Dry Tortugas Weather Forecast
Fishing reports straight from our guides in Dry Tortugas
Key West Fishing Report – Capt. Ryan Carter
Date: September 13, 2026
Greetings from paradise!
The fishing around Key West has been keeping us busy, and the transition toward fall is starting to show on the water. The heat is still here, but the fish are chewing, and there are plenty of opportunities to bend a rod whether you’re looking for dinner or a hard-fighting trophy.
The mangrove snapper bite has been excellent, with plenty of quality fish holding around structure, mangroves, and backcountry spots. Live pilchards and cut bait have been producing consistently, making snapper a great option for...
Date: September 13, 2026
Greetings from paradise!
The fishing around Key West has been keeping us busy, and the transition toward fall is starting to show on the water. The heat is still here, but the fish are chewing, and there are plenty of opportunities to bend a rod whether you’re looking for dinner or a hard-fighting trophy.
The mangrove snapper bite has been excellent, with plenty of quality fish holding around structure, mangroves, and backcountry spots. Live pilchards and cut bait have been producing consistently, making snapper a great option for...
Date: September 13, 2026
Greetings from paradise!
The fishing around Key West has been keeping us busy, and the transition toward fall is starting to show on the water. The heat is still here, but the fish are chewing, and there are plenty of opportunities to bend a rod whether you’re looking for dinner or a hard-fighting trophy.
The mangrove snapper bite has been excellent, with plenty of quality fish holding around structure, mangroves, and backcountry spots. Live pilchards and cut bait have been producing consistently, making snapper a great option for anglers looking to bring some fresh fish home for dinner.
Jack Crevalle have also been putting on a show. When these fish push bait around the flats and channels, things can get wild in a hurry. They’re aggressive, powerful, and absolutely love to test light tackle.
If you’re looking for a serious fight, shark fishing has been producing some great action. Lemon sharks and other hard-fighting sharks have been active around the flats and channels, giving anglers plenty of opportunities for a memorable battle. Recent reports have also seen some impressive lemon sharks and big grouper action around Key West.
The tarpon bite is beginning to transition as we move toward fall. The big spring and summer migration is winding down, but there are still tarpon being found, particularly during the early morning and late afternoon windows. This past season was an exceptional one for tarpon, and there are still some quality fish around for anglers willing to put in the time.
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Had a great day today
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Weather is hot as usual lol. Little slower this time of the year but keeping busy. Fishing is still pretty good, especially out west.
Been getting into Grouper, snapper, sharks, barracuda and a few cobia here and there
Been getting into Grouper, snapper, sharks, barracuda and a few cobia here and there
Been getting into Grouper, snapper, sharks, barracuda and a few cobia here and there
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Key West Fishing Report
The hot weather has not stopped the fish from chewing! Both inshore and offshore fishing have been productive, and most of our guests have returned to the dock and immediately enjoyed their fresh catch at our dockside restaurant, Mac’s Place.
Inshore, we have been catching plenty of healthy mangrove snapper, many upwards of 20 inches. A few late-season tarpon have also been caught. There has been no shortage of big sharks and barracudas cruising the flats for anyone who wants to go home with sore arms!
The offshore bite was a little slow at the beginning...
The hot weather has not stopped the fish from chewing! Both inshore and offshore fishing have been productive, and most of our guests have returned to the dock and immediately enjoyed their fresh catch at our dockside restaurant, Mac’s Place.
Inshore, we have been catching plenty of healthy mangrove snapper, many upwards of 20 inches. A few late-season tarpon have also been caught. There has been no shortage of big sharks and barracudas cruising the flats for anyone who wants to go home with sore arms!
The offshore bite was a little slow at the beginning...
The hot weather has not stopped the fish from chewing! Both inshore and offshore fishing have been productive, and most of our guests have returned to the dock and immediately enjoyed their fresh catch at our dockside restaurant, Mac’s Place.
Inshore, we have been catching plenty of healthy mangrove snapper, many upwards of 20 inches. A few late-season tarpon have also been caught. There has been no shortage of big sharks and barracudas cruising the flats for anyone who wants to go home with sore arms!
The offshore bite was a little slow at the beginning of the month but has improved tremendously. Mahi, wahoo, blackfin tuna, and even a few sailfish have been caught anywhere from 100 to 2,000 feet of water.
The fishing is good, the crowds are thinning out, and it is a great time to get out on the water in Key West!
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Our trip yesterday was a scramble but we had two keeper muttons, a handfull of mangy's (6 or 7) and some other assorted snappers. The bugs have been keeping clients busy and it's been nice being in the water over the last month because of the heat. A few sand bar trips as well keeping us busy.
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This is from Tony's boat today
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Hey guys. Had Jen P and her crew out recently to try their hand at catching spiny lobster for the first time. Everyone ended up catching a few. Plenty for lunch and some for dinner.
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It's the opening of regular lobster season down here in the keys so you know we have been busy with lobster and spearing trips!!
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Offshore mahi have been caught if you have enough time or fast back because we have been running 20+ miles to find cooler water holding quality fish. A few bonito, wahoo and blackfin tuna have been caught. Saw two marlin this past month no chewers.
Inshore has been good with quality and consistent mangrove snappers. Also having fun with lots of Jack carvelle and lemon sharks. Most of the tarpon have pushed out.
Lobster mini season was a success. No one on any of our boats cried or died, and we even managed to catch a few lobster. I hope...
Inshore has been good with quality and consistent mangrove snappers. Also having fun with lots of Jack carvelle and lemon sharks. Most of the tarpon have pushed out.
Lobster mini season was a success. No one on any of our boats cried or died, and we even managed to catch a few lobster. I hope...
Inshore has been good with quality and consistent mangrove snappers. Also having fun with lots of Jack carvelle and lemon sharks. Most of the tarpon have pushed out.
Lobster mini season was a success. No one on any of our boats cried or died, and we even managed to catch a few lobster. I hope the boost of the economy (including mine) was worth the resource depletion. It's a tough balance to find.
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We are still having a solid offshore bite with good snapper and grouper on the reef! Our real exciting news is lobster season it's just around the corner. Mini season is less than two weeks away and regular season is less than three weeks away. I've been seeing lots and lots of really good solid lobsters when I'm doing my Lion Fish dives so I'm sure it's going to be a great lobster season!
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