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Islamorada Fishing Report - Tarpon, Snook & Snapper Biting Strong on the Spring Tides
Good morning from Islamorada, this is Artificial Lure bringing you your local fishing report for Sunday, May 11, 2025.
It’s a picture-perfect start today here in paradise. Sunrise came in right around 6:38 AM and you can expect the sun to set at about 7:54 PM. We’ve been having stable, warm weather with light breezes, great for a full day out on the water.
The tidal flow today is steady, with a typical spring mix of morning outgoing and afternoon incoming. This will get the bait moving and the fish fired up, especially around the bridges and in the backcountry channels.
Let’s talk about the bite. Tarpon are definitely the headline species right now—though a bit finicky around the bridges, there’s been solid action in the backcountry. Local guides have reported getting between 6 and 10 good bites a day from resident schools, especially when heading out early. If you’re after tarpon, try the Long Key and Channel 5 bridges, but don’t be afraid to poke around the less pressured channels and the edge of Florida Bay. Put in your time with live mullet, crab, or large pilchards, or opt for soft swimbaits if you’re casting artificial. Remember, patience is key as the bigger migratory tarpon are just starting to push through.
Backcountry fishing has also been outstanding. Anglers are finding nice mixes of snook, speckled seatrout, and sheepshead in the Everglades, with plenty of yellowtail snapper action offshore and near the patch reefs. Snapper have been hitting well on fresh cut bait and small bucktail jigs tipped with shrimp. For snook and trout, topwater plugs early and soft plastics later in the day are doing the trick.
Permit are beginning to show up on the flats, and big bonefish are tailing on calm mornings. Live crab is the gold standard for permit, while well-placed shrimp or small jigs can tempt bonefish when they’re cruising the shallow flats.
Hot spots to check today: the backcountry creeks and channels of Florida Bay for tarpon and snook, and the Islamorada Hump and adjacent patch reefs for snapper and the chance at a few grouper. The historic bridges—Channel 2 and Channel 5—are always worth a look, especially on the moving tide.
To sum it up: variety is the name of the game right now, and the bite’s on if you’re willing to move around and change tactics with the tides. Live bait always gives you an edge, but don’t count out a well-worked artificial, especially for snook and trout.
Get out there and tight lines, y’all.
It’s a picture-perfect start today here in paradise. Sunrise came in right around 6:38 AM and you can expect the sun to set at about 7:54 PM. We’ve been having stable, warm weather with light breezes, great for a full day out on the water.
The tidal flow today is steady, with a typical spring mix of morning outgoing and afternoon incoming. This will get the bait moving and the fish fired up, especially around the bridges and in the backcountry channels.
Let’s talk about the bite. Tarpon are definitely the headline species right now—though a bit finicky around the bridges, there’s been solid action in the backcountry. Local guides have reported getting between 6 and 10 good bites a day from resident schools, especially when heading out early. If you’re after tarpon, try the Long Key and Channel 5 bridges, but don’t be afraid to poke around the less pressured channels and the edge of Florida Bay. Put in your time with live mullet, crab, or large pilchards, or opt for soft swimbaits if you’re casting artificial. Remember, patience is key as the bigger migratory tarpon are just starting to push through.
Backcountry fishing has also been outstanding. Anglers are finding nice mixes of snook, speckled seatrout, and sheepshead in the Everglades, with plenty of yellowtail snapper action offshore and near the patch reefs. Snapper have been hitting well on fresh cut bait and small bucktail jigs tipped with shrimp. For snook and trout, topwater plugs early and soft plastics later in the day are doing the trick.
Permit are beginning to show up on the flats, and big bonefish are tailing on calm mornings. Live crab is the gold standard for permit, while well-placed shrimp or small jigs can tempt bonefish when they’re cruising the shallow flats.
Hot spots to check today: the backcountry creeks and channels of Florida Bay for tarpon and snook, and the Islamorada Hump and adjacent patch reefs for snapper and the chance at a few grouper. The historic bridges—Channel 2 and Channel 5—are always worth a look, especially on the moving tide.
To sum it up: variety is the name of the game right now, and the bite’s on if you’re willing to move around and change tactics with the tides. Live bait always gives you an edge, but don’t count out a well-worked artificial, especially for snook and trout.
Get out there and tight lines, y’all.
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By Quiet. PleaseGood morning from Islamorada, this is Artificial Lure bringing you your local fishing report for Sunday, May 11, 2025.
It’s a picture-perfect start today here in paradise. Sunrise came in right around 6:38 AM and you can expect the sun to set at about 7:54 PM. We’ve been having stable, warm weather with light breezes, great for a full day out on the water.
The tidal flow today is steady, with a typical spring mix of morning outgoing and afternoon incoming. This will get the bait moving and the fish fired up, especially around the bridges and in the backcountry channels.
Let’s talk about the bite. Tarpon are definitely the headline species right now—though a bit finicky around the bridges, there’s been solid action in the backcountry. Local guides have reported getting between 6 and 10 good bites a day from resident schools, especially when heading out early. If you’re after tarpon, try the Long Key and Channel 5 bridges, but don’t be afraid to poke around the less pressured channels and the edge of Florida Bay. Put in your time with live mullet, crab, or large pilchards, or opt for soft swimbaits if you’re casting artificial. Remember, patience is key as the bigger migratory tarpon are just starting to push through.
Backcountry fishing has also been outstanding. Anglers are finding nice mixes of snook, speckled seatrout, and sheepshead in the Everglades, with plenty of yellowtail snapper action offshore and near the patch reefs. Snapper have been hitting well on fresh cut bait and small bucktail jigs tipped with shrimp. For snook and trout, topwater plugs early and soft plastics later in the day are doing the trick.
Permit are beginning to show up on the flats, and big bonefish are tailing on calm mornings. Live crab is the gold standard for permit, while well-placed shrimp or small jigs can tempt bonefish when they’re cruising the shallow flats.
Hot spots to check today: the backcountry creeks and channels of Florida Bay for tarpon and snook, and the Islamorada Hump and adjacent patch reefs for snapper and the chance at a few grouper. The historic bridges—Channel 2 and Channel 5—are always worth a look, especially on the moving tide.
To sum it up: variety is the name of the game right now, and the bite’s on if you’re willing to move around and change tactics with the tides. Live bait always gives you an edge, but don’t count out a well-worked artificial, especially for snook and trout.
Get out there and tight lines, y’all.
It’s a picture-perfect start today here in paradise. Sunrise came in right around 6:38 AM and you can expect the sun to set at about 7:54 PM. We’ve been having stable, warm weather with light breezes, great for a full day out on the water.
The tidal flow today is steady, with a typical spring mix of morning outgoing and afternoon incoming. This will get the bait moving and the fish fired up, especially around the bridges and in the backcountry channels.
Let’s talk about the bite. Tarpon are definitely the headline species right now—though a bit finicky around the bridges, there’s been solid action in the backcountry. Local guides have reported getting between 6 and 10 good bites a day from resident schools, especially when heading out early. If you’re after tarpon, try the Long Key and Channel 5 bridges, but don’t be afraid to poke around the less pressured channels and the edge of Florida Bay. Put in your time with live mullet, crab, or large pilchards, or opt for soft swimbaits if you’re casting artificial. Remember, patience is key as the bigger migratory tarpon are just starting to push through.
Backcountry fishing has also been outstanding. Anglers are finding nice mixes of snook, speckled seatrout, and sheepshead in the Everglades, with plenty of yellowtail snapper action offshore and near the patch reefs. Snapper have been hitting well on fresh cut bait and small bucktail jigs tipped with shrimp. For snook and trout, topwater plugs early and soft plastics later in the day are doing the trick.
Permit are beginning to show up on the flats, and big bonefish are tailing on calm mornings. Live crab is the gold standard for permit, while well-placed shrimp or small jigs can tempt bonefish when they’re cruising the shallow flats.
Hot spots to check today: the backcountry creeks and channels of Florida Bay for tarpon and snook, and the Islamorada Hump and adjacent patch reefs for snapper and the chance at a few grouper. The historic bridges—Channel 2 and Channel 5—are always worth a look, especially on the moving tide.
To sum it up: variety is the name of the game right now, and the bite’s on if you’re willing to move around and change tactics with the tides. Live bait always gives you an edge, but don’t count out a well-worked artificial, especially for snook and trout.
Get out there and tight lines, y’all.