Good morning, anglers—Artificial Lure here, bringing you today’s narrative fishing report from the heart of the Florida Keys and Miami waters for May 30, 2025.
The sun broke the horizon at 6:52 AM, blazing through the muggy South Florida air, and she’ll set tonight around 7:56 PM. Expect summer patterns: hot, humid conditions, light winds, and relatively calm seas making for comfortable runs both nearshore and offshore. According to Key West’s tide forecast, we’ve got a high tide just after midnight, dropping to low early morning around 5:16 AM, peaking again midday, and finishing with a falling tide by evening. Government Cut in Miami is seeing tidal coefficients near 79 this morning—strong tide movement means fish will be feeding and currents will be rolling, especially along the reef edges and passes.
Offshore, the action is classic late-May. Blackfin tuna and kingfish are biting great along the edge, especially at first light and again before dusk. Kingfish up to 30 pounds have hit the decks this week in Miami and the Upper Keys, often on wire leaders and light tackle for a real crowd-pleaser. The big blackfins are chasing live pilchards and threadfin herring—don’t leave the dock without them. Trolling small feathers and strip baits or drifting live baits under a kite is scoring consistent hits. There’s a steady trickle of mahi-mahi showing up offshore, typically found around floating debris or weed lines in 700-1,000 feet.
If bottom fishing is your game, things are heating up on the reefs. Grouper season is open, and mutton snapper bites are solid and only getting better. Drop baits down on the edge of the reef or over wrecks using live pinfish, ballyhoo, or fresh cut bait. Amberjack are hanging deep around the wrecks—bring stout tackle if you want to tangle with these brutes.
For lure anglers, nothing’s beating flashy vertical jigs and deep-diving plugs offshore, while on the reef, bucktail jigs tipped with bait are putting up numbers. If you’re working the flats or bridges, try live shrimp or soft plastics for mangrove snapper and permit, especially on the last of the incoming tide when the water is moving.
Hotspots to watch:
- The Islamorada Hump is a prime spot for blackfin tuna and mahi action right now.
- Off Miami, the edge from Fowey Light to Triumph Reef is on fire at sunrise and sunset for kingfish and tuna.
- For bottom enthusiasts, the patch reefs off Marathon and the wrecks near Conch Reef are kicking out mutton snapper and amberjack.
Reports from Double Threat Charters and the “Florida Keys, Miami Daily Fishing Report” podcast confirm excellent catches and classic late spring variety.
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