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Florida Keys Fishing Calendar

The following calendar is compiled from my personal experience fishing in the Keys over a 35 year period. It considers the likelihood of weather being normal as well as the likelihood of finding the species in a fishable situation at that time of year. I have found that when the weather is good and appropriate for the time period the fishing is good.

Many of our species are here all year round while others come and go with the seasons. Bonefish, year round residents, come on the flats when it's warm and go deeper when it's too hot or cold. In summer they feed early and late while in winter they feed during the warmest part of the afternoon.

Remember that fish do no know the calendar month only the wind, temperature, moon phase and barometric pressure. We are finding that some giant tarpon migrate over great distances seasonally while others may only go a hundred miles or so to deeper water when it's cold. Five or six consecutive warm days in January can flood the flats with big tarpon that like it hot and calm while mackerel who like cooler water may vacate the flats and head north.

The great thing about the Islamorada area of the Florida Keys is that we have so many options and when the weather is unseasonable it pays to be flexible and adjust targets accordingly.

 

  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Bonefish F F G G E E E G G G G F
Baby Tarpon F F G G E E E E E G G F
Giant Tarpon F F G G E E E E G G F F
Permit F F G G E E E E E E F F
Redfish G G G G F E E E G G G G
Snook G G G G G G F F E E E E
Seatrout G G G E E E E G G G G G
Tripletail F F G G G E E E E G F F
Sharks E E E E E E E E E E E E
Mackeral E E G F P P P P F E E E
Jacks E E E F E E E E E E E E
Ladyfish E E E E E E E E E E E E
  Legend: E ~ Excellent, G ~ Good, F ~ Fair, P ~ Poor