Florida Keys · ChartNav curated ground
The Islamorada Hump
A seamount rising into the current off Islamorada — blackfin tuna, amberjack and bonito stacked on the upwelling.
What's biting here — right now
Prime water for Mahi-Mahi & Almaco Jack — 86°F on top, water moving now.
Today's bite
4:27 PM – 7:43 PM · dusk bite
Days ahead
Today
OK
wind 13 kt
Sun
OK
wind 13 kt
Mon
GO
8 kt
Tue
GO
6 kt
Wed
GO
6 kt
Mahi-Mahi100
In season (Oct)
SST 86°F in the prime band (75–86°F prime)
Charted 401 ft suits this species (131–6560 ft ideal)
No strong temperature break nearby
Better near weedlines and floating debris, not bottom structure if you can find it
Run and gun to weedlines, boards and birds; pitch ballyhoo or jigs.
In season (Oct)
Bottom temp 82°F at 262 ft in the prime band (66–82°F prime)
Charted 401 ft suits this species (164–492 ft ideal)
No charted structure within 250 m — scored cautiously (charts don't mark all hard bottom)
Vertical jigs over deep rigs and wrecks — usually higher in the column than the amberjacks.
In season (Oct)
SST 86°F workable (72–84°F prime)
Charted 401 ft suits this species (197–4920 ft ideal)
No strong temperature break nearby
Troll skirted lures on blue-water edges, rips and canyon walls; chunk at night.
In season (Oct)
Bottom temp 82°F at 262 ft in the prime band (68–82°F prime)
Charted 401 ft suits this species (82–328 ft ideal)
No charted structure within 250 m — scored cautiously (charts don't mark all hard bottom)
Live bait or big vertical jigs straight over deep wrecks and towers.
In season (Oct)
SST 86°F workable (72–84°F prime)
Charted 401 ft suits this species (131–984 ft ideal)
No strong temperature break nearby
Better near humps, wrecks and shrimp-boat culling grounds if you can find it
Small jigs or live pilchards over humps at dawn; chum behind shrimpers.
Wahoo65
In season (Oct)
SST 86°F workable (73–84°F prime)
Charted 401 ft suits this species (197–6560 ft ideal)
No strong temperature break nearby
High-speed troll (12-16 kt) with weighted lures over ledges and color changes.
In season (Oct)
Bottom temp 82°F at 262 ft workable (64–81°F prime)
Charted 401 ft suits this species (148–394 ft ideal)
No charted structure within 250 m — scored cautiously (charts don't mark all hard bottom)
Small hooks and cut bait just off the bottom over deep hard bottom; they hover above the reef, not in it.
In season (Oct)
Bottom temp 82°F at 262 ft workable (64–81°F prime)
Charted 401 ft marginal for this species (66–328 ft ideal)
No charted structure within 250 m — scored cautiously (charts don't mark all hard bottom)
Cut or live bait just off bottom structure; check season before targeting.
In season (Oct)
Bottom temp 82°F at 262 ft in the prime band (66–82°F prime)
Charted 401 ft marginal for this species (49–295 ft ideal)
No charted structure within 250 m — scored cautiously (charts don't mark all hard bottom)
Squid or pinfish on flat hard-bottom with potholes and ledges.
In season (Oct)
Bottom temp 82°F at 262 ft in the prime band (68–82°F prime)
Charted 401 ft marginal for this species (49–262 ft ideal)
No charted structure within 250 m — scored cautiously (charts don't mark all hard bottom)
Big live bait pulled hard off the ledge — give them line and they are back in the rock.
In season (Oct)
Bottom temp 82°F at 262 ft in the prime band (64–82°F prime)
Charted 401 ft marginal for this species (66–295 ft ideal)
No charted structure within 250 m — scored cautiously (charts don't mark all hard bottom)
Small strong hooks tight to the structure — they bite short and shred a bait off a big hook.
In season (Oct)
Bottom temp 82°F at 262 ft outside preference (63–79°F prime)
Charted 401 ft suits this species (131–361 ft ideal)
No charted structure within 250 m — scored cautiously (charts don't mark all hard bottom)
Deeper live-bottom ledges than the gags — a smaller grouper worth the extra depth.
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
Moving water right now — building
4:27 PM – 7:43 PM
peak 6:05 PM · ebb
peak 6:05 PM · ebb
10:28 PM – 1:55 AM
peak 12:12 AM · flood
peak 12:12 AM · flood
4:45 AM – 8:10 AM
peak 6:28 AM · ebb
peak 6:28 AM · ebb
Derived from the tide at Plantation Key, Hawk Channel — flow peaks near mid-tide, goes slack near high and low. No tidal-current station within 10 nm of this spot. 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
2.5 ft @ 5 s
from ESE
Wind sea
2.6 ft @ 5 s
from ESE
Swell 1
0.0 ft
Swell 2
0.0 ft
Swell 3
0.0 ft
Buoy check — lonf1 (Long Key, 22.5 nm): 12 kt observed vs 11 kt forecast · model agrees with the water
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 · 86–89°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
Marathon (West) Hump
Blackfin Tuna · Sailfish · Mahi-Mahi
Key West / The Wall
Sailfish · Mahi-Mahi · Blackfin Tuna
Dry Tortugas
Mangrove Snapper · Red Grouper · Permit
Reuse welcome with attribution. Weekly regional report: Florida Keys · Feed: RSS · all US grounds: /fishing.