Keys & Miami Bite: Tides, Forecast, and Hot Spots for Snook, Reds, and More

Mornin’ folks, Artificial Lure here, your go-to for the real deal on Florida Keys and Miami bite. Let’s get right into it.

Tides are running strong this morning in the Keys. Key West saw a low around 4:59 AM at -0.1 ft, then a high at 11:46 AM at 1.9 ft, with another high around 11:08 PM at 2.6 ft. That means right now, we’re in that sweet outgoing push from the flats into the channels. In Miami, tides are big too — low around 1:56 AM at -0.2 ft, high around 8:22 AM at 3.8 ft, then another low around 2:30 PM at 0.3 ft. That’s a textbook outgoing tide situation, perfect for targeting moving fish.

Weather’s looking solid. NWS marine forecast for the Keys calls for southeast to south winds 5 to 10 knots, bay waters smooth to light chop. Miami area’s similar — light winds, mostly clear, temps in the upper 70s. Sunny Isles Beach reports air at 78°F, water at 76°F, which is prime for snook, tarpon, and permit. Jellyfish advisory is up with a double red flag, so watch your step and keep an eye out when wading.

Sunrise is around 7:11 AM, sunset near 7:37 PM. That means we’ve got a solid day window, and the best bite will come on that outgoing tide, especially first light and late afternoon. Solunar activity in Miami shows major times around 3:56 AM and 4:26 PM, with minor times mid-morning and late night. That afternoon major window is where I’d be on the water.

Fish are active. In the Keys, redfish and trout are thick on the shallow flats, especially around the outgoing tide. Snook are holding in the cuts and around bridge pilings, key spots like the Seven Mile Bridge and around Marathon’s backcountry keys. Tarpon are scattered but showing up near deep channels and around the bridges. In Miami, the big news is snook and jacks around the inlets and around Government Cut. Sheepshead are stacking up on the bridge pilings and seawalls, and there’s a good mix of Spanish mackerel and bluefish busting on the surface near the beaches.

Best lures? For snook and tarpon, go with a 10” DOA TerrorEyz or a MirrOlure Mirrodine in white or root beer. Topwater early, then switch to twitching subsurface as the sun comes up. For reds and trout, a 3/8 oz gold or white Johnson spoon or a soft plastic like a Gulp! Shrimp or Paddletail in root beer/chartreuse works magic on the flats. For sheepshead, small jigs with shrimp or pieces of fiddler crab are money on the bridges.

Best bait? Live shrimp under a popping cork for snook and reds, especially around mangroves and oyster bars. For the inlets and channels, live pilchards or threadfin herring for jacks and mackerel. Sheepshead love fiddler crabs and small shrimp on a light jig head.

Hot spots? In the Keys, hit the flats around Long Key and the channels near the Seven Mile Bridge. In Miami, focus on the Government Cut area and the Rickenbacker Causeway bridges — that’s where the snook, jacks, and sheepshead are stacked.

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