Florida Keys fishing report for the week of September 10, 2026. September in the Keys is the quiet month for tourists and one of the best for anglers who know it. The summer heat is breaking just enough to bring bonefish and permit back onto the flats, the reef is loaded with yellowtail, and the boat ramps are half empty. This week on the water has been about picking the right tide and getting out early.
What’s Hitting
This week the reef is the headline. Yellowtail snapper are stacked on the patch reefs and the edge from Islamorada to Key West, and a good chum slick in 60 to 90 feet has been producing limits in an hour or two. Mutton snapper are mixed in on the deeper edges. On the flats, permit are showing up on the ocean-side flats and around the channel edges, and bonefish are tailing again on the early morning and late afternoon tides now that water temperatures have dropped a few degrees.
Offshore, mahi are scattered but there are some nice fish on the weedlines in 400 to 800 feet, and the first blackfin tuna of the fall are showing on the humps. Lobster mini-season is long gone and the regular season is open, which means more boats on the patch reefs on weekends.
Where to Find Them
Yellowtail are on the reef edge in 60 to 90 feet from Alligator Reef down through Sombrero and Looe Key. Anchor uptide of a patch reef, get a steady chum line going, and the fish will come to you. For permit, look at the ocean-side flats off Islamorada and the Content Keys on the Gulf side, and check the wrecks in 30 to 60 feet where permit stack up in the fall. Bonefish are best on the Upper Keys ocean-side flats and the backcountry flats near Flamingo on the early incoming tide.
Tides & Conditions
A new moon this weekend means strong tides, which is good for the flats — big incoming water pushes bonefish and permit up shallow. Winds have been light out of the east and southeast most mornings, with afternoon storms building over the Gulf side. Seas offshore have been running 2 to 3 feet. Water clarity on the ocean side is excellent, and temps are holding in the mid-80s.
Tackle & Tactics
For yellowtail, a 12-pound spinning outfit, 15 to 20-pound fluorocarbon leader, and a small hook with a piece of ballyhoo or silverside drifted back in the chum is the standard. Go lighter if the fish are shy. Permit want a live crab on a 2/0 circle hook, or a crab fly if you are on fly. Bonefish are taking shrimp on a light jig head or a small shrimp pattern in tan or pink. Bring 8-weight fly rods for bones and 10-weights for permit.
Local Intel This Week
Public ramps that will get you on the water quickly: Founders Park in Islamorada, the Sunshine Key area ramps near Bahia Honda, and the ramp at Harry Harris Park in Tavernier. In Key West, the Simonton Street ramp is the closest to the harbor. Fish are concentrating on the patch reefs in 20 to 40 feet and the main reef edge in 60 to 90 feet, and on the ocean-side flats on the morning incoming tide. Check current FWC and federal regulations for snapper limits, permit seasons, and closed zones in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary before keeping fish.
This Week’s Tip
When yellowtailing, do not overdo the chum. A steady trickle of small pieces keeps the fish interested and coming up in the water column. A big cloud of chum fills them up and drops them back to the bottom. If the fish are only showing deep, cut the chum back for ten minutes and they will rise.
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