Complete Guide to Key West Fishing (Best Times, Spots, etc)

Key West offers some of the best saltwater fishing in the world both inshore and offshore. It is truly a world-class fishery that is almost unmatched in the western hemisphere.

This area sustains vast amounts of bait fish, attracting abundant stocks of game fish such as marlin, tarpon, mahi-mahi, bonefish, permit, snapper, redfish, snook, trout, and yellowtail snapper.

Key Largo Fishing Species Breakdown

Barracuda

The flats are always popular for barracuda fishing. The barracuda are known as the “flats tiger.” They have excellent vision, are exceedingly intelligent, and move quickly. They are on the lookout for quick movement or damaged bait fish. 

Key West Fishing seasons vary for many species but not so much for the barracuda. The best time to fish for barracuda in Key West is probably April through June. Recommended baits for barracuda in Key West are tubes and flies that mimic needlefish.

Barracudas can be found on the flats year round and particularly like sand patches on the flats where they can stalk their quarry.

Amberjack

The Amberjack is a common game fish in the Florida keys. They range from depths of fifteen feet to over 400 feet of water. They frequent heavy structure such as large shipwrecks and sea mounts. Juveniles are found around shallow reefs and small inshore wrecks.

March and April are the hottest months for fishing for amberjack. Avoid the cold months. When fishing for amberjack you’ll want to use heavy fishing tackle, and you can down rig or deep drop fish for them, using bait fish such as pilchard, grunt, squid, or even deep jigs. The Marathon Hump is a popular fishing spot for amberjacks.

Blue Marlin

The world’s greatest anglers have come to Key West to try to find the elusive Marlin. It is known throughout the fishing community that Key West is a perfect spot for marlin fishing.

April & May are the best months to target Key West marlin. Avoid the late summer months. The fish the blue marlin likes best are flying fish, skipjacks, Spanish mackerel, mullet, and cero.

The best fishing spot for marlin in Key West is the Wall. If you are after a giant blue marlin, then head 20 miles south of Key West to the wall. This deep water on the edge of the continental shelf is some of the most famous marlin fishing grounds in the world.

Mahi-Mahi

The Mahi-mahi or Dolphinfish is one of the most popular sport fishes in Florida waters because they are easy to catch and delicious as food fish.

The high season is April to June. The low season is January to February and November to December. There is no closed season. The best bait to chunk with is ballyhoo. If you can’t find ballyhoo, squid could work too.

The best fishing spots are along the Gulf Stream. Mahi-mahi are a pelagic fish that likes to move with the currents of the ocean looking for their next meal.

Black Grouper

Because of its mild, delicious flavor and the powerful appeal it has as a game fish, the Black Grouper is one of the most popular targets to fish for in the Key West Area.

You can expect to have some amazing black grouper fishing in Key West from May to October. Avoid the winter months. Drifting with live bait like blue runners, pinfish, and pilchards are the baits to use for local grouper.

An excellent place to fish grouper in Key West is around the main reef line and into the intermediary reef line from Carysfort to Molasses Reef. The patch reefs in Hawk Channel are a great place to catch black grouper as well.

Snook

Snook are one of the most sought-after game fish in all of inshore and backcountry fishing. They can be caught on live bait, artificial lures, and fly year-round in Key West and the Lower Florida Keys backcountry.

Snook can be caught year-round in Key West. June and July are best when water temperatures climb. The best baits for snook fishing are shrimp, finger mullet, and pinfish for any water depth.

Tarpon

At first glance, you couldn’t get two more different fish than these. Tarpon are heavyweight champions that can top 200 pounds and know how to throw their weight about.

The best time to fish for large migratory tarpon in Key West is late March to as late as early April.

Baits like mullet, pinfish, and live crabs are staples of tarpon fishing. There is a large population of tarpon around Channel Bridges, Tom’s Harbor, Seven Mile Bridge, and Long Key. Also, look for them in the flats near Islamorada Key.

King Mackerel

This fish has a sleek, torpedo-like body that makes it unique. The king is an excellent game fish.

January and February are the best months for king mackerel fishing in Key West. Ballyhoo, blue runners, and threadfin are all good live baits for catching king mackerel, but you can go with a striped anchovy or another sardine-like fish as well.

King mackerel tend to be found at depths between 50 and 150 feet, often in the vicinity of deeper shipwrecks and reefs.

Best Seasons & Times to Fish in Key West

January: King Mackerel & Barracuda fishing is best.

February: King Mackerel & Barracuda fishing is best.

March: Amberjack, mahi-mahi, and blue marlin are the best species to target.

April: Amberjack, mahi-mahi, and blue marlin are the best species to target.

May: Fishing for grouper, amberjacks, and tarpon is best this month.

June: Fishing for grouper, amberjacks, and tarpon is best this month.

July: Fishing for grouper, barracuda, amberjacks, and tarpon is best this month.

August: Snapper, grouper, and amberjacks are the prime species targeted in August.

September: Best fishing for bonefish, snapper, grouper, and amberjacks.

October: Blackfin tuna, snapper, grouper, and marlin fishing is great.

November: Grouper, seatrout, and snapper offer the best action in November.

December: King Mackerel, snook, and grouper fishing is best.

Charter Average Cost in Key West

The average cost of Key West fishing charter trips that last 4 hours is $787, 6 hours is $1061, 8 hours is $1328, 10 hours is $1687 and 12 hours is $2005.

Key West Fishing License Requirements:

Is a Fishing License Required? A saltwater fishing license is required to fish independently in the Keys, even from area bridges or from shore. These can be purchased at many bait and tackle shops, online at www.myfwc.com or by calling 1-888-FISH-FLORIDA (888-347-4356) toll-free.

For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Key West, check out this guide. For a complete breakdown of the cost of charters in Key West, check out this guide.