Florida Keys · ChartNav curated ground
Marathon (West) Hump
The deeper Middle Keys hump — blackfin tuna and amberjack over the peak, mahi and sailfish on the surface.
What's biting here — right now
Prime water for Mahi-Mahi & Blue Marlin — 86°F on top, water moving now.
Today's bite
5:14 PM – 7:21 PM · dusk bite
Days ahead
Today
OK
wind 14 kt
Sun
OK
wind 13 kt
Mon
GO
9 kt
Tue
GO
6 kt
Wed
GO
6 kt
In season (Oct)
SST 86°F workable (75–86°F prime)
Charted 604 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)
SST 86°F workable (77–86°F prime)
Charted 604 ft suits this species (656–9840 ft ideal)
No strong temperature break nearby
In NOAA-designated Essential Fish Habitat
Large trolled lures over canyons, seamounts and the continental shelf edge.
In season (Oct)
Bottom temp 78°F at 328 ft in the prime band (66–82°F prime)
Charted 604 ft marginal for 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 604 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.
Wahoo57
In season (Oct)
SST 86°F workable (73–84°F prime)
Charted 604 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)
SST 86°F workable (72–84°F prime)
Charted 604 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.
Sailfish28
Off-season here in Oct
SST 86°F workable (75–86°F prime)
Charted 604 ft suits this species (98–656 ft ideal)
No strong temperature break nearby
In NOAA-designated Essential Fish Habitat
Kite-fish live baits on color changes and showering ballyhoo.
In season (Oct)
Bottom temp 78°F at 328 ft in the prime band (64–81°F prime)
Charted 604 ft marginal for this species (148–394 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)
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 78°F at 328 ft workable (61–77°F prime)
Charted 604 ft marginal for this species (131–426 ft ideal)
Near the southern edge of its range (regular south to about 26.0°N)
Better near deep live bottom if you can find it
Cut bait on a two-hook bottom rig over deep live bottom, often between the snapper drops.
In season (Oct)
SST 86°F in the prime band (75–88°F prime)
Charted 604 ft marginal for this species (1–7 ft ideal)
Shrimp or small crab flies led ahead of tailing fish on incoming flats.
In season (Oct)
SST 86°F in the prime band (75–88°F prime)
Charted 604 ft marginal for 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)
SST 86°F workable (73–86°F prime)
Charted 604 ft marginal for 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.
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
5:14 PM – 7:21 PM
peak 6:18 PM · ebb
peak 6:18 PM · ebb
9:46 PM – 1:33 AM
peak 11:40 PM · flood
peak 11:40 PM · flood
4:52 AM – 9:13 AM
peak 7:03 AM · ebb
peak 7:03 AM · ebb
Derived from the tide at Duck 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
2.4 ft @ 5 s
from ESE
Wind sea
2.4 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, 14.8 nm): 12 kt observed vs 12 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 · 86–88°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
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.