam?

Tarpon, permit, and bonefish in one day: the Marquesas and harbor flats make it genuinely possible here. Add a sailfish offshore for the super slam bar story.

Do I need a boat to fish Key West?

The bridges, White Street Pier, and harbor edges produce tarpon sightings, snapper, and jacks: real fishing exists on foot. But the town's magic lives on the water: even one split charter changes the trip.

Is fishing good at Key West right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.

Nearby waters

Islamorada77 miBoca Grande153 miLake Okeechobee176 miVenice181 miLake Istokpoga196 miSarasota198 mi
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