Florida Keys · ChartNav curated ground
Dry Tortugas
Remote reefs and channels west of Key West — snapper and grouper on the bottom, permit and tarpon on the flats.
What's biting here — right now
Prime water for Great Barracuda & Mangrove Snapper — 85°F on top, slack now, moving 8:47 PM–11:17 PM.
Today's bite
live from the tidal stream belowDays ahead
Today
OK
wind 15 kt
Sun
OK
wind 15 kt
Mon
GO
10 kt
Tue
GO
7 kt
Wed
GO
7 kt
8:47 PM – 11:17 PM
0.3 kts at 10:17 PM
In season (Oct)
SST 85°F in the prime band (73–86°F prime)
Charted 22 ft suits this species (10–164 ft ideal)
Better near wrecks and reef edges if you can find it
A fast tube lure ripped across the flat or the wreck — they will not chase anything slow.
In season (Oct)
Bottom temp 86°F at 33 ft in the prime band (72–86°F prime)
Charted 22 ft suits this species (10–131 ft ideal)
In NOAA-designated Essential Fish Habitat — expected here even where structure isn't charted
Light fluorocarbon and small live baits around any structure; chum heavily.
Permit98
In season (Oct)
SST 85°F in the prime band (75–88°F prime)
Charted 22 ft suits this species (2–20 ft ideal)
Better near structure or edges if you can find it
Live crabs sight-cast on flats; over wrecks in summer.
In season (Oct)
Bottom temp 86°F at 33 ft in the prime band (70–86°F prime)
Charted 22 ft suits this species (20–148 ft ideal)
No charted structure within 250 m — scored cautiously (charts don't mark all hard bottom)
Catch and release only — heavy tackle over wrecks and bridge pilings, and get them back down fast.
In season (Oct)
SST 85°F workable (73–84°F prime)
Charted 22 ft suits this species (20–164 ft ideal)
Live pilchards on light wire over the reef edge — the reef-line mackerel the kings run past.
In season (Oct)
SST 85°F in the prime band (73–86°F prime)
Charted 22 ft suits this species (7–49 ft ideal)
Near the southern edge of its range (regular south to about 25.0°N)
No charted structure within 250 m — scored cautiously (charts don't mark all hard bottom)
Sight-cast live shrimp to fish laid up under floats and markers.
In season (Oct)
SST 85°F in the prime band (70–86°F prime)
Charted 22 ft suits this species (7–131 ft ideal)
Near the southern edge of its range (regular south to about 25.0°N)
Throw a big topwater into a busting school and hold on — pound for pound the hardest pull inshore.
In season (Oct)
SST 85°F in the prime band (72–86°F prime)
Charted 22 ft suits this species (10–197 ft ideal)
Near the southern edge of its range (regular south to about 25.0°N)
No strong temperature break nearby
Cut bait in a slick off the beach or the bar — the one that jumps and spins when it eats.
In season (Oct)
SST 85°F workable (68–84°F prime)
Charted 22 ft suits this species (2–26 ft ideal)
Near the southern edge of its range (regular south to about 25.0°N)
Sand fleas on a pompano rig in the surf trough — they follow the wash on a moving tide.
In season (Oct)
SST 85°F in the prime band (73–88°F prime)
Charted 22 ft suits this species (2–20 ft ideal)
Near the southern edge of its range (regular south to about 25.0°N)
No charted structure within 250 m — scored cautiously (charts don't mark all hard bottom)
Live bait or swimbaits on mangrove edges, dock lights and pass current seams.
In season (Oct)
Bottom temp 86°F at 33 ft workable (72–84°F prime)
Charted 22 ft suits this species (26–197 ft ideal)
No charted structure within 250 m — scored cautiously (charts don't mark all hard bottom)
Long fluorocarbon leader drifted well back in a chum slick — heavy gear and they simply will not eat.
In season (Oct)
Bottom temp 86°F at 33 ft workable (72–84°F prime)
Charted 22 ft marginal for this species (26–197 ft ideal)
No charted structure within 250 m — scored cautiously (charts don't mark all hard bottom)
Small baits on light bottom rigs over any hard patch — the reliable filler on a reef trip.
Live habitat-envelope scoring at this exact cell — SST, charted depth, charted structure and seabed, NOAA-designated habitat. The same engine and cards as tapping the spot in Fish mode.
Today's bite windows — moving water
Slack water right now
8:47 PM – 11:17 PM
0.3 kts · 10:17 PM
0.3 kts · 10:17 PM
2:17 AM – 3:47 AM
0.2 kts · 3:17 AM
0.2 kts · 3:17 AM
7:47 AM – 11:17 AM
0.5 kts · 9:47 AM
0.5 kts · 9:47 AM
Tidal stream at Southwest Channel (1.1 nm away), peak today 0.5 kt — same arrows and curve as the current stations on the main chart. Shaded spans of the curve are the windows. Moving water concentrates bait and turns fish on; slack is the lull. Timing only — it never changes the habitat scores above.
The week ahead — full forecast
Drag the graph for any hour — wind, gusts, seas & period, rain, predicted current. The pale band around the wind line is model disagreement; the day chips carry the verdict and the number that caused it; the moons are real phases.
Sea state right now — every train
Combined
2.4 ft @ 5 s
from SE
Wind sea
2.4 ft @ 5 s
from ESE
Swell 1
0.6 ft @ 6 s
from SW
Swell 2
0.0 ft
Swell 3
0.0 ft
Wind: NBM 2.5km direct (69 h) → GFS 0.25° direct (3 h) → Open-Meteo blend (96 h) · Waves: GFS-Wave 0.16° (12Z cycle), full train decomposition · Confidence band: GEFS ensemble spread · Bite windows: CO-OPS tidal predictions
Water temperature — last 10 weeks
2026-07-24 → 2026-10-02 · 85–90°F
Best months here
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Species in season by month for Florida Keys (from the knowledge base). In season now: Bonefish, Crevalle Jack, Florida Pompano, Permit, Red Drum (Redfish), Common Snook, Blackfin Tuna, Cero Mackerel, Great Barracuda, Mahi-Mahi.
Other grounds in Florida Keys
The Islamorada Hump
Blackfin Tuna · Greater Amberjack · Atlantic Bonito
Marathon (West) Hump
Blackfin Tuna · Sailfish · Mahi-Mahi
Key West / The Wall
Sailfish · Mahi-Mahi · Blackfin Tuna
Reuse welcome with attribution. Weekly regional report: Florida Keys · Feed: RSS · all US grounds: /fishing.