Good morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure, bringing you your fishing report for Islamorada, Florida, on Friday, August 29, 2025.
Today’s conditions in Islamorada are looking prime for summer fishing: sunrise at 6:54 am, sunset at 7:57 pm, giving us just over 13 daylight hours to chase the bite. Water temperature is holding steady around **82–86°F**, and the air’s a pleasant 86°F with 72% humidity. Winds are light at about **6 mph from the east**—should keep the seas manageable and the skiffs running smooth. There’s a **chance of scattered thunderstorms later today**, so keep an eye out, and plan to fish the morning and evening windows for safety and best action according to marineweather.net.
Tides are swinging with energy today. High tide hit at **8:56 am**, low at **3:45 pm**, with another high late at **10:18 pm**. The tidal coefficient peaks up around 84 at midday, meaning strong moving currents. Expect fish to feed aggressively around these turns, especially as the outgoing tide flushes bait off the flats and into the channels—perfect ambush conditions according to tides4fishing.com and tide-forecast.com.
The moon’s in late stages, so major fishing times are **1:28 pm to 3:28 pm** (lunar transit) and minor bites around **7:41 am** (moonrise), so if you want that trophy bonefish or tarpon, target those hours.
Recent catches this week have the local docks talking big about **mutton snapper**, **mangrove snapper**, and the always photogenic **African pompano**—a pair of slabs were speared at sunset according to Islamorada dive reports. Offshore, anglers have been boating crews of **dolphin (mahi-mahi)**, **blackfin tuna**, and the first few **sailfish** of late summer, especially out past Alligator Reef. On the patch reefs and shallows, **trout** and **Spanish mackerel** are abundant, with some decent action around channel edges.
If you’re heading out for snook, reds, or bonefish, the backcountry flats between **Lignumvitae Basin** and the **Barley Basin** are producing steady numbers. Early risers drifting near **Whale Harbor Channel** or the **Hawks Channel bridges** can expect to tangle with sea trout at first light—shrimp-tipped jigs and small paddletails in chartreuse or white are the ticket, especially worked on a light jighead.
Live bait is king for the snapper and grouper crew: pilchards, pinfish, and fresh cut squid. If you’re swinging the artificials, go with jerkbaits and soft plastics—pearl and chartreuse are reliably productive on cloudy mornings. For muttons, deploying live pilchard or ballyhoo across the patch reefs works wonders.
Tarpon are still milling around the bridges at dawn and dusk, and a freshly rigged 7-inch swimbait or freelined mullet is your best bet for a hookup. Flats aficionados should grab light spinning gear and focus on small crabs or shrimp—this week, several guides have reported bones tailing right at sun-up.
For hotspots, don't miss:
- **Alligator Reef**: outstanding mixed-bag action on snapper and mackerel.
- **Whale Harbor Channel**: sea trout and mangrove snapper biting strong near bridge pilings.
- **Lignumvitae Basin and Florida Bay backcountry**: bones, reds, and some juvenile tarpon patrolling the edges.
- **Bud N’ Mary’s Marina**: always bustling, and a great place to swap stories and gather up-to-date info.
Quick safety reminder—leave those queen conch alone! Florida law prohibits harvest, and FWC’s been active on patrol. Make sure your catch is legal and report wildlife violations to keep the Keys healthy.
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