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Florida · Middle Keys / Marathon

Mahi-mahi should be the day — Seven Mile current and the oceanside patches — permit and tarpon, not a bonefish morning. Heat is the clock — first light or last light.

Vaca Key gauge. Oceanside wrecks and patch reefs, bayside basins, Seven Mile Bridge current. Permit and tarpon more than bones.

  • ⚠ Extreme water temperature. Fish stress quickly — keep them wet, or don't boat them.
  • ⚠ Thunderstorms in the forecast. Lightning is a stay-tied call. The score is not a safety brief.
  • ⚠ Snook are typically closed to harvest on the SE/Atlantic coast in this window. Verify FWC.
5.1OF 10

Today

high confidence

Morning line

Marathon 5.1 this morning. 3 mph ESE. Thunderstorms · 14%. Wind versus the table: +0.3 ft. YOLO day is Friday, August 28. Scores are 1–10, not a bite.

Mail it
0.00.30.71.01.4HLHLHLHLNOWSun 8 PMMon 8 PMTue 8 PMWed 8 PMThu 8 PM
incoming · 0.69 ftNOAA hourly · ft MLLW

Wind

NOAA

NESW3MPH

From ESE · gust 7

Sky

14% rain

Storms

Thunderstorms · 14%

Lightning is a stay-tied call.

Moon

91% lit

Waxing gibbous

mid range · 91%

Water

NOAA 8723970

Water

91.8°

48°92°

Today’s range 0.9 ft

incoming

0.69 ft MLLW

Wind vs table

Observed − predicted

+0.30 ft

Observed minus predicted. Read the water, not just the printout.

Clock

NOAA 8723970

  • HighTue 11:15 AM · 1.10
  • LowTue 6:03 PM · 0.29
  • HighWed 3:18 AM · 0.87
  • LowWed 5:23 AM · 0.79
  • HighWed 12:18 PM · 1.14

Monthly YOLO day

Friday, August 28 · 8.3

Best remaining dry day this month with a real wind forecast. full · spring · tide range ~0.7 ft · wind to 10 mph · Thunderstorms · 45%

Stay or drive · Marathon vs Key WestOpen the calendarMorning dispatch

Next two weeks

Pulling the 14-day strip…

Where

  • HUMP - Marathon West Hump

    blue water · saved map · deep

    7.2

    Offshore seamount. Blackfin, AJ, wahoo. Same pattern as Islamorada Hump. CHART IT - APPROX. · 3 - HOT ZONES / FISHABLE STRUCTURE (green) · FL Keys — Zones, Structure and Troll Routes

    • — blue water on a incoming tide is a classic match.
    • — Thunderstorms — this mark is a stay-tied call, not a window.
    • — In-play: Mahi-mahi, Tuna (blackfin / yellowfin).
    • — Water is hot — deeper guts, passes, and shade hold oxygen and fish.
    • — Troll, edge, or jig water — this is the method.
    offshorespin

When

  • Incoming water

    8.6

    Tue 2:00 AM → Tue 5:00 AM

    Moving water in the right part of the day.

  • Outgoing water

    8.6

    Tue 4:00 AM → Tue 6:00 AM

    Moving water in the right part of the day.

  • Incoming water

    8.6

    Tue 6:00 AM → Tue 1:00 PM

    Moving water in the right part of the day.

  • Outgoing water

    8.6

    Tue 1:00 PM → Tue 8:00 PM

    Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.

  • Incoming water

    8.6

    Tue 10:00 PM → Wed 5:00 AM

    Moving water in the right part of the day.

Launch and beach access

County and state ramps near this water. FKNMS no-take is Keys-only, on the legal list.

  • Bahia Honda State Park

    Florida State Parks

    Middle Keys bridge and oceanside. Adjacent FKNMS polygons are no-take — check the red rings.

    Official source

Legal water

NOAA FKNMS management zones — Sanctuary Preservation Areas, Ecological Reserves, Research-Only.

No FKNMS polygon in this box. Mainland Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Mexico, and the Bahamas are not Keys sanctuary closures.

Why — and who

  • — Tide is incoming from NOAA.
  • — Observed water is close to the astronomical prediction — the table is telling the truth today.
  • — Water 91.8°F. Heat is the locator: early, late, deeper.
  • — Thunderstorms · 14%. Lightning is a stay-tied call.
  • — Wind 3 mph ESE. Troll and jig are on.
  • — Waxing gibbous moon — mid tide range. Marsh and passes usually want the extra current of a spring.

Black grouper

Mycteroperca bonaci

5.2

Thermal window

91.8°

66°90°

Present, not peak. Water 92°F is the hot edge for this fish. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.

Florida: typically a high minimum and a tight bag. Verify FWC. Monroe and FKNMS still apply.

Mahi-mahi

Coryphaena hippurus

7.0

Thermal window

91.8°

66°92°

Bluewater. Weedlines, humps, and the edge — this is the method. In peak season for this water. Water 92°F is the hot edge for this fish. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.

Florida: typically 10/person, 60/vessel, 20 in fork. Texas: 3/day in federal waters under HMS/coastal rules — verify NOAA HMS and TPWD. Mexico: verify CONAPESCA. Bahamas: check current bag.

Tuna (blackfin / yellowfin)

Thunnus atlanticus / Thunnus albacares

7.0

Thermal window

91.8°

66°92°

Bluewater. Weedlines, humps, and the edge — this is the method. In peak season for this water. Water 92°F is the hot edge for this fish. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.

Federal HMS rules. Yellowfin typically 27 in curved fork. Blackfin often more liberal — verify NOAA HMS and FWC/TPWD the morning you leave the inlet.

Blue marlin

Makaira nigricans

7.0

Thermal window

91.8°

68°90°

Bluewater. Weedlines, humps, and the edge — this is the method. In peak season for this water. Water 92°F is the hot edge for this fish. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.

Federal HMS. Treat as catch-and-release unless a lawful tag says otherwise. Verify NOAA HMS.

White marlin

Kajikia albida

7.0

Thermal window

91.8°

66°88°

Bluewater. Weedlines, humps, and the edge — this is the method. In peak season for this water. Water 92°F is the hot edge for this fish. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.

Federal HMS. Treat as catch-and-release. Verify NOAA HMS.

Swordfish

Xiphias gladius

5.2

Thermal window

91.8°

60°84°

Bluewater. Weedlines, humps, and the edge — this is the method. Present, not peak. Water 92°F is the hot edge for this fish. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.

Federal HMS. Typically one per person with a minimum length. Night gear rules matter. Verify NOAA HMS and FWC.

Sailfish

Istiophorus platypterus

3.4

Thermal window

91.8°

66°90°

Bluewater. Weedlines, humps, and the edge — this is the method. Off-season here. Water 92°F is the hot edge for this fish. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.

Florida: catch-and-release for Atlantic sail except a rare harvest tag. Federal HMS permit in federal waters. Texas/Bahamas: treat as C&R.

Wahoo

Acanthocybium solandri

3.4

Thermal window

91.8°

66°88°

Bluewater. Weedlines, humps, and the edge — this is the method. Off-season here. Water 92°F is the hot edge for this fish. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.

Florida: typically 2/person, 10/vessel. Verify FWC.

Jack crevalle

Caranx hippos

5.8

Thermal window

91.8°

64°94°

Bycatch and beach noise — not the reason you came. In peak season for this water. Water 92°F is the hot edge for this fish. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.

Generally unregulated. Still, do not leave a pile.

Great barracuda

Sphyraena barracuda

5.8

Thermal window

91.8°

66°92°

Bycatch and beach noise — not the reason you came. In peak season for this water. Water 92°F is the hot edge for this fish. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.

Generally unregulated. Ciguatera risk rises with size. Do not keep a big one for the table.

Regs citedFWC saltwater recreational · current FWC regional rules · rolls in 8 days. Snook closures are regional. Boca Grande is not Jupiter. Verify FWC before you keep one.