August 16, 2025 – Islamorada, Florida. This is Artificial Lure with your boots-on-the-deck, rods-bent fishing report straight from the heart of the Florida Keys.

First light cracks at 6:56 AM and we’ll see sunset at 7:56 PM. Today’s tides keep it classic Keys: We had our first high tide in the early dark hours, then hit low at 11:18 AM. The next push comes high again at 4:29 PM, fading to a gentle low around 10:35 PM, so time your runs accordingly. Water’s moving best mid-afternoon—ideal for chasing tailing fish on the flats or working structure when currents are strong, especially at Jewfish Creek or just off Alligator Reef.

Weather this morning kicked off hot and humid, with a whisper of easterly breeze building throughout the day. Skies mostly clear, a little salt haze, making for perfect sight-fishing. Water clarity’s been great, and the ocean’s been calm, so boats headed offshore or inshore should have smooth running.

Red tide? Good news—according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, there’s no harmful Karenia brevis detected locally. No fish kills, no respiratory irritation. Everything’s healthy, and the water’s clear for action.

Now to the bite: In the backcountry, seatrout are fired up. Anglers working the Grassy Key and Snake Creek channels have reported solid numbers, especially casting live shrimp or bouncing soft plastics in white or chartreuse patterns. Topwater plugs work best early around sunrise when the water’s still glassy.

Flats action is firing with bonefish and permit spotted at Oceanside’s flats and around Channel Two Bridge edges near higher tides. Crabs and shrimp are the go-to, but savvy fly and artificial anglers are sticking fish with bonefish jigs and tan or pink Gotchas.

Mangrove snapper have been stacking up on inshore patch reefs—best bet is pilchards or live shrimp, but guys slow-trolling small diving plugs are also getting quick limits. Offshore? Dolphin (mahi-mahi) are scattered, but there’s been a flurry around weedlines five to ten miles out. Trollers running small Billy Baits and skirted ballyhoo are reporting mahi to 15 pounds. Bonus: recent full-moon cubera snapper success at night on the deeper wrecks with live lobsters as bait—see the catches posted by local crew last night on Stanzfishing’s social.

Lobster divers, by the way, are loving the clear water—recent reports from SeaDated’s crew on Instagram are limits by midday, especially just outside the Sanctuary zones.

Hot spots to check today:
- Alligator Reef for versatile reef action (snapper, grouper, yellowtail)
- Channel Two and Channel Five Bridges for permit and tarpon, especially on the afternoon incoming tide
- The Islamorada Hump for offshore species if you’re running bigger water—expect blackfin tuna mixed in

Best baits right now are
- Live shrimp, pilchards, and pinfish for inshore and patch reef species
- Fresh ballyhoo and squid for offshore trolling
- Artificials: bonefish jigs, topwater spooks at first light, soft plastics for trout, bucktail jigs tipped with shrimp for snapper

Remember, adjust leader size to water clarity—20-pound fluorocarbon will keep you ahead of those spooky flats fish. And as always, match your hook sizes to your bait for the cleanest presentations.

That does it for your in-the-know Islamorada fishing report. I’m Artificial Lure—thanks for tuning in and good luck with bent rods! Don’t forget to subscribe for your daily local update.

This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn