What is flats fishing in Key West?
Sight fishing in shallow water from a small skiff that the guide poles quietly, casting to tarpon, permit, bonefish and barracuda you can see. Skiffs take up to four anglers, half days start around $650 to $750, and it is the calmest water in the Keys. Tarpon and bonefish are always released.
Flats and backcountry: what the words mean
The flats are shallow grass and sand banks where fish feed in a foot or two of water; the backcountry is the maze of mangrove channels, flats and basins north of Key West, as Key West Fishing Deals describes it. Guides pole and drift these waters on light-tackle skiffs, sight-casting to fish you can usually see. Florida Straits calls its calm backcountry trip its easiest for children and first-timers.
What you catch, and when
Tarpon Peak April–July; permit best April to October; bonefish March to October per FWC, best in September and October; barracuda all year; snook in the backcountry in its open months. Tarpon and bonefish are catch-and-release only, so this is a photographs trip, not a dinner trip. For the remote version, see the Marquesas.
Flats and backcountry guides you can book
-
Shadow Caster Charters
5.0 Google · 172 reviews · read 4 October 2026
Private flats and backcountry trips for up to four: $700 (4 h), $900 (6 h), $1,100 (8 h); sunset tarpon March to June; departs A&B Marina.
Departs: A&B Marina, 700 Front Street, Key West
Check availability -
Recon Sportfishing Charters
5.0 Google · 59 reviews · read 4 October 2026
Half-day backcountry ($750, 4 h) and full day ($1,200, 8 h, can reach the Marquesas), up to four; sunset tarpon April 20 to June 20.
Departs: 5950 Peninsular Ave, Stock Island
Check availability -
Above The Cut Charters
5.0 Google · 83 reviews · read 4 October 2026
Four ($700), six ($900) and eight-hour ($1,200) trips for up to four, plus a sunrise tarpon charter.
Departs: 5950 Peninsular Ave, Stock Island
Check availability -
Low Tide Charter
5.0 Google · 76 reviews · read 4 October 2026
Four-hour light-tackle trips for up to four from $650.
Departs: Hurricane Hole Marina, fuel dock
Check availability -
Blind Squirrel - Key West Florida Fishing
4.7 Google · 53 reviews · read 4 October 2026
Even Keel, a 25-ft skiff for up to four: $950 (4 h), $1,100 (6 h), $1,250 (8 h); sight fishing shallow wrecks for permit.
Departs: 1801 N Roosevelt Blvd, Charter Boat Row (light tackle section)
Check availability
Google · 172 reviews · read 4 October 2026 Flats etiquette and rules
- Tarpon over 40 inches stay in the water; bonefish out of the water for more than ten seconds are six times less likely to survive (Bonefish & Tarpon Trust).
- Polarised sunglasses are not optional: you cannot see the fish without them. What to bring.
- Permit are closed to harvest from April 1 to July 31 in the Keys’ Special Permit Zone.
- Florida Bay and the Everglades have their own rules if your guide runs north: Key Largo and Islamorada cover them.
Flats & backcountry: questions
How much is a flats fishing charter in Key West?
Half days of about four hours run $650 (Low Tide) to $950 (Blind Squirrel’s Even Keel), with Recon at $750 and Shadow Caster and Above The Cut at $700, for up to four anglers. Full days run $1,100 to $1,250.
Can you keep fish on a flats trip?
Mostly not: tarpon and bonefish are catch-and-release only in Florida, and permit are closed from April to July. Barracuda and snook can be kept within limits, but most guides release them. Book a reef trip if dinner is the goal.
When is the best time for flats fishing in Key West?
Spring and early summer for tarpon (April to July), and September and October for permit and bonefish, by the Keys tourism council’s calendar. Winter is slower on the flats.
Next step
Looking for fishing trips in the Florida Keys?
Fishing Trips Florida Keys is an independent guide — no boats, no bookings, nothing to sell. It exists so you can ask better questions before you hand an operator a deposit.
Fishing Trips Florida Keys takes no bookings and earns nothing from a click. You book with the operator directly.