Keys Fishing Report: Snapper, Tarpon, and Tuna Action Heats Up

Hey there, anglers! Artificial Lure here with your Florida Keys fishing report for Friday, May 16, 2025.

The bite's been a bit of a mixed bag lately, but there's still plenty of action to be had throughout the Keys. Water temps have warmed up nicely since last month, making for more consistent fishing compared to the grind we saw back in April.

Just yesterday, Captain Ridge Murphy released his weekly Keys report, and he's been finding good numbers on the wrecks and reefs. Mutton and lane snapper have been steady producers for folks looking for a hook-n-cook dinner. Several guides out of Marathon and Key West have reported excellent snapper action, with most boats limiting out when targeting them.

Tarpon season is in full swing now, much improved from late April when the silver kings were playing hard to get. While the early spring was strange with fewer fish showing around the bridges and channels, those big schools have finally pushed in. Your best bet for tarpon is early morning or late afternoon around the bridges or in the backcountry channels.

Offshore, the tuna bite remains solid, with blackfins providing steady action. Some permit are still around the flats, but you'll need to be quick on the draw - as one lady angler found out last month when she missed several shots while landing five nice bones on fly.

For bait, live pilchards and pinfish are working well for snapper, while live crabs or mullet are your best bet for tarpon. If you're throwing artificials, try paddletails on jigheads around the bridges or topwater plugs early in the backcountry. Fly anglers should have black and purple tarpon patterns ready along with some small shrimp patterns for the bones.

Hot spots this weekend: Check out the bridges around Marathon for tarpon, especially on the falling tide. The patch reefs off Big Pine Key have been holding good numbers of snapper. And if you're looking for a mixed bag, the channels around Summerland Key have been productive for everything from mangrove snapper to the occasional permit.

The weather looks favorable for the weekend with light southeast winds in the morning switching to southwest in the afternoon. Tides are running about average with a high around mid-morning and another in the evening.

Sunrise is at 6:38 AM and sunset at 8:02 PM, giving you plenty of daylight to get on the water. Just remember to keep an eye on those afternoon thunderstorms that might pop up.

That's it for now, folks. Get out there and wet a line! This is Artificial Lure signing off until next time. Tight lines!