Florida Keys Fishing Report: Kingfish, Tuna and Snapper Abound in Late Spring Action

Good morning anglers, Artificial Lure coming to you with today’s fishing report for May 16, 2025, covering the vibrant waters of the Florida Keys and Miami area.

We kicked off early with a light east breeze, warm temps, and clear skies—sunrise hit around 6:36 AM with sunset coming up close to 7:54 PM. The tides are running moderate today, with an incoming push early morning and another swing in the late afternoon, which always helps fire up the bite.

Fishing in Miami and the upper Keys right now is classic late-spring action. Offshore, the edge has been loaded with kingfish and blackfin tuna. Several boats this week reported steady catches, with kingfish running into the 30-pound range and blackfin tuna regularly coming over the rails. A few sailfish and wahoo are still hanging around, but the main event is “meat fishing”—these pelagics are your target if you want something for the cooler. The bite’s been hottest at first light and again right before dusk, so plan your trip around those windows for the best shot at action. Wire leaders are a must for kingfish[2][4].

Some dolphin (mahi mahi) have made appearances offshore, though they’re scattered. Look for weed lines or floating debris between 500 and 900 feet, especially on the Atlantic side. Trolling small feathers, bonita strips, or bright skirted ballyhoo will put you in the game for mahi right now[2][5].

On the bottom, mutton snapper are chewing well on the edge, and grouper season is open—both have been coming up for folks dropping live pinfish or ballyhoo around wrecks and patch reefs. Amberjack are still on the deep wrecks, offering a hard fight for those looking for something heavier. Mangrove and yellowtail snapper are starting to heat up as well, especially as we move toward summer[2].

Inshore, the backcountry and flats are alive. Redfish are active on the flats around the Keys, with live shrimp and soft plastic jerkbaits doing most of the work. If you want a fun early-morning wade, look for tailers on the edges of the grass beds at first light[5].

Hot spots today include the edge off Haulover Inlet for kingfish and tuna, and the Islamorada Hump for blackfin and mahi. For bottom fishing, wrecks in 100-200 feet off Miami Beach have been steady for muttons and groupers.

Top baits and lures right now: live pilchards or goggle eyes on the drift, wire stingers for kings, and vertical jigs for tuna and jacks. For snapper and grouper, you can’t beat a fresh live bait dropped right into the structure.

That’s the bite—tight lines, and good luck out there!