August 6th, 2025—greetings anglers, this is Artificial Lure, bringing you your Islamorada fishing report as the sun sets on another day in the Florida Keys.
Today’s conditions have had us waking up to a picture-perfect sunrise at 6:38 am, with a hot but gentle breeze brushing the islands. The mercury hovered around 83°F, humidity at 67%, and water temperatures a consistent, inviting 82°F. Wind stayed light at 4 mph, so seas were modest—just a light chop inside the bay and one to three feet out on the reefs, according to the National Weather Service Key West. We had plenty of sun until it dipped below the horizon at 8:16 pm.
Tidewise, we started the day with a predawn low around 3:19 am, peaked at a midday high near 11:10 am, eased back down to a soft low about 8:04 pm, and finished off with our second high flowing in at 9:17 pm. That gentle tidal cycle gave plenty of opportunity to work the flats, edges of the channels, and patch reefs.
The action offshore today was lively, especially around Alligator Reef and the Hump—always top spots this time of summer. Schoolie mahi (dolphin fish) have been cooperating in decent numbers for the early risers trolling rigged ballyhoo, as well as flashy pink and blue skirted lures. A handful of boats also reported blackfin tuna and a stray sailfish, particularly for those keeping an eye on the birds and weed lines.
On the patch reefs and edge of Hawk Channel, yellowtail snapper were the main ticket—limits came easy for patient anglers chumming the slick and drifting small live pilchards or cut squid back into the current. Mangrove snapper pushed up closer to the bayside, hanging tight to structure—shrimp-tipped jigs and live pinfish did the trick.
The flats and backcountry were alive with bonefish and permit during the flood tides midday. Topwater artificials like SkitterWalks and gold spoons worked well on the bones when the sun got high and the water cleared up, while live crabs were candy for permit, especially along the banks near Snake Creek and Channel Two Bridge. Tarpon were showing up at dusk along the bridges; most hookups came on live mullet or big swimbaits, fished just as the tide started ripping.
If you’re targeting big jacks or barracuda, they’ve been tearing it up near Indian Key Fill and around the bridges—white paddletails and tube lures drew aggressive strikes, especially as the smaller baits schooled in the moving water. According to fishing reports from August, the ‘cuda bite is strong now; just hold on tight and check your leader before every cast.
For crustacean enthusiasts, a quick heads-up: the regular spiny lobster season just reopened today after the mini-season closed at the end of July. It’s been productive for folks bugging the shallow reefs and ledges, but make sure you’re playing by the book—Florida Fish & Wildlife officers have been out in force, as a recent bust netted three folks trying to leave with more than 50 illegal tails out at Indian Key Fill. Remember, no spearing lobsters, no taking undersized, and watch your limits.
If you’re looking for hot spots, check Alligator Reef (about 9 miles offshore, southeast of Islamorada) for pelagics, and Channel Two Bridge for bridge tarpon, mangroves, and a grab bag of other species. Snake Creek always produces during moving tides, with both the flats and the channel edges offering action.
Best baits this week: live pilchards, shrimp, crabs, and ballyhoo—always a safe bet in the Keys. For lures, stick with flashy jigs, jerkbaits, and gold spoons on the inside, and big skirted trolling lures or feathers offshore.
That’s the scoop from Islamorada for August 6th, 2025. Thanks for tuning in—if you want these reports right to your feed, don’t forget to subscribe and keep your lines tight. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
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