"Offshore Tuna, Reef Grouper Bite Heating Up in South Florida's Keys and Miami"

Good morning from the beautiful waters of the Florida Keys and Miami, it’s Artificial Lure here with your May 10 fishing report. Sunrise came in around 6:36 AM and we’re looking at a sunset right around 7:53 PM, giving anglers plenty of daylight to get after the bite. Winds are light and the weather’s warming up—a classic calm May pattern and perfect for getting offshore or hitting the backcountry flats.

On the tide side, we’re in a moderate moving cycle today. Expect the incoming tide to bring good action on the flats and the outgoing to set up a hot bite around the bridges and deeper channels, especially as that water moves past structure and stirs up bait.

Offshore, you’ll find blackfin tuna and kingfish stacked up near the edge, especially around 80 to 200 feet of water. Kingfish are active on slow-trolled live baits or larger flashy lures, with wire leaders a must for those bigger, toothy kings that can pop up anytime. Blackfin tuna are tearing up live pilchards and small live baits, and some boats are reporting solid numbers as well as a few fish breaking the thirty-pound mark.

If you venture further offshore towards the blue water, mahi are scattered but around—particularly near weed lines in 300 feet or deeper. Troll small skirted ballyhoo or try chunking with squid to ring the dinner bell. Wahoo are showing up here and there, so keep a deep line out just in case.

On the reef and bottom fishing front, grouper season is open and the bite is heating up, especially near wrecks and patch reefs in 50 to 120 feet. Mutton snapper are chewing well on live pinfish and ballyhoo fished near the bottom, and you’ve got some amberjack still hanging around the wrecks too. Mangrove and yellowtail snapper will only get better through the next couple months, but right now muttons are the stars.

Inshore around the Keys’ flats, redfish are cruising the skinny water. Poling quietly and tossing soft plastic jerk baits or live shrimp is your best bet for sight fishing these fish. Tarpon action is peaking in Key West as well, with early mornings and nights being prime times to jump the silver king using live crabs or big swimbaits.

Hot spots today include the edge from Triumph Reef down to Fowey Rocks if you’re hunting pelagics, and the Islamorada patch reefs for grouper and muttons. For backcountry action, the flats around Marathon and upper Keys hold plenty of redfish and snook on the higher tides.

Best baits and lures right now are live pilchards, threadfin herring, and pinfish for the offshore bite, with jigs and big swimbaits pulling in some quality reef fish. Inshore, can’t go wrong with a well-placed live shrimp or a soft plastic paddletail.

That’s today’s rundown—the bite’s on, the weather’s fine, and there’s no better time to be on the water in South Florida. Tight lines and see you out there.

Sources: Miami Fishing Reports May 2025, Double Threat Charters, Captain Experiences, Florida Keys Fishing Report May 8-13, Key West Fishing Report May 2025[1][3][4][5].