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Best Time to Fish the Florida Keys, Month by Month

Sailfish and kingfish in winter, tarpon from April to July, mahi from May to September, permit and bonefish into October, and snapper all year. Grouper is closed January to April.

By Updated

When is the best time to fish the Florida Keys?

It depends on the fish. Sailfish, kingfish and blackfin tuna peak from November to March, tarpon from April to July, mahi from May to September, and permit and bonefish into October. Yellowtail snapper bites all year. May and October give the widest choice of flats, reef and offshore. Grouper is closed January to April.

Florida Keys fishing calendar: species by month

Grades from the Florida Keys & Key West (Monroe County Tourist Development Council), Fishing Opportunity Calendar, which covers the whole Keys, not Key West alone, cross-checked against six Key West operators’ calendars. “Closed” is FWC’s grouper closure. Read October 6, 2026.

Month SailfishMahiTarponPermitBonefishKingfishBlackfin tunaYellowtailMutton snapperBlack grouper
January PeakLowerLowerLowerLowerPeakPeakGoodGoodClosed
February PeakLowerLowerLowerLowerPeakPeakGoodGoodClosed
March PeakLowerGoodGoodGoodPeakPeakGoodGoodClosed
April GoodGoodPeakPeakGoodGoodPeakPeakPeakClosed
May GoodPeakPeakPeakPeakLowerGoodPeakPeakGood
June LowerPeakPeakPeakPeakLowerGoodPeakPeakGood
July LowerPeakPeakPeakPeakLowerGoodPeakGoodGood
August LowerPeakGoodPeakGoodLowerGoodPeakGoodGood
September LowerPeakGoodPeakPeakGoodPeakGoodGoodGood
October GoodGoodGoodPeakPeakPeakPeakGoodGoodGood
November PeakLowerLowerGoodGoodPeakPeakGoodPeakGood
December PeakLowerLowerLowerLowerPeakPeakGoodPeakPeak

Peak, Good and Lower are the council’s grades for the whole Keys: Fishing Opportunity Calendar (PDF). “Closed” replaces the council’s grade for black grouper from January to April, when FWC closes shallow-water grouper in all Monroe County waters. Tarpon and bonefish are catch-and-release all year.

Month by month

January

Winter offshore and reef fishing. Sailfish, kingfish, blackfin tuna, wahoo, cobia and Spanish mackerel are all graded Peak on the council’s calendar, and yellowtail and mutton snapper Good. The flats are slow: tarpon, permit and bonefish are graded Lower. Shallow-water grouper is closed from January 1 to April 30 in all Monroe County waters, and snook is closed until the end of February.

February

Much like January: sailfish, kingfish, blackfin tuna and wahoo at their peak, reef snapper steady, the flats quiet. Grouper stays closed. Offshore days depend on the wind, so ask the operator about a reef trip as the fallback.

March

The turn of the season. Sailfish, kingfish and blackfin tuna are still graded Peak, amberjack peaks from March to May, and tarpon, permit and bonefish move up to Good as the water warms. Snook reopens on March 1. Grouper is still closed. A month that suits mixed groups who want both offshore and flats options.

April

Tarpon season begins: the council grades tarpon and permit Peak from April, and Key West Fishing Deals says the tarpon migration starts this month. Yellowtail and mutton snapper peak on the reef, mutton around their spring spawn. Permit is catch-and-release only from April 1 to July 31, and amberjack is closed in April. Grouper reopens on May 1. Recon runs sunset tarpon trips from April 20.

May

One of the strongest months on the calendar. Tarpon peak, and six sources agree on May more than on any other month for any species. Mahi peak from May, permit and bonefish are at their best, and yellowtail and mutton snapper peak. Grouper and hogfish reopen on May 1; snook closes the same day. Kingfish drops to Lower until autumn.

June

Summer peak for mahi offshore and tarpon, permit and bonefish on the flats, with yellowtail and mutton still graded Peak on the reef. Charter Boat Linda D names June and July for the grand slam, a tarpon, permit and bonefish in one day. Sailfish and kingfish are graded Lower.

July

Mahi, tarpon, permit, bonefish and yellowtail snapper all graded Peak. Florida’s two-day spiny lobster sport season falls on the last Wednesday and Thursday of July. Offshore, the mahi runs carry the month; sailfish and kingfish are graded Lower until autumn.

August

Mahi and permit still at their peak, yellowtail snapper Peak, tarpon easing to Good. Lobster’s regular season opens August 6. In 2026 gag grouper closed on August 2; black and red grouper stay open to December 31. Late summer is also hurricane season, so book with an operator whose weather policy you have read.

September

The flats month. Permit and bonefish are graded Peak, and both the council calendar and Capt. Steven Lamp, on his two charter sites, call September and October the best flats fishing of the year. Mahi are still graded Peak, blackfin tuna return to Peak, and tarpon are Good. Snook stays closed until September 30.

October

Permit and bonefish at their peak, kingfish and blackfin tuna back at Peak as the water cools, sailfish and mahi Good. Snook reopens on October 1. In 2026 Atlantic red snapper opens for October 9 to 22 only, and hogfish closes after October 31. A month that offers flats, reef and offshore at once.

November

Winter species arrive. Sailfish, kingfish, blackfin tuna, cobia, Spanish mackerel and mutton snapper are graded Peak, permit and bonefish Good, and mahi and tarpon Lower. Snook closes December 1, so November is its last open month of the year.

December

Sailfish, kingfish, blackfin tuna, wahoo, mutton snapper and black grouper all graded Peak. December is the last month grouper can be kept before the January 1 closure. Snook is closed from December 1. The flats are graded Lower until spring.

Best time for each fish

  • Sailfish: November to March. Key West Fishing Deals says sailfish move through from December to March.
  • Mahi: May to September. Graded Lower from November to March.
  • Tarpon: April to July, May strongest. Recon runs sunset tarpon trips April 20 to June 20.
  • Permit and bonefish: spring to October, best in September and October.
  • Kingfish and blackfin tuna: autumn to spring. Kingfish are graded Lower from May to August.
  • Yellowtail snapper: all year, peak April to August.
  • Mutton snapper: April to June around the spawn, and again in November and December.
  • Grouper: keep from May 1 to December 31 only.

Florida Keys fish species groups the catch by the water it lives in, and what fish you can keep gives the size and bag limit for each.

Where the sources disagree

Most of the calendar is settled. Four points are not, and the table follows the council where they differ:

  • Winter permit. The council and Blind Squirrel grade it weak from December to February; Dream Catcher Charters calls January and February good months for large permit.
  • Mangrove snapper. The council and Gulfstream put it in summer; Key West Fishing Deals peaks it from November to March.
  • Wahoo. Most sources say winter; Captain Conch names April and May.
  • Grouper in winter. Several calendars, the council’s included, rate grouper highly in January and February. It cannot be kept then.

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Weather

Weather decides more trips than the calendar. Wind keeps boats off offshore water, and the Atlantic hurricane season covers the late summer and autumn. Check the National Weather Service marine forecast before you go. Every operator that publishes a weather rule says the captain decides and you get a refund or a new date; the price page covers deposits and cancellation.

Licences and limits

On a licensed charter you need no fishing licence, whatever the month: do you need a fishing license explains why. Limits and closed seasons are on what fish you can keep.

Sources

The calendar grades are the tourism council’s; the closures are FWC’s; the forecast is the National Weather Service’s.

Operator calendars read October 6, 2026: Key West Fishing Deals, Blind Squirrel, Shadow Caster, Gulfstream, Charter Boat Linda D, Captain Conch, Saltwater Angler, Fishing Key West, Dream Catcher Charters and Two Conchs.

Timing questions

What is the best time of year to fish Key West?

It depends on the fish. The Keys tourism council’s calendar puts sailfish, kingfish and blackfin tuna at their peak from November to March, tarpon from April to July, mahi from May to September, and permit and bonefish into September and October. Yellowtail snapper is good or better every month. May and October offer the widest mix of flats, reef and offshore.

When is mahi season in the Florida Keys?

Mahi peak from May to September on the council’s calendar, and every operator calendar read agrees on spring to summer. They are graded Lower from November to March, although Key West Fishing Deals says some are caught in winter on a southerly breeze. The limit is five per person at 20 inches to the fork. What fish you can keep has the details.

When is tarpon season in Key West?

April to July is the peak, with May the month the most sources agree on. Saltwater Angler gives March to July for tarpon, peaking in May and June, and March to November for baby tarpon. Tarpon are catch-and-release only in Florida, and a fish over 40 inches must stay in the water.

When is the best time for permit and bonefish?

From spring through October, with September and October the standout months: the council calendar and one Key West captain call them the best flats months of the year. Winter is weak on the flats, though one captain says January and February suit sight fishing for large permit. Permit cannot be kept from April 1 to July 31; bonefish are always released.

When can you keep grouper in the Florida Keys?

Black and red grouper from May 1 to December 31. All shallow-water grouper is closed from January 1 to April 30 in Monroe County waters, even though some calendars rate grouper fishing highly in those months. Gag grouper has a shorter season set each year; in 2026 it closed on August 2. What fish you can keep lists every limit.

Is there a bad time to fish the Florida Keys?

No month is empty. The mix changes: winter favours offshore and reef fish, summer the flats and mahi. The real risk is weather, not fish. Wind cancels offshore days and late summer is hurricane season, so check the National Weather Service marine forecast and read the operator’s weather policy. Every operator that states one refunds or reschedules when the captain cancels.

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