Florida Keys fishing report for the week of September 17, 2026. The heat has finally started to break at dawn, and the flats fish have noticed. This is the quiet stretch of the Keys calendar, after the summer tourists and before the fall tarpon push, and it is one of the best times of year to have a flat to yourself.
What’s Hitting
What’s hot this week is permit. Schools have been on the oceanside flats from Islamorada through the Lower Keys, tailing on the falling tide in the mornings before the sun gets high. Bonefish, which went quiet in the August heat, are back on the Islamorada and Marathon flats early and late. On the reef, yellowtail snapper are steady in 60 to 90 feet, mutton snapper are on the patch reefs, and mangrove snapper are still thick on the bridges at night. Offshore, a few early sailfish and scattered mahi are on the edge, with blackfin tuna on the humps.
Where to Find Them
Permit are on the oceanside flats and the edges of the channels on the outgoing tide, especially the flats behind Islamorada and around the Content Keys. Bonefish are on the Upper Keys oceanside flats at first light. For yellowtail, anchor up-current of the reef edge in 60 to 80 feet off Islamorada or Marathon, and fish the patch reefs inside for muttons. The Channel 2 and Channel 5 bridges and the Seven Mile Bridge are producing mangroves after dark.
Tides & Conditions
Moderate tides between the new and full moons this week, which suits the flats fishing well. Falling water in the morning has been the best permit window. Water temps are still in the upper 80s on the flats midday, so the early bite has been the reliable one. Winds have been light and variable with a chance of afternoon storms, and the reef has been fishable most days.
Tackle & Tactics
For permit, a live crab on a 2/0 hook with a 15-pound fluorocarbon leader is the standard, or a crab-pattern fly on a 10-weight for anglers who want to earn it. Bonefish want a small shrimp or a shrimp-pattern fly on 12-pound leader. On the yellowtail grounds, a steady chum slick with small hooks and light fluorocarbon fished back in the slick is the whole game. Bring a heavier bottom rod for muttons and grouper on the patches.
Local Intel This Week
Founders Park ramp in Islamorada and the Marathon municipal ramp at 33rd Street are the main launches for the Middle Keys, with the Sugarloaf and Big Pine ramps serving the Lower Keys flats. Bridge anglers are concentrating on the Long Key and Seven Mile spans at night. Snapper and grouper regulations vary by species and zone in the Keys, so check current FWC and federal regulations and seasons before keeping fish.
This Week’s Tip
Permit see a lot of boats. Shut the motor down well outside the flat, pole or drift in quietly, and make the first cast count. A crab landed a few feet ahead of a tailing fish beats three casts on top of the school.
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