Early June in the Keys is a transition week — the spring tarpon run is still very much alive while the summer patterns settle in. Bridges and channels are loaded with silver kings, permit are tailing the flats and riding the wrecks, and mangrove snapper are beginning to gather in spawning numbers around structure. Here is the rundown from Key Largo to Key West.
What’s Biting
Tarpon are still the main event, holding around the bridges and channels and moving through the basins on the tides. Permit fishing is excellent — fish are tailing the oceanside flats on the higher water and stacking on the wrecks and channel edges. Mangrove snapper are starting their summer spawn around the patch reefs and wrecks, which means fast action and quality fish on the right tide and moon. Offshore, mahi are scattered along the edge and around weed lines, with a few wahoo and blackfin tuna mixed in. Bonefish remain on the flats early and late before the heat builds.
Where to Find Them
Work the bridges — Bahia Honda, Channel Two, Channel Five, and the Seven Mile — for tarpon on the moving water. Permit anglers should check the oceanside flats and the wrecks in 30–90 feet. For snapper, the patch reefs and the deeper wrecks come alive on the few days around the full moon. Run the Hump or the edge in 200-plus feet for offshore pelagics, watching for birds and weed.
Tides & Conditions
Tarpon and permit both key on tidal flow — the bridges fish best on a hard-moving tide, while the flats produce on the incoming push of clean water. Snapper fishing peaks at night and around the full moon. With light summer winds in the forecast, the oceanside should lay down and open up the wrecks and reef edge.
Tackle & Tactics
Live crabs and mullet on 50–60 pound leader are the go-to for bridge tarpon; fly anglers can sight-fish the migrating strings on the flats. For permit, a live crab pitched ahead of a tailing fish is the classic approach — and bring patience. Snapper fishing rewards a stealthy approach: light fluorocarbon, small hooks, and a steady chum line will turn a slow drift into a steady pick. Chartreuse or natural jigs and live pilchards work along the edge for mahi.
This Week’s Tip
If you are after snapper, time your trip to the full moon and fish after dark — the mangroves get line-shy in the bright water of midday but feed aggressively at night around structure. Drop your leader size and let the chum do the work.